Nic Marks is an award-winning statistician, founder, TED speaker and bestselling author who has become one of the world's leading voices on workplace wellbeing. Blending mathematics, psychology and organisational science, Nic helps businesses understand how happiness drives performance. As a trained psychotherapist and data expert, he offers a distinctive perspective on creating thriving teams by combining scientific evidence with human emotion, making him a highly sought-after motivational speaker for organisations worldwide.
After earning an MA in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge, Nic retrained in organisational change and psychotherapy at the Psychosynthesis Trust, transforming the way he approached statistics and human behaviour. He went on to found the Centre for Wellbeing at the New Economics Foundation, where he pioneered innovative methods of measuring quality of life and organisational success. During his time there, he created the globally recognised Happy Planet Index, the world's first measure of sustainable wellbeing, alongside the influential Five Ways to Wellbeing framework, which continues to shape wellbeing strategies around the world. Building on this work, Nic co-founded Friday Pulse, formerly Happiness Works, where he serves as Chief Statistician, equipping leaders with practical tools to measure, understand and improve employee happiness through evidence-based insights.
Nic has shared his pioneering ideas on some of the world's biggest platforms, with his TED talk, 'The Happy Planet Index', attracting more than one million views. He has also delivered multiple TEDx talks and authored one of the first TEDBooks, 'The Happiness Manifesto', further cementing his reputation as a leading thinker on wellbeing. His expertise has been featured in respected publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Wired UK and The Huffington Post. In 2025, he published the bestselling book 'Happiness is Serious Business', presenting decades of research demonstrating that happier teams consistently outperform their peers. His achievements have also earned recognition as one of Director Magazine's Top 10 Original Thinkers, inclusion in Forbes' 7 Most Powerful Ideas, and a shortlist for the Bookers' Choice Award at the UK Speaker Awards 2026.
With more than 25 years of experience challenging conventional thinking, Nic inspires audiences to move beyond simply being 'OK' and instead build workplaces where people genuinely flourish. His keynote presentations combine compelling data with engaging storytelling, delivering practical strategies for improving wellbeing, collaboration, innovation and resilience. By demonstrating the measurable link between happier people and stronger business performance, Nic empowers leaders to create healthier workplace cultures that benefit both individuals and organisations, leaving audiences motivated with actionable insights they can immediately apply.
