Professor Adrian Furnham is a world-renowned motivational speaker and authority on organisational psychology and human behaviour. Drawing on more than four decades at the forefront of academic research and real-world consulting, Adrian inspires audiences globally with practical, evidence-based insights into leadership, performance, motivation, and personal effectiveness. He served as Professor of Psychology at University College London (UCL) for over 45 years and is currently Professor of Management at the Norwegian School of Business (BI). His unique ability to combine intellectual rigour with engaging delivery has established him as one of the most influential voices in applied psychology.
Educated at the London School of Economics, where he began university at just 16, Adrian earned his MSc and DSc before completing his DPhil at the University of Oxford. Shortly after graduating, he began lecturing at Oxford, where he was recognised as the most productive European psychologist of the 1990s. Alongside his academic work, his ideas have reached a broad public audience through major international media outlets, including The Financial Times, The Guardian, and New Scientist.
Adrian’s career is marked by numerous distinctions that reinforce his credibility as a speaker and thought leader. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society, a Member of the American Psychological Association, and was named one of the Top 200 Psychologists of All Time in 2015. He has served as Principal Behavioural Psychologist for Stamford Associates and was a long-standing columnist for publications such as The Sunday Times, Daily Mail, and The Telegraph. In these platforms, and on the TEDx stage, where he delivered his talk, 'Debunking the Myth That Intelligence Is Gender-Based', he demonstrated his talent for motivating audiences by challenging assumptions and reshaping mindsets.
At the heart of Adrian’s speaking is his ability to bridge rigorous psychological science with practical, motivating guidance for leaders and organisations. He is the author of over 1,300 scientific papers and more than 95 books on subjects including leadership, management, performance, money, and wellbeing. As a keynote speaker, Adrian is highly sought after for his engaging and insightful presentations, which equip audiences with actionable strategies to drive change, enhance leadership capabilities, and build high-performance cultures.
