Conference Keynote Speaker
Shama Hyder gives conference keynotes on AI, growth and leading through change, including Seven Signals, built on her Strategic Urgency framework. She speaks at association annual conferences, leadership summits and corporate meetings; use Check Availability to see if she's free for your date.
Shama was named to the 2026 TIME100 Creators list in the Leaders category. She built and led Zen Media for 17 years before selling the company, advises leaders at Microsoft, Adobe, Salesforce, and JPMorgan Chase, and has delivered keynotes for EMAAR and SEMA.
2026
TIME100 Creators — Leaders
17 Years
Led Zen Media
EMAAR + SEMA
Keynotes
3 Books
Published Author
Shama built and led Zen Media for 17 years before selling the company.
Her keynote work includes engagements for EMAAR and SEMA.
Shama was named to the 2026 TIME100 Creators list in the Leaders category and is a Professor at Link School of Business.
Shama does not deliver the same talk at every conference. Her team works with you ahead of the event to understand your audience, your theme, and the specific outcomes you need the keynote to drive. Your attendees get a session that feels like it was built for them — because it was.
Conference audiences are discerning. They can tell when a speaker is recycling material and when they're getting something real. Shama is known for giving attendees frameworks they use on Monday morning — not motivational quotes that fade by the time they're back at their desks.
Every keynote is available in 25, 45, and 60-minute formats and is customized to your specific conference audience. Select the talk that best fits your event theme and audience needs.
For conference audiences ready to move beyond AI hype to real competitive advantage
Many executives struggle to turn AI experiments into measurable value. This keynote introduces the 3-P Model—People, Process, and Personalization—to help teams identify practical opportunities.
She walks through the AI Evolution (Assistant to Partner to Operator) and shows what the shift looks like in practice — when AI moves from a tool your team uses occasionally to a system that works alongside them every day. Your audience leaves with a clear 90-day implementation framework and the confidence to lead AI adoption in their organizations.
This keynote is designed for technology, financial services, manufacturing, and healthcare conferences, as well as leadership audiences seeking practical application.
For conference audiences navigating rapid market change, disruption, or strategic pivots
Markets are moving faster than planning cycles. The signals that reveal where opportunities are forming are available to everyone — but most leaders are looking in the wrong places or waiting too long to act.
This keynote introduces Shama's Strategic Urgency framework: See, Interpret, Act. She walks your audience through the signal types that reveal hidden growth opportunities (from customers and talent to money and culture), a six-question framework to determine which signals warrant action, and the three execution patterns that determine whether a moment becomes a market advantage or a missed opportunity.
Your conference audience leaves with a decision-making framework they can apply to their organizations the same week. The talk works equally well as an opening keynote (setting the strategic tone for the conference) or a closing keynote (sending attendees home with a concrete framework for what comes next).
For leaders and teams building trust, visibility, and authority in the age of AI
AI makes competence easier to copy. This keynote shows leaders and teams how to build durable influence through trust, visibility, and authority.
The program is designed for sales, leadership, professional services, brand, and visibility audiences.
For conferences focused on growth, customer experience, or relationship-driven business
Brands that build genuine relationships at scale may be better positioned as customer expectations change.
This keynote helps teams use personalization, AI, and customer-journey insight to reduce friction, make touchpoints feel more human, and strengthen customer trust.
The keynote is especially powerful for conferences in financial services, healthcare, retail, hospitality, and any industry where long-term customer relationships drive revenue.
Conference Programs
Explore keynote themes, industry programs, workshops, and stage roles that can be tailored to your conference.
Unlocking AI-Powered Customer Experience: a 90-second clip from Shama's 2025 Health & Fitness Association keynote. She explains why customers feel friction a company can't see and walks through her People, Process, Personalization model.
Where the keynote sits on your agenda changes what it needs to do. Here is what to plan for in each case, and what organizers said after booking Shama.
An opener has to give the room a shared question to carry into every breakout. Seven Signals, built on her Strategic Urgency framework, gives attendees the signals to watch for during the rest of the agenda.
Plan it before the first breakouts, while the whole audience is still in one room.
The last session competes with flights, checkout times and tired attendees. Keep it on the main stage, and don't put a long break right before it. That is when people slip out early.
A strong close leaves attendees with one clear next step for when they get back to work.
Organizers who booked her to close say:
“We heard nothing but fantastic things from attendees about your keynote. It was a perfect way to close out the content on such a high note!”
Ann Dieleman, Executive Director, PIMA
“Shama was the highlight of our event as the closing keynote speaker! She understood our audience and delivered great value. Not only that, she's smart, clearly spoken, professional, funny, and easy to work with. Highly recommend!”
Pete Cappa, Event Producer, Prudential
A summit room is usually smaller and more senior, so the session can go deeper. Leaders want time to test ideas against their own plans.
The 60-minute format leaves the most room for that.
From a summit organizer:
“Shama Hyder was the highlight of our summit. She has this rare ability to make you feel both energized and clear-headed at the same time, like she's giving you permission to stop reacting and start leading strategically. She showed our audience how to spot timing windows that give them a massive competitive advantage, how to read signals everyone else is missing and act while the window is open. She makes the future feel actionable and the present feel calm. If you want a speaker who will genuinely shift how your audience thinks, not just inspire them for an hour, book Shama.”
Wesley Williams, CMO, GoHighLevel
Not sure which slot fits? Check Availability and tell Shama's team where the keynote sits on your agenda.
“Shama Hyder spoke at our 2024 Women in Industry Conference on the topic of AI. Her session was engaging, interactive and had lots of tangible takeaways for our attendees. She is wonderful to work with. If you are looking for a speaker who will make AI learning fun and approachable, book Shama today!”
AnnaMarie Kendall, Marketing and Communication Manager, MHEDA
“Shama Hyder's session was incredibly informative, engaging, and approachable. She delivered valuable, tangible takeaways tailored specifically to our audience, making AI feel accessible and actionable. From an event planning perspective, Shama and her team were wonderful to work with. If you're looking for a dynamic speaker with a focus on AI, I highly recommend Shama Hyder.”
Emily Murnen, Event Manager, DSOA LLC
“Shama was incredible to work with! Her commitment to our event, streamlining her presentation to ensure it was appropriate for our audience and providing fresh and innovative ideas to our group was so impactful!”
Carol Ann Seney, Director of Events, Marriott
What topics does Shama Hyder speak on at conferences?
Shama's current keynote topics are Seven Signals, The New Rules of Influence, AI in Action, and The Customer Has Already Changed. Every keynote is customized to the audience, industry, and event goals.
What types of conferences does Shama Hyder speak at?
Shama speaks at industry association annual conferences, corporate leadership summits, national sales conferences, CEO and C-suite forums, technology conferences, women's leadership events, and international business conferences.
How does Shama customize her conference keynote?
Every keynote is tailored to your audience. Shama's team conducts a pre-event briefing to understand your attendees' roles, the challenges they're navigating, your event theme, and the specific outcomes you want the keynote to drive. The examples, case studies, and frameworks are adjusted to fit your industry and audience.
How long are Shama's conference keynotes?
Conference keynotes are available in 25-minute, 45-minute, and 60-minute formats. Shama is also available as a conference emcee or moderator for multi-session events, and offers half-day and full-day workshop formats.
Has Shama Hyder spoken internationally?
Yes. Shama has delivered keynotes for EMAAR and SEMA.
How do I book Shama Hyder for a conference?
Submit the booking form or contact Shama's team with the event date, location, audience, and preferred format to check current availability.
Book for Your Conference
Share your conference date, audience, location, and preferred format to check availability and discuss keynote fit.