Culture & Equality thought leader

Award-winning speaker Globally recognised thought leader Culture and equality expert

If you’re looking for an expert on the topic of culture, gender and equality at work, then you have found the right person. With nearly two decades of experience and five degrees, Michelle comes armed with a wealth of knowledge and, more importantly, practical advice from having worked with numerous international organizations and leaders in this area. Her message is deeply relatable, practical, and proven — and it is changing workplaces around the world to work for women and men. 

Whether you’re trying to motivate your leadership teams or foster greater understanding of how all employees can put equality into and create a culture of inclusion, Michelle will not only inspire your audience to change, but also explain how they can do this.

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reasons to
book Michelle...

1

Global Expert

Michelle is a globally recognised, award-winning expert in the DEI field.

2

Latest DEI Research and Leading Practice

Michelle has 5 degrees, and over 10 years studying inequality – she reveals insights that every workplace needs.

3

Relatable

Michelle’s passion, energy and expertise are the power behind her events, as she takes difficult topics and breaks them down into easily applied actions.

4

Customised

Michelle’s expertise covers all things culture and equality, as such she can custom-design virtual events that keep any audience engaged and focused.

5

Tools and takeaways

Your audience will be energised, motivated, and empowered to put equality into action using the tools and resources Michelle shares.

That's not all...

As an expert in organisational culture, equity and equality Michelle helps audiences understand how inequality works and what they can do to tackle it.

Michelle’s passion, energy and expertise are the power behind her custom-designed virtual events that keep any audience engaged and focused.

Michelle delivers the awareness and understanding needed to take action! Audiences consistently rate Michelle a five-star experience and “the highlight” of any event.

Michelle’s favourite part of any event is the audience Q&A. Personal questions straight from the audience provide a customised experience for your events.

Michelle provides audiences with compelling masterclasses that will challenge and teach leaders, DEI professionals, and employees to build workplaces that work for everyone!

Michelle provides bespoke, in-depth strategy engagement sessions for boards and executive committees where she unpacks the latest practices and research to inform any DEI strategy.

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Michelle is represented by the London Speaker Bureau.

For a list of topics Michelle can speak to and to request more information please click here.

See the truth behind what’s holding women back at work

Women are told that if they want to succeed at work, they need to fix themselves. Lean in, don’t lean out. Be a fighter and a rule-breaker to be a #Girlboss. Stop being nice and start acting like a man.

But now Michelle King – gender equality expert and Head of The Global Innovation Coalition for Change at UN Women – is calling BS on books and programs that tell women they need to change to be successful. She has seen over and over again, through her partnerships with major Fortune 500 companies like HP, SAP, and General Electric and her work with women nationwide, that the tired advice of fixing women isn’t fixing anything. The truth is that workplaces are gendered – they were designed by men for men – and unless you’re Don Draper, there are hidden barriers in place that are holding you back.

“Michelle King’s work is an insightful look into the ways we, as a society, have unwittingly bought in to the idea that women in the workplace are what’s broken. The idea that in order to be successful, women need to do more or be more is simply not true, and reveals how our idea of gender stereotypes seeps into work culture and how we define what success looks like. This book is a practical walk through the ways we’ve failed women in the workplace and enforced harmful behaviour from men, inviting us to the conclusion that women never needed fixing - we need to fix the workplace itself. The Fix starts an important conversation about how we’ll win, together.”
Anna Blue & Melissa Kilby, co-executive directors, Girl Up
“So much about the world of work—from workplace culture to our definition of success—was created by men, and it's not working for women or indeed for men. And it’s no surprise that women pay a disproportionately high price for their participation. That’s why The Fix is so important. It’s a passionate, practical roadmap for addressing inequality and finally making our workplaces work for women.”
Arianna Huffington, founder of Thrive Global
“Daring, thoughtful, and challenging! For all who want a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace, read this book today.”
Michael Kaufman, author of The Time Has Come
“Michelle King is a global ambassador on advancing women and girls in society. In this book, she explores the challenges women face today that impact their ability to succeed and lays out solutions organisations can apply to ensure a workplace where everyone thrives. Michelle understands that creating an inclusive and equitable workplace for everyone takes all of us. We are fortunate she is sharing her expertise and learnings, and is bringing us along this journey to implement real change.”
Dr. Cindy Pace, Global Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at MetLife
“We grow up with our mothers nursing, feeding, nurturing, guiding, reading, teaching, mentoring, and protecting us. Yet, for some reason we seem to forget that we wouldn’t be the men we are today without the women in our lives. What are we afraid of? Are we worried that we can’t handle the competition, we can’t seriously think we are better, can we? One can only hope that books like this will be read by men and women alike and that we can stop living in fear that only one gender can win.”
Nigel Barker, fashion photographer and TV personality
“The Fix is a powerful and essential read which challenges the dominant mindset regarding women's capabilities and the high cost of false narratives which prevent them from succeeding at a level commensurate with their aptitude and skills. Insightful and thoroughly engaging, Michelle King provides practical solutions for bringing about tangible and lasting change, as well as an impassioned argument for equity that moves beyond the current discourse on women in the workplace.”
Dr. Nina Ansary, author, scholar, and UN Women Global Champion for Innovation
“The structures in the workplace that prevent women from succeeding are the same structures that make it nearly impossible for men to become the emotionally aware, sensitive, and compassionate people—and colleagues—that we are capable of being. The Fix offers men the chance to unlearn some of the behaviours that harm us, and those around us, and invites us to shed the notion of who we are ‘supposed’ to be so we can do the meaningful work of learning who we truly are. Work that, when done right, allows us to become true allies in the fight to make the workplace, and the world, a more equitable place. King’s book is a compelling read for all men and organisations who want to do better and are unsure of where to start.”
Justin Baldoni, actor and founder of Wayfarer Entertainment
“Michelle King has written a book that is more than necessary today. With its clarity and common sense, its passion and practicality, it is a vital piece calling for a workplace that actually works for women. Michelle provides actions to take that do not succumb to the notion of 'fixing' women. Calling for accountability in what too often is a toxic environment is only as important as offering ways to bring about real change in that environment. Michelle writes with elegance and precision, inviting us all in to be better informed and better understood.”
Meredith Walker, founder of Amy Poehler's Smart Girls

Award winning...

2020 Axiom Business Book Awards: Silver medal

2020 Non-Obvious Book Award: Longlist Selection

Porchlight: #1 Business Bestseller December 2020

Based on King’s more than 16 years of research and exclusive interviews with major companies and thought leaders, THE FIX: Overcome the Invisible Barriers that are Holding Women Back at Work reveals the truth behind what’s holding women back at work and provides a clear roadmap for women to navigate the flawed workplace to find success on their own terms. King’s research reveals that the one thing holding women back above all else is gender denial. By denying gender inequality, we’re preventing women and minorities from getting to that corner office.

In this book, King reveals the hidden factors that women encounter at work every day, but don’t even see. Because of ingrained gender stereotypes, women who speak up or assert themselves are seen as pushy. Women who ask for a pay raise are difficult. Women who spend hours networking don’t get the same career benefits as men do. Unlike men, women cannot just go to work, do their jobs and expect to advance. Fixing women isn’t the answer – women aren’t broken. Women are capable, innovative, team players, and exceptional leaders. Women deserve workplaces that support, enable and encourage them to succeed.

By elucidating the hidden barriers that are holding women back at all stages of their career, THE FIX: Overcome the Invisible Barriers that are Holding Women Back at Work provides women – and male allies – with a clear set of take-aways to thrive despite the inherently gendered workplace, and a plan to bring about change from within.

Gender equality is not about women, and it is not about men – it is about making workplaces work for everyone. Together, we can fix work, not women.

Invisible Barriers Women Face at Work
Know the Barriers Women and Minorities Face at Work, Says Inclusion Expert
How do we "fix" the workplace to work for women?
Bloomberg Future – Netflix Director of Inclusion Says Women Should Realize How Incredible They Are
ABC 7 News - WJLA – "The Fix" author on overcoming invisible barriers for women in the workplace
C-Span –After Words with Michelle King

Watch Michelle

Latest articles...

Bloomberg

Know the Barriers Women and Minorities Face at Work, Says Inclusion Expert

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The Economist

Women still face barriers in the workplace

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Business Insider

Office politics work only for men. To fix things, let's all start 'spending our privilege' in smarter ways

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The Times

Michelle King: Lean in? No, Sheryl Sandberg is sexist

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LinkedIn

We can’t fix inequality if we don't see it

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Nobl Academy

Equality & Resilience: Making the Workplace Work for Everyone

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CNN Business

Women are better leaders. The pandemic proves it

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WGVU

Director of Inclusion for Netflix Michelle King releases the book The Fix

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Working mother

The Pandemic is the Perfect Time for Men to Embrace 'Breadsharing' Instead of Breadwinning

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Fast Company

The truth behind the 'performance tax' women pay at work

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MailOnline

Not getting ahead at work? It's not YOU - It's men! claims the Netflix executive

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Thrive Global

Managers Can Overcome Invisible Barriers With This Simple Trick

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