KAZ MAURICE-O'LEARY
RATED #1 INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER -
At the world's biggest conference for engineers.
"Fantastic talk linking protecting time and wellbeing with the ability to succeed and innovate!"
Rob Douglas
Chief Engineer at the Space Science Institute
"Nothing less than extraordinary. Kaz introduced us to her "Bolognese Principles", emphasizing the importance of getting back to basics and authentic connections."
Sannidhi Rao
Data Engineer - Chicago
"This has been one of the highlights for me at the SWE convention in Chicago. What a great inspiring story!"
Sofia Negrete Chavez - Lead at Apple.
Austin TX
The success of our lives and workplaces is directly linked to how well we look after each other.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of innovation and creativity, high performers are burning out faster than ever. An alarming 89% of Americans suffered from its many forms last year, including symptoms of cognitive weariness, fatigue and reduced effort at work.
The "Push through it" mentality is effective for productive bursts, but using it as a continuous daily approach is causing harm, increasing the rate of mistakes and the resignations of top talent. By not placing importance on basic wellbeing anchors, companies lose millions of direct and indirect dollars when burnout inevitably hits.
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With decades of global experience in high pressure roles, Kaz delivers transformative human insights with an inspiring true story, to get to the core of where change can happen immediately. She shines a light on how we can achieve excellence, avoid burning out our brightest stars and champion collective awareness as the new competitive edge.
About Kaz
Kaz Maurice O'Leary is a global speaker with a timeless message.
A remarkable career spanning various industries, Kaz has proven herself as an inspirational speaker and a creative powerhouse, earning recognition as an esteemed mind receiving 60+ awards including a Grand Prix Lion, a Grand Clio and previously being ranked one of the top most awarded creatives in APAC. Adding to that, she co-founded and sold a successful agency and created an emerging technology advisory council. Moving her creative leadership skills into the technology industry, she was entrusted with leading exploration teams and product strategy for Silicon Valley across half a decade and two global regions.
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However, amidst all her achievements, Kaz experienced the sudden loss of her husband in an accident. She unknowingly came very close to almost missing their last meal together due to workload. That meal was his home cooked Bolognese. With a deep desire to make a difference, she launched The Bolognese Philosophy - a workplace wellbeing initiative that has gained media attention and garnered a passionate community dedicated to getting us home on time and creating positive workspaces.
Her influence extends to international stages and she has spoken globally for big corporations, such as Meta, with one of their meeting rooms in Los Angeles being named "Get Home for Bolognese" in honor of Kaz's philosophy.
As a speaker on leadership and wellbeing, Kaz's talks cut straight to the heart of the matter, addressing the areas where our lives tend to wobble. Her refreshing vision inspires individuals and companies to lead from wherever they are, arming them with tangible tools and an empowering path forward. Kaz's unique speaking style is not just informative, but deeply impactful, she leaves her audiences inspired through storytelling, valuable lessons and creative approaches.
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Talk Topics
YOU FIRST, ALWAYS.
KEYNOTE + TEAM SESSIONS
THE ROLE YOUR WELLBEING PLAYS IN THE FUTURE OF INNOVATION​.
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The World Health Organization now recognizes burnout as a ‘Syndrome’ from chronic workplace stress that is ineffectively managed. In the realm of our career journey, burnout is at an all-time high during a time of rapid innovation. It is crucial to develop a new plan that prioritizes your health and its impact on the quality of our work.
Kaz, with extensive experience in managing global technology teams for Silicon Valley, serving as a business mentor, and advocating for well-being, offers valuable insights and practical strategies to address burnout. Through a structured session, participants will learn to identify and address underlying causes of burnout for individuals and teams.
Whether individuals are on the brink of burnout or are witnessing it in colleagues, they will leave with valuable skills for self and team analysis, actionable steps for leadership, and a deeper understanding of how well-being influences our career trajectory and future innovation.
Learning Objectives:
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Identify where burnout happens in your unique life dynamic and pinpoint clear action steps.
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Discover a range of unspoken causes of burnout in your workplace and teams and know how to effectively manage it from any position.
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Explain the global impact of well-being on the future of career advancement and quality of innovation.
SPRINT FOR CREATIVITY
PAUSE FOR HUMANITY
KEYNOTE + TEAM SESSIONS
The power of a pause for the future of innovation.
Now, more than ever, the brilliant minds driving creativity and innovation must prioritize the right structure and routines to not only operate at their highest level but also stay connected to the world around them. Creativity thrives when given the space for insight, inspiration, and reflection, ensuring that what is about to be unleashed will uplift humankind.
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In this enlightening session, Kaz delves into the history of overlooked aspects and reveals how we can create work environments that foster brilliance while firmly grounding us in humanity. Participants will acquire the tools to make human-first decisions within high-pressure innovation industries. This invaluable program seeks to support the mental and physical well-being of creatives, recognizing their pivotal role in the overall success, productivity, and quality of the future of innovation.
RESET TO RISE
TEAM WELLBEING SESSION
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Uniting teams, empowering results, and inspiring creative brilliance. Unlock a symbiotic team approach for innovation, creativity and productivity.
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In today's fast-paced work environments, burnout has become a widespread epidemic, resulting in increased staff turnover and decreased productivity. It's abundantly clear that our current approaches are failing us. Kaz invites us to step boldly into a new way of operating, one that places empathy at the forefront and reconnects us to our shared humanity.
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This refreshing program equips us with simple yet powerful tools to evaluate well-being and cultivate stronger team dynamics. By embracing the essence of making human-first decisions, we can establish a workplace culture where care and empathy form the bedrock of everything we do.
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Kaz delivers a transformative narrative to truly dig deeper into what we need to flourish, leaving her audience with immediate clarity and tools to take action. Together, we possess the power to create human-first workplaces that not only drive productivity, but also nourish our minds and empower us to consider our generational health.
Testimonials
“Being a high performing agency of creative minds, Kaz’s talk truly resonated and provided actionable steps to look out for each other.”
Iain MacMillan, Creative Director at Wunderman Thompson, Australia.
''As a female team leader in tech, Kaz's approach to supporting visionary minds and diverse teams resonates so deeply. A well timed combination of heart, logic and action makes all the difference between people showing up and actually wanting to be there."
Mei-Ling Wong, Production Lead,
Silicon Valley, USA.
“A valuable and original speaker experience to cut through and get to the humanity of what burns us out and tactical tools to make immediate change.”
Tom Gilmartin
Director at Meta, 2022, USA.
Contact Kaz
