Duncan Stevens Kicks Off the Day for 20 KPMG Global Lead Partners
With Duncan Stevens, behavioural psychologist, keynote speaker and best-selling author
OUTCOME 1
A day started well
20 Global Lead Partners from across EMA left the opening session energetic, excited and ready for the day.
OUTCOME 2
Influence with intent
Partners began to see influence as a way to move business priorities forward, not a tactic saved for pitches.
OUTCOME 3
Points they can use
Every idea linked back to the business, so Partners had points to use in their next client conversation.
THE CHALLENGE
KPMG needed its opening session to set the tone for a day of serious business with its Global Lead Partners.
KPMG brought 20 Global Lead Partners from across the EMA region together for a full day of discussion. Partners are short of time and hard to impress, so whoever opened the day had to earn their attention quickly and keep every idea tied to the business.
Sadie Chapman, Ignition Experience Producer, asked Duncan to kick off the day with a 60 minute keynote. She wanted Partners to leave energised and excited, with each part of the session linked back to the event’s messages.
DUNCAN’S SOLUTION
A 60 minute keynote built around KPMG’s business, with every idea tied back to the day’s messages.
Before the day, Duncan spoke with Sadie to understand the brief, who’d be in the room and which messages the event needed to carry.
He then built a keynote around KPMG’s business perspective, using on-stage behavioural psychology demonstrations and short interactive moments to give Partners a reason to lean in. Each section linked back to the event’s themes, so the messaging stayed relevant from the opening minute to the close.
THE RESULT
Global Lead Partners who started the day energetic, excited and thinking about the business.
Sadie Chapman said the Partners left the opening session energetic and excited, and she called them speechless. She noted that every part linked back to the business, so the messaging stayed relevant to the event, and said Duncan understood the brief and delivered the ask. In the survey, 99% of Partners said they’d recommend Duncan.
The audience survey below shows how the session landed with the people in the room.
Opening a leadership day for senior partners? Check Duncan’s availability or explore his Influence and Persuasion keynote.
THOUGHTS FROM DUNCAN
The first ten minutes of a day decide how much the room will give you.
Partners have heard plenty of speakers, so I start by earning attention. I learn what the day is for, then link every idea back to the business so nothing feels like a detour. When a senior room sees its own priorities in the session, the energy lifts and the ideas stay with people.
The KPMG Partners were sharp, generous and quick to join in, and I’m grateful to Sadie for having me. I’d love to work with them again.
HOW KPMG'S GLOBAL LEAD PARTNERS RATED DUNCAN'S INFLUENCE KEYNOTE
99% of KPMG’s Global Lead Partners would recommend Duncan, and 97% are extremely or highly likely to use his takeaways. The words they used most to describe the keynote were energising, relevant and memorable.
Survey of KPMG Global Lead Partners, completed straight after the keynote.
LIKELIHOOD TO USE DUNCAN'S TAKEAWAYS
HOW LIKELY ARE YOU TO RECOMMEND DUNCAN
ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE DUNCAN’S KEYNOTE
Want your own senior leaders energised and thinking about the business from the first session? Talk to Duncan about your leadership day.
SEE WHAT OTHER CLIENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT DUNCAN'S KEYNOTE:
“It is evident that Duncan has a passion for delivering outstanding results and look forward to partnering again!”
Jenny Tsimpouka
Events Co-ordinator, CEO Clubs Greece
“His speech was very motivational and inspirational and the entertainment part was just mind-blowing!”
Tonya Winders
CEO, GAAP Barcelona
“I would highly recommend Duncan to anyone looking for an amazing speaker who can inspire and motivate diverse audiences!”
Natasha Amurao
Event Organiser, Abu Dhabi
“His content was delivered perfectly. Exactly what we were looking for! Actionable takeaways for everybody!”
Ashleigh Goodchild
Director, PM Collective
Popular Keynote Topics
Duncan Stevens is a behavioural psychologist, high performance expert and globally recognised keynote speaker. He inspires and educates leaders and teams at conferences around the world, in person or virtually.
His award-winning keynotes cover high performance, change, collaboration and influence.
Turning High Potential Into High Performance: Duncan’s signature keynote gives leaders the behaviours and mindsets to deliver strategic goals, drive change, inspire teams and strengthen culture.
The High Performing Team Advantage: An inspiring, entertaining keynote that gives teams the tools to collaborate better, drive marginal gains, take ownership and thrive through change.
Practical strategies to navigate uncertainty, overcome resistance, build resilience and create a culture that adapts quickly when things change.
Proven strategies to break down silos, build trust, share ownership and help teams achieve more together than they ever could alone.
How to build a culture where people want to perform at their best, using the 8 Pillars of High Performance Culture.
Built on Duncan’s best-selling book Effective Influence, this talk shows audiences how to build trust, communicate with impact, shape decisions and inspire action.
Let's Work Together.
Duncan’s helped global organisations like KPMG lift their teams, their culture and their bottom-line results. Let’s do the same for your event.
Schedule a call to start the conversation.