What was needed …
A multinational oil and gas company was holding its annual Safety & Corporate Responsibility Summit at the company’s headquarters. Over three hundred of their most senior managers were expected to attend. The theme of the event was “Leading Change”, emphasizing the rollout and implementation of fourteen new corporate standards relating to health, safety and the environment. The company was seeking an opening keynote speaker for their Summit who would not only create excitement and energy for this initiative, but also give their managers specific and practical tools to lead their teams through the anticipated uncertainty and subsequent adjustments.
What Merge did …
Several weeks prior to the Summit, Merge met with senior management and members of the planning team to understand the company’s key issues and their desired and intended outcomes for the event. She expertly crafted “Embracing Change”, a customized 60-minute keynote highlighting and showcasing their core messages. She delivered the keynote with her unique blend of realism and humor keeping her audience engaged and entertained. Despite the short time duration, she was also able to build in several opportunities for audience interaction, which was an important request from the Summit planning team.
What were the results …
Merge’s keynote set the perfect tone and pace for the rest of the Summit. It created the high-energy open-minded learning atmosphere that the senior management and planning team were seeking, and gave the leaders attending concrete actions that they could take with their teams as they rolled out the new corporate standards. Some of the specific comments received from participants – “clear and concise”, “practical ideas”, and “I can’t wait to try this with my team.” Later, the Vice President emailed Merge – “Thanks for all your effort to ensure you connected with the audience. I have received positive feedback on your presentation both for content and delivery.”