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Available to book

Speaker, retail leader & diversity advocate

Gillian Drakeford

Transform organisational culture with Gillian Drakeford MBE, speaker, global retail leader and diversity advocate. Gillian works with businesses to drive strategic implementation and inclusive leadership, delivering expertise from her executive roles at IKEA UK, Ireland and China.

Trusted by IKEA UK, IKEA Ireland, IKEA China

Gillian Drakeford

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London, United Kingdom

Starting from

£6–10k

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Gillian Drakeford's biography

At a glance

  • Led IKEA in UK, Ireland, and China
  • Driven IKEA's global retail experience programme
  • Advocate for workplace diversity and inclusion
Gillian Drakeford MBE is a global retail leader, chair, advisor, and speaker. She has enormous experience bringing together people and systems to deliver success with a purpose. She has led IKEA in the UK, Ireland, and China and driven the superbrand’s global retail experience programme. Gillian is recognised for translating strategy into reality through solid communication skills and storytelling and shaping a genuinely effective organisational culture through connecting, engaging and mobilising people. She strongly advocates for true meritocracy in the workplace, supporting true diversity and inclusion.

Topics, sessions and talks

Leadership And Development For Purpose-Led Organisations
Gillian Drakeford shares insights on fostering leadership and growth in organizations driven by purpose, emphasizing the importance of aligning values and goals for impactful development.
Customers Aren't Digital: Understanding The Whole Human
Gillian Drakeford emphasizes the importance of recognizing customers as multifaceted individuals, beyond just their digital interactions, to truly understand and meet their diverse needs.
Customer Centricity: Mindset And Organisational Focus
Gillian Drakeford discusses the importance of adopting a customer-centric approach, emphasizing mindset shifts and organizational focus to enhance customer satisfaction and business success.

Why we recommend booking Gillian

Gillian offers your team insights from a global retail leader. Benefit from her expertise in transforming strategy into reality, fostering a meritocratic workplace, and driving success through diversity and inclusion. Elevate your organizational culture and inspire your team to achieve greatness with purpose.

Check Gillian's availability

Trusted by IKEA UK, IKEA Ireland, IKEA China

frequently asked questions

Something not covered here?

What topics does Gillian Drakeford specialise in?
Gillian Drakeford specialises in discussing global retail leadership, organisational culture, diversity and inclusion and more.
What is Gillian Drakeford's speaking style like?
Gillian delivers impactful presentations with clarity and purpose, effectively engaging audiences through storytelling and strong communication skills, while advocating for diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
How can I book Gillian Drakeford for my next event?
Email gillian.drakeford@getapeptalk.com or call us on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm availability and fees. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and a bit about your audience. As speaker agents, PepTalk can secure Gillian Drakeford for commercial and corporate events, conference keynotes, leadership talks, celebrity brand endorsements & partnerships, personal appearances, and motivational speaking engagements. We can assist with enquiries about Gillian Drakeford's speaking fees, availability, and booking process for private business functions, industry conferences, and team events. Please note, for media interviews, autographs, charity appearances, or personal matters, we recommend contacting Gillian Drakeford directly.
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Not necessarily. While the speakers listed on our website may not have worked with PepTalk in the past, they are recognized professionals in the industry and known to engage in similar events and engagements. We work with a wide variety of speaker agents and talent agencies to ensure we have the best selection of speakers, hosts, comedians and entertainers available.

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