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Personal branding & leadership presence

Maria Papacosta

Maria Papacosta helps executives and thought leaders build authentic leadership presence and powerful personal brands. A personal branding speaker and leadership coach, she ranks among Thinkers360's Top 10 Global Thought Leaders and has coached TED and TEDx speakers worldwide.

Trusted by KPMG, Piraeus Bank, European Marketing Academy

Maria Papacosta, Speaker | Personal Branding Strategist
Maria Papacosta

Maria Papacosta

Athens, Greece

Typical fee range

€11k–25k

This is an estimated fee range for local in-person events. Location and format affect the final fee.

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Athens, Greece

Starting from

€11k–25k

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loading@getapeptalk.com

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+44 203 835 2929

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Maria Papacosta's biography

At a glance

  • Co-founder of MSC Marketing Bureau
  • 5x Global Gurus top personal branding coach
  • TEDx speaker curator and coach
Maria Papacosta is a Leadership Presence coach, researcher, and personal branding strategist who helps professionals design a stronger, more authentic version of themselves at work and in life. As co-founder of MSC Marketing Bureau, she has shaped the branding strategies of leading thinkers worldwide and coached executives, CEOs, Prime Ministers, and Nobel laureates, while serving as a TEDx speaker curator and coach and sitting on the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council. Her personal branding workshop has been ranked among the world's leading brand development programmes by Global Gurus for five consecutive years, and Thinkers360 named her a Top 10 Global Thought Leader on Personal Branding. Combining line management and consulting experience, Maria designs practical frameworks that help clients build presence, trust, and communication within their organisations, translating her research into leadership and influence strategies that turn a personal brand into a genuine competitive advantage rather than a marketing exercise. She has published academic papers on marketing and consumer behaviour and is featured regularly in Forbes, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur. Audiences leave with tools to identify their authentic style, communicate with greater confidence, and build the self-awareness needed to lead and influence others. Maria's own path, from a shy introvert to a globally recognised branding strategist, makes the message as credible as it is practical. Book Maria to give leaders and speakers a personal brand and presence that genuinely sets them apart.

Maria's showreel and videos

Topics, sessions and talks

Leading From Within: The Power Of Self Awareness
Maria Papacosta explores why self-awareness has become one of the most critical skills for today's executives, arguing that knowing one's strengths, blind spots, values, and limiting beliefs underpins effective leadership and personal growth. Drawing on current research and real-world examples from her coaching practice, she offers practical strategies for building this capacity at any career stage. Executives and rising leaders alike come away with concrete tools for leading with greater clarity, confidence, and impact within their organisations.
Storytelling And Presentation Skills For Leaders
Maria Papacosta shows leaders why a compelling story and strong delivery must work together, since either skill alone produces a mediocre result. Drawing on years spent teaching senior executives and coaching TED speakers, she shares a proven approach to crafting narratives and presenting them with confidence and clarity. Whether preparing for a boardroom pitch, a conference stage, or everyday communication, attendees leave with a practical framework for making their message land and inspiring the action they set out to achieve.
Presence: The Power Within
Maria Papacosta unpacks the difference between having presence and simply being present, and how the two connect. She explains why most people are disconnected from the primal state of full attention and shows how gravitas, communication, and self-awareness combine to build genuine presence. Drawing on her coaching work with executives and TED speakers, Maria offers practical guidance on controlling voice, emotion, and word choice, leaving audiences with tools to project influence and impress with authenticity rather than performance.
Building Your Personal Brand
Maria Papacosta challenges the idea that personal branding is about self-promotion or social media presence, arguing instead that it starts with discovering one's true values and qualities and living by them consistently. She frames a personal brand as a trademark that requires ongoing protection and development, built to serve others rather than oneself. Maria guides audiences towards becoming a trusted, recognisable voice within their field, leaving them with a clear framework for defining what their own brand truly represents.
From Waiting To Acting: Unleashing Your Presence
Maria Papacosta opens with Max Weber's idea that people grow within an iron cage of others' expectations, often losing sight of their own purpose. She argues that knowing who you are, what you need, and where you want to go is essential to building genuine presence, and that opportunity favours those who act rather than wait. Through this keynote journey, Maria helps audiences strengthen their core sense of self, adopt a growth mindset, and actively pursue the opportunities available to them.

Why we recommend booking Maria

Maria has coached Prime Ministers, Nobel laureates, NASA scientists, and CEOs worldwide, and her personal branding workshop has ranked among the world's best by Global Gurus for five consecutive years. As co-founder of MSC Marketing Bureau and a TEDx speaker curator, she pairs academic research with hands-on coaching experience.

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Trusted by KPMG, Piraeus Bank, European Marketing Academy

Testimonials

Maria is truly exceptional in all aspects. She is a very talented professional who knows her job really well. Very client oriented, efficient, with an exceptional ability to understand clients' needs and try to satisfy them. She is a great communicator and a fantastic team player. Working with her has always been a great experience, as well as an asset.

Marilena Pappas

Events Coordinator, KPMG

Maria is a knowledgeable consultant, and a supportive and open team member, She is always there to make your event something really special and memorable.

George Katsouranis

General Manager, Deputy Group CHRO, Piraeus Bank

Maria is an outstanding Personal Branding Strategist. But that title does no justice to her breadth and quality of service. She has been instrumental in helping me develop, grow and market my brand. She is truly a trusted advisor who goes above and beyond to ensure your success.

Ravin Jesuthasan

WSJ Bestselling Author

frequently asked questions

Something we've not covered here?

How do I book Maria Papacosta for my next event?
Email maria.papacosta@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk 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 Maria's 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.
What is Maria Papacosta's speaking style like?
Maria Papacosta draws on case studies from her executive coaching practice and a framework developed through years of coaching TED speakers, structuring sessions around a step-by-step method that connects self-awareness, narrative craft, and physical presence into a single, practical toolkit.
What topics does Maria Papacosta specialise in?
Maria Papacosta speaks on self-awareness in leadership, storytelling and presentation skills, and executive presence. She has coached TED speakers and executives including CEOs, Prime Ministers, and Nobel laureates, and her personal branding workshop has been ranked among the world's leading brand development programmes by Global Gurus for five consecutive years.
What does 'typical fee range' mean?

Speaker fees vary based on factors like event location, format, and availability. The 'typical fee range' figure gives you a baseline of someone's local, in-person rate sits, and we'll confirm the exact fee when you get in touch.

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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. Alongside direct talent, 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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How far in advance should I book a motivational speaker?

Book a motivational speaker at least 3–6 months in advance, especially for popular speakers or large events. Top speakers get booked quickly, so earlier is always better. For major conferences or peak seasons, booking 12 months ahead ensures you secure your first choice.

Help, I need a last-minute speaker for my event!

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