Richard has the experience, insights, honesty, and energy to connect with his audience in a unique and powerful way.
Richard Sauerman is known as The Brand Guy and has been ranked in the Global Top 30 Brand Gurus since 2014 (currently ranked 9th).
Richard has done the strategic thinking, brand planning and communications
for over 200 brands in his career, across every business category in just about every market: from global brands (Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Levis, Streets, Toyota, Nescafe, Vodafone) to Australian brands (Arnott’s, CSIRO, QBE, Data61, Surf Lifesaving Australia, Breast Cancer Trials, Tourism Australia, Mortgage Choice) to start-ups (LeukBook, T-shirt Ventures) and pro-bono clients (Maturious).
Richard has developed an intuitive sense of what people need and want over his branding and communications career and has been using his knowledge to challenge, inspire and motivate audiences for fifteen years.
He delivers keynote talks and runs workshops on Real YOU, Power Branding, Branding the Inside, Business as Unusual, and Light Your Fire. Richard's keynotes and workshops are a wake-up call for people at work. His style is energetic, passionate, empathetic, and ruthlessly honest. He’s an enemy of mediocrity, a challenger of norms and conventional thinking, and a champion of people.
His previous speaking clients include Clayton Utz, AMP, CBA, TAFE, Fitness First, Foxtel Media, Nestle, Surf Lifesaving Australia, News Corp, Prospa, Munich Re and American Express.
Richard grew up in Cape Town, South Africa. He's lived in London and Bangkok, and Sydney has been his home for thirty-five years. He has an MA in English Literature & Philosophy. Richard is a thinker and a humanist, with a massive interest in people and 'the human condition'. He has written two books and appears in the media on brand-related issues.
If you're talking peak performance, branding, people and culture, creativity, or managing change, Richard is the right keynote speaker for your next event or conference.
Speaking topics
Real YOU. Stop doing your job and living your life with the handbrake on.
When it comes to work and the workplace, too many people are doing their job with the handbrake on. Real YOU removes the barriers that are holding people back by inviting them to step out of their comfort zone and step up their game.
Power Branding. How to build brands that make sense and are believed and loved.
Most branding falls short of being powerful because it’s too rational, and that’s the big trap you want to avoid. An interactive talk with real-life lessons, examples, and stories from Richard’s 35-year branding career.
Branding the Inside. How to profit from purpose and passion.
Companies don’t make things happen; people do. Your brand is the purpose that propels everything your company or organisation is, says, and does. Branding the Inside is based on the pioneering work of The Brand Guy.
Business as Unusual. How to embrace ambiguity and uncertainty in a changing world.
If you worked and lived in a world that never changed, you’d stop growing and be bored to death. When people get this their whole attitude towards change changes. Everyone is an ‘agent of change’ in a world that’s not waiting for anyone.
Light Your Fire. How to unleash the creativity within.
The greatest source of organisational creativity is the people you employ. But most of them don’t see themselves as “creative” human beings. Light your fire will shift that self-limiting belief as people rediscover their creative potential.
Testimonials
You were by far the highlight of the entire 3 days. Our leaders rated you 9.3/10.
One participant said, “The Brand Guy changed my life”.
- Senior Manager, NewsCorp
We have never had such great feedback from one of our #digitalks: 90% rated your talk as “excellent”.
- CMO, Aquent
Richard brings more than just words - his thought provoking and powerful message drives a deep emotional response from the audience. Brilliant presentation!
- CEO, Innovative Retail
The issues and challenges he put on our radar are still spoken about and reflected upon months and years later. It's a true investment in individuals and the team, and so worth it.
- CEO, Surf Lifesaving Australia
Richard's workshop was high-energy, high-value and hilarious! He thinks like a pro and talks like he is walking on air. His energy is infectious.
- Vice President Marketing, American Express
Thank you for a great session. You scored extremely well – 9.8/10. The feedback received was amazing (as always)!
- Head of NGEN, Media Federation of Australia
You were an inspiration to the team, and from the feedback I have received they now come to work with a very different view of the world. They are more animated and confident and this is undoubtedly the result of the way in which you have helped them realise that it is those individual and intangible qualities that make the difference between doing well and doing brilliantly.
- British Telecom
Great session, taking people out of their comfort zone, forcing us to look at things from a different perspective.
- Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
You could check your dictionary and thesaurus for "inspiring", "interesting", "challenging" or you could have Richard come and talk to you and your people. His content is original, relevant and different and not a rehash of all the stuff you've already seen and heard before. But most importantly - it's bloody good.
- dmg Radio Australia
Richard, everyone still hasn't stopped talking about your presentation - it certainly did add magic’ to our National Sales & Marketing Conference. Inspiring, motivating, interesting, informative – and you'll be pleased to know that you scored very high points on feedback form.
- Mirvac
