Dr Lynda Gratton

Professor of Management Practice at the London Business School, Founding CEO of HSM Advisory & Former Chief Psychologist for British Airways

Dr Lynda Gratton’s Biography:

Dr Lynda Gratton is a leading authority on the future of work, recognised globally for her research, teaching, and advisory work on organisational behaviour and human potential. She is Professor of Management Practice at the London Business School, where she leads the flagship executive programme Human Resource Strategy in Transforming Companies, chairs the Future of Work elective, and teaches both MBA and Executive Education students. Her engaging approach to leadership and transformation earned her the LBS Excellence in Teaching Award in 2016. Lynda is also a multi-award-winning author whose ten books, including Redesigning Work – How to Transform Your Organisation and Make Hybrid Work for Everyone (2022), have sold over a million copies and been translated into more than twenty languages.

In 2008, Lynda founded HSM Advisory, a leading practice dedicated to helping organisations co-create sustainable, human-centred futures with their people. The consultancy enables leaders to translate thought leadership into practice through evidence-based insights, guiding companies to evolve responsibly and with purpose. A year later, she launched Future of Work by HSM, an international community designed to help leaders anticipate emerging trends, share experiences, and take practical action around the next frontiers of work. Both ventures have positioned her at the forefront of shaping how organisations adapt to the complexities of modern employment and hybrid working.

Lynda’s influence extends beyond business and academia into global policy and social impact. In 2017, she was appointed to the Council for Designing a 100-Year Life Society for the Prime Minister of Japan, reflecting her expertise in longevity and workforce evolution. She is a longstanding member of the World Economic Forum, where she has chaired the Council on Leadership and now co-chairs the Global Future Council on Work, Wages and Job Creation. She also serves on the international advisory board of Equinor, offering strategic guidance on sustainable leadership.

Before establishing HSM Advisory, Lynda built a distinguished early career in organisational psychology and consulting. She began as Chief Psychologist at British Airways in 1979 before joining PA Consulting, where she rose through the ranks from consultant to Divisional Director. Her early work laid the foundations for her lifelong mission: to help leaders design organisations that balance performance with human wellbeing.

Why Hire Lynda Gratton?

Dr Lynda Gratton is a sought-after keynote speaker known for her deep insight into people strategy, leadership, purpose, cooperation, innovation, and the future of work. Drawing on decades of research and her role as Professor of Management Practice at London Business School, she helps leaders understand how to build resilient, high-performing organisations that put people at the centre. Her talks explore how workplaces can adapt to hybrid models, demographic shifts, and evolving employee expectations, offering practical, evidence-based strategies that inspire immediate action. Recognised globally for her clarity and warmth, she connects complex ideas with real-world examples that resonate across industries.

Lynda’s influence reaches the world’s most powerful stages. She has spoken at the World Economic Forum in Davos and the G20 in Tokyo, where she has advised global leaders on the intersection of technology, human behaviour, and work. As a judge for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year and recipient of the 2025 Thinkers50 Lifetime Achievement Award, her authority on the future of work is widely respected. Organisations book Lynda for her ability to translate major trends into clear, human-focused insights that help leaders and teams thrive in times of change.

Lynda Gratton’s Career Highlights:

Below are some of Dr Lynda Gratton’s most significant career highlights, reflecting her global influence on leadership, people strategy, and the future of work.

• 2025 – Awarded the Thinkers50 Lifetime Achievement Award for her global contribution to leadership, people strategy, and the future of work.
• 2024 – Inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame, recognising her sustained influence on management thinking worldwide.
• 2018 – Won the MIT Sloan Management Review Beckhard Prize for the article The Corporate Implications of Longer Lives, co-authored with Andrew Scott.
• 2017 – Appointed to the Council for Designing a 100-Year Life Society by the Prime Minister of Japan; The 100-Year Life
• 2015 – Received London Business School’s Teaching Excellence Award; named HR Magazine’s Most Influential Thinker of the Decade; The Key won CMI Management Book of the Year.
• 2014 – Honoured with the WFPMA Global Personnel Management Award, given annually to one person worldwide.
• 2013 – Received HR Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her impact on global people strategy.
• 2012 – The Shift was named Business Book of the Year in Japan.
• 2010 – Elected Fellow of the US National Academy of Human Resources and recipient of the Tata HR Leadership Award.
• 2008 – Founded HSM Advisory to help organisations co-create sustainable, human-centred futures; later launched Future of Work by HSM in 2009.