Former BBC Business Journalist, Author, Founder & Managing Director of ‘Bit Famous’, Award-Winning Motivational speaker, Professional Speaking Association UK’s Speaker of the Year & One of Condeco’s Top Ten Social Media Influencers
Penny Haslam’s Biography:
Penny Haslam is a London keynote speaker, confidence expert and Fellow of the Professional Speaking Association UK & Ireland, known for helping leaders and teams raise their visibility, build credibility and communicate with impact. As founder of Bit Famous and author of ‘The Confidence Book’ (2026), she is hired by organisations across the UK and internationally to deliver high-energy, practical keynotes that transform how people show up, speak up and step up. A Professional Speaking Association Speaker of Excellence and former PSA Speaker of the Year, Penny combines broadcast authority with real-world business insight, making her a trusted choice for conferences, leadership events and learning and development programmes.
Penny’s early career was in broadcast journalism. In 1999 she became a senior broadcast journalist and senior producer on flagship BBC Radio 4 programmes including ‘Money Box’, ‘You & Yours’, ‘The Bottom Line’ and ‘Nice Work’. In 2007, she moved to television and national radio, working as a TV presenter and business journalist for BBC Breakfast, the BBC News Channel and Radio 5 Live’s ‘Wake Up To Money and Breakfast’, as well as reporting for ‘Panorama‘. This foundation in high-stakes live broadcasting shaped her direct, engaging communication style and deep understanding of how to command attention, skills that now underpin her keynote speaking and leadership programmes.
Why Hire Penny Haslam?
Penny Haslam is hired as a London keynote speaker because she blends credibility, energy and commercial insight in a way that resonates with modern organisations. Her keynotes go beyond inspiration; they equip audiences with tangible tools to increase influence, communicate with authority and build confidence in competitive environments. Her expertise is grounded in authorship and thought leadership. She published ‘Make Yourself a Little Bit Famous’ in 2019, followed by ‘Panel Discussions: The Ultimate Guide to Moderating and Appearing on Panel Discussions’ in 2022, and ‘The Confidence Book’ in 2026. Each book strengthens her authority in visibility, communication and confidence, themes that consistently resonate with leadership audiences and conference organisers looking for substance as well as style.
Penny’s ideas have also reached global audiences through her 2016 TEDx Talk, ‘The Power of Visibility’. In it, she explored why talented people often remain overlooked and how visibility is not about ego, but about contribution. The talk reinforced her reputation as a compelling thinker on professional presence and gave her an international platform beyond the conference circuit, something event organisers value when booking a keynote speaker with both reach and depth.
Her impact is reflected in sustained industry recognition. She was named a top ten social media influencer by Condeco in 2018, shortlisted for a business book award in 2023, and recognised as a finalist in both the Lloyds Bank Business Awards and the Personnel Today Awards for Learning & Development Supplier of the Year. In 2025, she was awarded Speaker of Excellence by the Professional Speaking Association, a mark of consistent performance at the highest level of the speaking profession.
Organisations in competitive business environments hire Penny not just to motivate, but to create change. Her keynotes are practical, energising and commercially relevant, ensuring audiences leave with the confidence and clarity to step forward, speak up and be seen.
Penny Haslam’s Career Highlights:
Here are some of the key milestones that define Penny Haslam’s inspiring career:
- 2026 – Published ‘The Confidence Book’
- 2025 – Professional Speaking Association Speaker of Excellence
- 2023 – Shortlisted for business book award
- 2022 – Lloyds Bank Business Awards – Business Enabler of the Year Finalist
- 2022 – Published ‘Panel Discussions: The ultimate guide to moderating and appearing on panel discussions’
- 2020 – Founded ‘Bit Famous’
- 2019 – Published ‘Make Yourself a Little Bit Famous’
- 2018 – Named a top ten social media influencer by Condeco
- 2016 – Delivered TEDx Talk ‘The power of visibility’
- 2015 – PSA Speaker of the year
Videos
Penny Haslam’s Official Keynote Speaking Videos & Showreel:
Testimonials
“Sensational! Penny Haslam’s remote session for our EMEA leaders was sensational and they’ve gone on to use what they learnt to great effect. What was also highly impressive was how she engaged them through the camera and held their attention from start to finish. The feedback has been fantastic.” – Tabitha Brear, Industry Engagement Lead, EMEA, Google
“Feedback has been amazing! Penny Haslam absolutely lived up to her reputation! She delivered a ‘Make Yourself a Little Bit Famous’ 90-minute session for Adobe Women – and the feedback has been amazing. She’s fun and engaging, she makes you think and people left with tangible actions. I highly recommend.” – Tara Rule, Senior Director of Commercial Strategy & Operations, Adobe
“Intelligent, engaging and thought-provoking Penny did a fantastic job delivering an inspirational keynote on confidence to our organisation. I came away with plenty of practical tips and she even took time over lunch to chat through a project I was working on, which was incredibly helpful. Penny is funny, intelligent, engaging and thought-provoking—the perfect mix for a speaker. Thank you, Penny!” – Michael Ćaćić-Escalera, Director of Pax8 Academy, EMEA
“In a word – fantastic! In a word – fantastic! Penny Haslam was such an engaging and entertaining speaker at our virtual event. I would love to have her back.” – Alison Whitcombe, DAS UK Group
“An awesome addition to your event. A true breath of fresh air. You can not help but feel better just being around Penny. An awesome addition to your event.” – James Vincent, UK Performance Director, ActionCOACH
“If you haven’t heard the lovely inspiring Penny Haslam, you need to.” – Ally Philips, Pink Spaghetti
“Funny, engaging, informative Funny, engaging, informative and professional are how I’d best describe you Penny! You were professional from start to finish and the whole process was seamless. The fact that attendees are still talking about what you said explains that our money was well spent.” – Steve Smith, Chief Executive, NWEEG
“Hugely relatable, highly entertaining! If your team needs a boost with plenty of practical ideas for building confidence, I strongly recommend Penny. Highly entertaining!” – Adam Burt, VP, Novo Nordisk
Speaking Topics
Penny Haslam’s Official Keynote Topics:
- Employee engagement
- Wellbeing
- The gender pay gap
- Building a personal brand profile
- Confidence Keynote
- Make Yourself a Little Bit Famous
- Workplace Confidence: Harnessing Self-Belief for Success – For You, Your Team and Organisation
- Be Seen, Be Heard: The Value of Visible Leadership
- Talent pipeline supply
- Commercial growth
- Colleague communication skills capability and confidence
- DEI – visible role models
- Confidence and self-belief for successful teams
- Impact and influence at work, and beyond
- Increasing the visibility and confidence of leaders and mangers
- Being seen as a trusted advisor, building relationships and growing your network
How Much Does Penny Haslam Cost to Hire?
How Much Does it Cost to Hire Penny Haslam?
The cost of hiring Penny Haslam depends on your event format, audience size, location and duration. For a tailored quote and expert guidance, please contact a London Keynote Speakers Agency booking agent.