LinkedIn 2020 Top Voice For Equity In The Workplace
2020 Nobel Peace Prize Conference Speaker
Top 100 Women at Davos by Global Women’s Leadership Experts
2020 AXIOM Business Book Awards: Silver Medal Winner
A globally
recognized expert
on inequality and organizational culture
“Michelle’s in-depth knowledge and insights, paired with her ability to clearly and vividly create the case for its importance, is a unique gift to the groups she speaks to.”
Jenn Lishansky, Founder, Be Social Change
About Michelle
2019 Inspiring Innovator Award by Women in Tech Founders
#1 Diversity and Inclusion Speaker London Speakers Bureau and Champion Speakers
Award-winning academic with 5 degrees and a decade of research on organizational culture
Over 20 years of professional experience with some of the world's leading organizations
If you’re looking for an expert on the topic of culture, gender, and inequality at work, you have found the right person.
Dr. Michelle Penelope King is a globally renowned expert on inequality and organizational culture, dedicated to transforming workplaces into inclusive environments that foster equity for all. As the Chief People Officer at ODI, a prestigious global affairs think tank, Michelle leads initiatives aimed at combating injustice and inequality, continuing a legacy that spans over six decades.
Before joining ODI, Michelle founded The Culture Practice, a global consultancy specializing in diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and organizational development. Her expertise attracted high-profile clients such as JP Morgan, Netflix, Dior, FIFA, and Amazon, where she spearheaded strategies to reshape workplace cultures. Through this, she created an expansive library of DEI training content, partnering with Udemy to democratize access to these resources globally. Michelle also serves as a Senior Advisor to the UN Foundation’s Girl Up Campaign, where she oversees the NextGen Leadership Development Program, equipping young women with the skills to lead in today’s evolving workplace.
Michelle’s career has included prominent roles such as Director of Inclusion at Netflix and Head of UN Women’s Global Innovation Coalition for Change. With two decades of international experience, she has consistently been at the forefront of advancing more inclusive organizational cultures.
Michelle is not only an award-winning academic but also a dynamic thought leader. She holds five degrees, including a PhD in Management, and is currently pursuing post-doctoral research at Cranfield University. Her published works include the bestselling and award-winning book The Fix: How to Overcome the Invisible Barriers That Are Holding Women Back at Work and her latest release, How Work Works, published by HarperCollins in 2023.
Dr. Michelle King has an extensive speaking career, having delivered over 500 talks at prestigious global events such as the Nobel Peace Prize Conference, SXSW, and major women’s leadership conferences. Represented by the London Speakers Bureau, she engages with leading companies like Amazon, FIFA, Netflix, and Dior through keynotes, masterclasses, and fireside chats. Michelle is highly sought after for her expertise in inequality, organizational culture, and inclusive leadership, making her a globally recognized thought leader in these fields.
She regularly contributes to Forbes has been featured in top-tier media outlets like The Economist, Harvard Business Review, CNBC, Bloomberg, and Time.
In recognition of her contributions, in 2019 Michelle was awarded the Inspiring Innovator Award by Women Tech Founders, in 2022 Michelle was named LinkedIn’s Top Voice for Workplace Equity, in 2023 Michelle listed among the Top 100 Women at Davos by Global Women’s Leadership Experts and in 2024 Michelle was shortlisted for the Thinkers50 Talent Award. Michelle’s books have also received several awards and nominations including the 2020 silver medal winner for Axiom Business Book Awards, Porchlight Best Business Book Award Winner 2024 and Inc. Magazine Non-Obvious Book Award pick.
With a deep commitment to creating workplaces where everyone can thrive, Dr. King continues to shape the future of work through her innovative leadership, research, and advocacy.
"Michelle ignited such a thought-provoking conversation at the World Economic Forum on the power of culture and inclusive leadership. It was fascinating to learn what qualities make an inclusive leader and how exhibiting those qualities benefits people of all genders and identities. Long after her talk was over, the discussion continued around the hallways and gathering spaces."
Kathleen Noreau, Head of Strategic Partnerships - Consumer, Health & Energy Industries World Economic Forum 
"Your years of research combined with real-life experience and your ability to present the subject by identifying the root of the problem gave our viewers the necessary tools to move forward and implement change as our project begins its third year."
Tracy Bowens, Outreach Communications, International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) 
"Michelle is not only extremely knowledgeable with her background and research on gender inequality, but she applies those insights specifically to the workplace and brings it to life. Michelle has a truly unique way of connecting with her audience. She makes the research come to life and provides real “a-ha” moments and practical takeaways that can be applied in any organization.”
Claudia Chan, CEO SHE Globl 
"Michelle is a speaker who sparks fires in her audiences around the issues she cares about. Her in-depth knowledge and insights, paired with her ability to clearly and vividly create the case for its importance, is a unique gift to the groups she speaks to. Our community still asks us about Michelle and where to access her talks and upcoming events.”
Jenn Lishansky, Founder of Be Social Change 
"Michelle understands that creating an inclusive and equitable workplace for everyone takes all of us. We are fortunate she is sharing her expertise and learnings and is bringing us along this journey to implement real change.”
Dr. Cindy Pace, Global Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer’, MetLife 
”Michelle King candidly shares her own personal experiences and decades of research to reveal the invisible barriers women face at work. Drawing on her exposure to companies that are structured to enable only men to succeed, she suggests that our denial towards gender inequality is hurting women, and challenges the idea that women can improve their way to
success. Bravely, Michelle offers the essential message that women are extraordinary as they are, and don’t need fixing - workplaces do.”
Tamara Mellon, OBE, Co-founder, Jimmy Choo 
”Michelle King candidly shares her own personal experiences and decades of research to reveal the invisible barriers women face at work. Drawing on her exposure to companies that are structured to enable only men to succeed, she suggests that our denial towards gender inequality is hurting women, and challenges the idea that women can improve their way to
success. Bravely, Michelle offers the essential message that women are extraordinary as they are, and don’t need fixing - workplaces do.”
Tamara Mellon, OBE, Co-founder, Jimmy Choo
”Michelle King candidly shares her own personal experiences and decades of research to reveal the invisible barriers women face at work. Drawing on her exposure to companies that are structured to enable only men to succeed, she suggests that our denial towards gender inequality is hurting women, and challenges the idea that women can improve their way to
success. Bravely, Michelle offers the essential message that women are extraordinary as they are, and don’t need fixing - workplaces do.”
Tamara Mellon, OBE, Co-founder, Jimmy Choo
”Michelle King candidly shares her own personal experiences and decades of research to reveal the invisible barriers women face at work. Drawing on her exposure to companies that are structured to enable only men to succeed, she suggests that our denial towards gender inequality is hurting women, and challenges the idea that women can improve their way to
success. Bravely, Michelle offers the essential message that women are extraordinary as they are, and don’t need fixing - workplaces do.”
Tamara Mellon, OBE, Co-founder, Jimmy Choo
”Michelle provides actions to take that do not succumb to the notion of 'fixing' women. Calling for accountability in what too often is a toxic environment is only as important as offering ways to bring about real change in that environment.”
Meredith Walker, Co-Founder, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls 
”Insightful and thoroughly engaging, Michelle King provides practical solutions for bringing about tangible and lasting change, as well as an impassioned argument for equity that moves beyond the current discourse on women in the workplace.”
Dr. Nina Ansary, Author, Scholar, and UN Women Global Champion for Innovation 
”A visionary leader – changing the inclusion landscape.”
Billie Jean King Institute 
”Michelle King's podcast is like no other, highlighting the stories of women who are driving innovation across every sphere of life. Her interviews crackle with intelligence, wit and passion that enlightens as well as engages both women and men.''
Joanne Lipman, Former Editor, USA Today 
”
So much about the world of work-from workplace culture to our definition of success-was created by men, and it's not working for women or indeed for men. And it's no surprise that women pay a disproportionately high price for their participation.
That's why Michelle's book The Fix is so important. It's a passionate, practical roadmap for addressing inequality and finally making our workplaces work for women.''
Arianna Huffington, Author and Founder, The Huffington Post and Thrive Global 
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In each of her roles, Michelle lends her expertise to advance gender equality and to enhance opportunity and achievement for women globally...
In 2019 Women Tech Founders, a Chicago-based organization dedicated to advancing women in the tech industry, awarded Michelle with the 2019 Inspiring Innovator Award, for her outstanding achievements in the sector.
Michelle is an advisory board member for Girl Up, the United Nations Foundation’s adolescent girl campaign and she is also an advocate for Dress for Success, an organization that works to economically empower women worldwide.
Currently, Michelle is represented by the London Speakers Bureau and regularly speaks at numerous conferences and private sector events including Ellevate Network Conference, Amazon, EY, Nasdaq, She Summit, TedX Bushwick, Texas Conference for Women, SXSW, The Female Quotient, and the Pennsylvania Conference for Women.
In 2019, Michelle’s Tedx Chelsea Park talk, 'It’s Not You, It’s Your Workplace', was widely praised for shedding light on the greatest’s barrier to women’s advancement at work - gender denial.
Michelle contributes to Forbes and Thrive Global on the topic of women’s advancement at work and she has been published in Harvard Business Review.
Michelle’s book THE FIX: Overcome the Invisible Barriers that are Holding Women Back at Work, provides insights into the challenges women face at work and how to build workplaces that work for women. It received a Silver medal in the 2020 Axiom Business Book Awards within the Women/Minorities in Business category. 'THE FIX' spent three months at the top of best seller lists.
