LIVE LIKE YOUR
LIFE DEPENDS
ON IT
(DR) GILL HICKS AM MBE
OWNING CHANGE
HUMAN INTELLIGENCE
MIND POSTURE
(Dr) Gill Hicks AM MBE is one of the most compelling and consequential voices speaking in the world today — an artist, author, creative director, performer, and thought leader whose life and work have moved audiences from the Sydney Opera House to the United Nations, from Westpac boardrooms to the stages of London's West End.
Her keynotes do not merely inspire. They reorient. Drawing on more than three decades of lived and professional experience — and a defining moment on 7 July 2005, when she survived the London terrorist bombings and lost both legs — Gill speaks with a rare authority: the kind that can only be earned. She made a choice in the aftermath of that day that has shaped everything since: not simply to survive, but to live with ferocious intention.
That philosophy — Live Like Your Life Depends On It — is not a tagline. It is the architecture of Gill's entire body of work.
As founder and creative director of The M.A.D. Creative Agency, Gill has spent two decades pioneering a unique methodology that fuses design thinking, artistic practice, and systems insight to help leaders and organisations navigate uncertainty, own change, and build human-centred outcomes. Her signature approach — probing the why to design the how — has been engaged by some of the world's most respected institutions, from Google, KPMG, and EY to the BBC, the NHS, Qantas, the Australian Government, the New Zealand Government, and the Metropolitan Police, among many others.
Honoured with both an MBE and an AM for her contributions to international leadership, Gill has been recognised by institutions, communities, and universities across the United Kingdom and Australia. Her TEDx Sydney talk — delivered on the stage of the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall — has been viewed millions of times and remains one of the most searched talks on compassion and resilience in the face of violent extremism.
Gill's influence extends far beyond the keynote stage. Her award-winning one-woman performance Still Alive (and Kicking) — described by the Evening Standard as "extraordinary... laugh-out-loud funny" and awarded five stars across multiple festivals — is currently touring the United Kingdom, performing at Wilton's Music Hall in London, Leeds Heritage Theatres, and Bristol Old Vic. Her participatory vocal performance Vagus Nerving, which guides audiences to activate their own healing through sound and jazz improvisation, recently featured at the Adelaide Fringe.
Her podcast M.A.D. For Life explores the extraordinary capabilities of the human body and mind, guided by her original framework of Being Well through 7 Interdependent Pillars — from mind health and Human Creative Intelligence (H.C.I.) to purpose, legacy, and the ever-evolving relationship between human wisdom and artificial intelligence.
Described by audiences as "spell-binding," "life-changing," and "the most powerful talk I have ever witnessed," Gill speaks to crowds of 10,000 and intimate leadership teams with equal precision and impact. She is not simply a speaker. She is a force — one who leaves every room permanently changed.
KEYNOTE
Carefully designed to best meet the audience, each keynote’s objective is clear to resonate and leave a lasting impact. Core topics;
Owning Change
Human Intelligence ( H.I )
M.A.D. For Life ( making a difference for a lifetime)
Agility is the ‘new’ Resilience
Q&A CONVERSATION
question and answer session hosted by a senior organisation representative leading community relevant enquiries as they interlace with Gill’s lived experience.
DISCUSSION
A relaxed and yet in depth session spanning the knowledge and ‘lived wisdom’ of experience.
Best suited to a programme schedule where there is time for the audience to be fully present.
60 to 120 minutes, across one program session with an contemplative intermission or two staggered program sessions.
The most impactful decision you will make for your next event starts here.
LEAVING A LASTING FOOT PRINT
‘spell-bound’ and ‘life changing’ are common responses from audiences of 10,000 to small teams, her carefully crafted messaging leaves a lasting impression.
“Most importantly Gill has a razor sharp wit and is really fun to work with.”
Having worked closely with Gill for 8+ years now, I cannot emphasise enough what an authentic, professional and compassionate human Gill is - her ability to genuinely connect with the client to create a unique, world class presentation every time is truly outstanding.
Carol Pederson,
Senior Consultant at Saxton Speaker’s Bureau.
“Gill Hicks is the most fascinating guest I've ever had on my program.”
Gill's ability to discover moments of kindness and insight (and even humour) in her ordeal is astonishing.
Richard Fidler,
Conversations Host, ABC Radio.
Gill’s injuries far from define her.
Gill is an inspiring story of human connection, the value of community and the power inside all of us. She’s just incredible.
Michael Baulch,
Vice President & Managing Director, ANZ at Boston Scientific.
“This was hands down one, of the most powerful and inspiring talks I've had the privilege of listening.”
Gill crafted an intimate space to deliver her keynote for The Business Institute's quarterly Lecture Theatre Series which was held via national broadcast. The feedback we received during and post the event highlighted the genuine connection Gill was able to make with our audience through her own powerful story which was delivered with deep insight and empathy for the human spirit. I loved Gill's sentiments about; trusting yourself , My Wisdom CV and the importance of continuing - no matter what!! I can highly recommend engaging Gill to present for any and all levels within your organisation.
Katy Gompes,
Senior Manager, Innovation Partnerships, Westpac.
Outstanding conference speaker, skilled storyteller, incredible human. Thanks Gill!
Her talk at TEDxSydney at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall in 2016 has been viewed millions of times on ted.com and I also worked with her for Xerocon 2018 where she captivated the audience of 3,000+ people.
Fenella Kernebone,
Head of Conference Programming - SXSW Sydney
Just because I can’t feel the ground,
doesn’t mean it’s not there.
B E L I E V E
THOUGHT LEADER
MULTI-DISCIPLINED CREATIVE
Gill Hicks’ life symbolises transformative possibilities, she is the embodiment of the power of Choice and her belief to ‘Live like your life depends on it’ permeates through her work – impacting individuals and inspiring audiences worldwide.
From her roots in the London design scene, an awarded and respected Creative, she has an extraordinary wealth of experience; from specialist publishing to large scale building projects and everything in between! An artist’s eye makes her signature unique, the passion to probe the ‘why’ to create and design the ‘how’ is what fuels her mind. Shifting ideas, finding meaning, building perspective and adding a joie de vivre.
Gill is someone who knows about Difference and Diversity. Permanently injured in the 2005 London terrorist bombings, Gill’s survival is a story of the power of Humanity and our Connection, a connection so powerful that Gill attributes her life being saved, not just on July 7 2005 but every single day because of the bond that makes a Human.
The need to Make a Difference with the life she had been given back was born in those early days in the aftermath of the bombing. The acronym M.A.D. became the perfect platform to build an impressive portfolio of pioneering community cohesion initiatives and countering the destructive narratives of violent extremism.
As Founding Director of The M.A.D. Creative Agency, this exciting chapter is the culmination of Design and Lived experience – where an Artistic powerhouse is enabled to thrive by understanding that Life is a Quest and perhaps the purpose is to build Wisdom through experiences. It is the ‘Wisdom Exchange’ that informed Gill’s thought leadership on the importance of H.I, H.C.I and H.E.I. ( Human Creative and Emotional Intelligence) and how this sits within an advancing environment of Artificial Intelligence.
Combining lived experience and design thinking, her unique methodology for navigating and enveloping change is at the core of her Speaking and presentation works.
Exploring the fragility of our existence and highlighting our strength and ability to live and grow within uncertainty is where Gill cuts through and encourages a new way of thinking, to accept and adapt to and with Change.
CLIENTS AND
PARTNERS
AND MANY MORE
