Clash Creation ranks Chris Hirst top among UK change management speakers

By AI, Created 12:36 PM UTC, June 02, 2026, /AGP/ – Clash Creation has released its 2026 list of the UK’s most sought-after change management speakers, putting former Havas Creative Group global CEO and author Chris Hirst at No. 1. The ranking underscores a shift toward operators with real turnaround experience as UK organisations face higher change fatigue and pressure to deliver measurable results.

Why it matters: - UK corporate buyers are prioritising speakers who have led real change, not just talked about it. - The ranking reflects a market where change programmes are harder to sell and harder to execute. - Organizations are looking for practical frameworks and evidence of turnaround results.

What happened: - Clash Creation published its 2026 guide to the UK’s most sought-after change management speakers. - Chris Hirst, former global CEO of Havas Creative Group and author of No Bullsh*t Change, ranked first. - The guide was released as Hirst’s book Indispensable arrives in paperback on 11 June 2026. - The list also includes Bruce Daisley, Margaret Heffernan, Professor Lynda Gratton, René Carayol, Damian Hughes, Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis.

The details: - Clash Creation said the ranking is based on three buyer-driven criteria: first-hand experience leading change at scale, a published framework audiences can use, and a documented turnaround record. - Hirst spent more than a decade in CEO roles. - As Global CEO of Havas Creative Group, Hirst led more than 10,000 people across every global territory against a $1bn P&L and delivered record growth. - As UK CEO of Grey, Hirst turned around a struggling agency and helped make it one of the market’s most celebrated firms. - The guide places Bruce Daisley on workplace culture, Margaret Heffernan on uncertainty, Professor Lynda Gratton on the future of work and organisational design, René Carayol on transformation leadership, Damian Hughes on performance and behaviour change, and Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis on career and workplace change. - Hirst’s books include No Bullsht Leadership, which won the Business Book Awards 2020 Leadership for the Future category, No Bullsht Change and Indispensable. - Hirst’s paperback release on 11 June 2026 follows the 2025 hardback publication of Indispensable. - The assessment drew only on publicly available sources, including books, recorded talks, speaker-bureau profiles and published interviews. - No speaker or bureau was paid or contacted for input. - Clash Creation said it represents Chris Hirst commercially and assessed him against the same public criteria as every other speaker considered. - Clash Creation’s LinkedIn page is available here.

Between the lines: - The ranking suggests buyers are moving away from academic or consulting credentials and toward executives who have personally run large-scale change. - That shift matches broader pressure on organizations as change initiatives pile up and employee tolerance falls. - Hirst’s appeal appears tied to a combination of lived experience, simple frameworks and a track record that can be translated into a keynote. - The public criteria also give the list a commercial edge, since the ranking doubles as a booking guide.

What’s next: - Hirst will continue speaking on leadership, organisational change and culture. - Clash Creation says Hirst remains available for corporate bookings through the bureau. - The paperback release of Indispensable on 11 June 2026 could give Hirst another boost in visibility with buyers. - UK speakers with direct turnaround experience may keep gaining ground in corporate event bookings.