Dame Jacinda Ardern a hit on the six-figure global speaking circuit

Saturday, 28 September 2024

She’s rubbing shoulders with celebs, world leaders and royalty, appearing on American TV talk shows ‒ and some of the world’s biggest companies are thought to be spending six figures per event to hear her speak.

This is the post-politics world of Dame Jacinda Ardern.

The former New Zealand prime minister has been criss-crossing the globe as a keynote speaker in private, paid or public speaking engagements ‒ from discussing leadership and environmental sustainability at a closed-door Bank of Singapore event, to pontificating on socially-just architectural design at the American Institute of Architects’ annual conference in San Francisco, to chatting climate change in New York City this week.

One Asia-based organisation claiming to be able to book Ardern for events told The Post the fee would be about US$200,000 (NZ$316,000).

Ardern is so busy ‒ juggling two Harvard Kennedy School fellowships in Massachusetts, her speaking engagements and writing a book ‒ she joked on Good Morning America this week that her schedule was ensuring married life was going well because she and husband Clarke Gayford spent so much time apart.

The past year has involved speaking to audiences about governance, leadership, and her work to combat online extremism. In September she was honoured at a Venice-based event held by designer Diane Von Furstenberg, where Ardern rubbed shoulders with Oprah Winfrey.

Agencies in the US, UK and Asia are touting her as a speaker, most notably the high profile US organisation Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which also has on its books celebrity speakers like Al Pacino, Amal Clooney and Ellen DeGeneres.

CAA welcomed her into the fold with an Instagram post in 2023, saying it was working with Ardern to “support and amplify her post-office initiatives”. (CAA did not respond to questions from The Post.)

Some appearances are to be expected ‒ this coming week she’s set to join the likes of former Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin and NASA astronaut Ron Garan at Energy Disruptors: Unite 2024 in Canada, for a conference with a suite of guest entrepreneurs to discuss “empowerment, creativity and courage”.

Others are part of pre-existing philanthropic commitments - this week she was in New York City for Climate Week NYC, delivering “a rallying cry” at the opening ceremony, telling world leaders they should work together on climate change initiatives - part of her work as a board trustee for Prince William’s Earthshot Prize.

She discussed the latter on Good Morning America this week, telling host Robin Roberts it was a “quick commute” to New York from Boston, where she is completing her fellowships.

Asked how married life was, Ardern replied: “Great, maybe because we don’t see each other so much. Here I am now, and I’m writing a book which has taken me away from home a bit more than I would like, but we’re great and looking forward to getting that book off the table. It’s been going on awhile.”

In August last year she took part in an all-female panel in Canberra, where she talked about breaking barriers and levelling the playing field for future generations, alongside former Australian minister Julie Bishop, actress Rena Owen and Olympian Bronte Campbell, while similarly in November she was a keynote speaker at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women.

Most notably she recently appeared at the US Democratic National Convention, the marquee US politics event which was particularly charged this year with the buzz around new presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Ardern told Good Morning America this week she felt privileged to be in the US during this time in history, as the country gears up for its November election, which could potentially see the election of the country’s first female president.

PR expert Jane Vesty, co-founder of SweeneyVesty, which has offices in New York, said Ardern was a natural choice for corporate and public speaking events, being “an accomplished speaker with experience on big stages”.

“The combination of her attributes makes for a distinctive offering in the substantial marketplace for speakers and experts. It would be no surprise for a conference booker to pair her with Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama or Kamala Harris. She has met each of them, conducted diplomacy with them, and can hold her own with them on a stage, as could Helen Clark and Sir John Key.”

Some of Ardern’s engagements are a surprise, though. An audience of thousands of architects in June last year were apparently captivated when the former prime minister spoke to them about the Christchurch terror attack, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, which reported at the time that one attendee was emotional after the appearance despite admitting ahead of time they knew little about Ardern.

The Chronicle noted that although Ardern’s appearance “may seem an incongruous choice”, she had also spoken about female leadership, to an industry that was finding it difficult to attract and attain women, and “socially just architecture”. A review attributed to the Institute afterwards said Ardern was “phenomenal” ‒ no small feat given the guest speaker the year before had been former US president Barack Obama.

Vesty said Ardern’s schedule looked “well curated” and believed Ardern would be earning six figures, rather than five ‒ a viewed agreed on by other experts The Post sounded out.

“Leaders are also curious people. They have spent their lives interacting with other leaders, teams and the public. They have a desire to keep communicating and advocating. After years of public service, they are entitled to harness their intellectual property, for example through books, public speaking, think tanks and boards.”

It’s not unusual for former politicians to hot-tail it to the speaking circuit after retiring.

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was notably given a NZ$5.3m advance by Harry Walker Agency for appearances, while Obama, thought to be of the highest paid speakers in the world, is likely earning millions from his engagements, reportedly scooping as much as US$400,000 for a single appearance.

Australian Kevin Rudd was reportedly, in 2022, charging A$200,000 for a live event, or $50,000 to $100,000 for a virtual appearance, while Julia Gillard is listed with AAE Speakers for a A$50,000 to $100,000 fee.

“The private speaking circuit is a significant business in the US and many parts of the world, including New Zealand,” Vesty said. “The speakers on it have occupied positions of influence and power and have unique experience and insights to offer.

“Company leadership teams and employees are genuinely curious for insight into how to run better organisations and better serve their markets and customers. This is not an out-to-impress activity.””

When Bill Clinton came to New Zealand in 2005 to speak to a business leader’s forum, his fee at the time was rumoured to be half a million, while he was reportedly in 2002 paid the same amount by BMW to appear at a paid dinner, which guests paid $800 to be at.

Sir John Key is touted by local organisation Essential Talent NZ as a speaker for hire, his bio saying he is “a popular speaker for corporate events, conferences, and educational institutions worldwide”.

Company co-owner Ben O’Neill said its speaking roster included other talents like mind coach Gilbert Enoka, comedian Mike King, former National Party leader Simon Bridges and rugby star Ruby Tui, but Key and former National colleague Paula Bennett were very popular. Bookings had to be made at least six months in advance, if not 12.

“We are attracted to speakers with a great story who can add real value for our clients … and they can’t be boring,” O’Neill said.

“It amazes me some of the incredibly kind things these people do that you don't hear about in the media. They are really great people that never seek attention for the amazing generous things they do. If people only knew.”

In between her speaking circuit, Ardern is rapidly approaching a deadline for her first book. Ardern this week said the book, published by Penguin in New Zealand and Australia, Macmillan in Britain and Crown in the United States, would be published next year and would be a “pretty personal” read.

“I felt like there was no other way to tell the story of leadership than to share how it feels.”