Signature Keynotes

My producer Marcel and I were leaning over the railing of our hotel restaurant’s balcony, looking down at the evening-time streets of Pristina. To our Amsterdam eyes, everything felt different. So there we stood, watching, wondering, philosophizing.

Then Deana came over and leaned against the railing beside us. And somehow, within no time at all, the three of us were talking as if we’d known each other for years.

It was only when the conversation drifted towards AI, its place in society and the world of HR that 'silly me' suddenly realised Deana was also speaking at PowerToHR. Even cooler was discovering how much common ground we shared.

The next day, I attended Deana’s keynote. And that completely cemented the impression she had already made on me the evening before.

What Deana shared with the HR professionals in the room was warm, deeply human and seriously intelligent. She talked about a fundamentally different way of running organisations and, somehow, made you wonder why on earth we aren’t already doing it her way!

Deana made one of the most convincing cases for recognising and embracing our natural talents that I’ve heard in a long time. For valuing every individual not despite our differences, but because of them. For recognising our wonderful diversity as an asset, and sincere collaboration, grounded in equality and mutual respect, as an enormous source of inspiration.

As she unfolded her approach, I could see how Deana’s principles could become the foundation for how organisations actually should work.

And importantly: what she described felt achievable.

Deana laid out her map with such clarity that I found myself wondering why we so often convince ourselves that changing things for the better is somehow beyond our reach.

I deeply admire Deana’s ability to make complexity understandable, combined with the humanity to make people feel comfortable, included and perfectly capable of becoming part of the change themselves.

After the event, Marcel and I were delighted that Deana, her husband and daughter had time to hang around a little longer. And, well… it didn’t surprise either of us for a second that her family turned out to be every bit as warm, bright and funny as she is. We laughed. A lot!

These kinds of very special encounters are among the most beautiful things about travelling the planet and being invited to speak at amazing events like PowerToHR in Pristina. We travel there hoping to contribute something, and come home having gained new ways of seeing the world ourselves, thanks to new friends like Deana and her family.

I wholeheartedly recommend Deana to anyone ready to seriously rethink how we humans work together.

She has that rather rare ability to make a better future not just sound desirable, but understandable, achievable, and very much worth helping to build.