Jacqui Harper
The Executive Presence Expert
Few accolades carry as much weight as being dubbed the 'Presentation Doctor' by one of the world's top graduate business schools. A former BBC News TV anchor, Jacqui Harper speaks passionately about leadership, communicating with confidence, speaking with purpose and power and diversity.
Biography
Jacqui Harper doesn’t just teach how to speak with confidence and lead through communication—she literally wrote the book on it. Her book ‘Executive Presentations’ was shortlisted for the national Business Books awards in 2019. In it, she teaches professionals how to craft and deliver powerful presentations with confidence, focusing on building presence, engaging audiences, and communicating effectively in leadership roles.
Before her teaching role at INSEAD, Jacqui Harper started her career as a broadcast journalist, eventually becoming a BBC news anchor. With her extensive media background, she honed the ability to communicate under pressure and engage audiences effectively. Notably, she was also David Bowie’s favourite TV anchor, a testament to her lasting charm and presence.
Jacqui Harper is a dynamic and engaging speaker with a unique blend of broadcasting and executive coaching experience. With a flair for the spotlight, Jacqui’s media background gives her the ability to thrive in high-pressure situations. Renowned for her insightful and engaging presentations, she possesses a remarkable and unique talent for engaging with audiences worldwide, regardless of their backgrounds.
Speaking
Jacqui is experienced in speaking, hosting and moderating events.
Campaigns
Writing long form and short form content.
Broadcast
Jacqui is an experienced on-air performer, for radio, TV or corporate work.
Topics
Jacqui Harper speaks with authority on communication, executive presence, and leadership impact. With a background that blends international broadcasting and business education, she offers practical insights on how professionals can present themselves and their ideas with clarity, confidence, and credibility. Her talks explore the essential skills needed to lead through communication—whether delivering high-stakes presentations, navigating challenging conversations, or building influence within organisations. Known for her engaging style and ability to connect across cultures, Jacqui brings energy, warmth and real-world expertise to every speaking engagement, helping audiences communicate more effectively in today’s complex business environment.
Example Videos
Publications
Shortlisted for the business book awards 2019, Executive Presentations: Develop presence to speak with confidence and skill, equips executives to give compelling and clear presentations: the kind of presentations that drive corporate change and innovation AND make reputations. And it’s all down to presence.
What do you get when you book Jacqui to speak?
Jacqui is most commonly asked to keynote but she is happy to join a panel while she is at your event. Jacqui is an experienced speaker with an audience of her own who is happy to work with you to help you promote your event.
This can include:
Pre-event video
Co-operation in pre-event PR and media interviews
Contributed articles for event blogs or programmes
Promotion on social media
Feedback
“I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say ‘well done’ on being such as super chair today. I know that you put considerable amount of effort into making everything seem so seamless ! It was a wonderful event."
“Jacqui’s MC skills are always professional, always engaging and always make an event truly memorable”
“When I asked Jacqui to be our emcee at the Professional Speaking Association annual summit, I knew we would be in safe hands. Her experience and professionalism are clear for all to see. But Jacqui was much more than that. She handled problems without hesitation or fuss, she was incredibly easy to work and the feedback from the AV team, producers and delegates was first class. Thank you Jacqui!”
“I attended a Professional Speakers Association conference where Jacqui was the MC. She managed the whole event with energy, humour, insights, engagement and attention to detail. She kept the audience engaged throughout the full day event, she did a fabulous job of introducing the speakers, she summarised the key learnings from each talk and she kept the whole conference running smoothly and to time (not easy with an audience of 100+ professional speakers in the room). Jacqui's MC skills were a big part of the success of the conference.”
