Dr Helena Boschi.
Dr Helena Boschi is a psychologist and neuroscientist who bridges the gap between brain science and business performance.
Uniquely positioned at the intersection of science and real-world application, Helena uses her business experience to translate cutting-edge and complex scientific research into practical strategies that strengthen leadership, decision-making, resilience and collaboration across teams and organisations.
Having worked at senior leadership level for global organisations including British Airways, Accenture, Serono (now Merck KGaA) and Shire Pharmaceuticals and now as Founder of Chequered Leopard, Helena advises executive teams on embedding behavioural science into leadership and culture. Author of the best-selling Why We Do What We Do: Understanding Our Brain to Get the Best Out of Ourselves and Others (2020), she combines scientific rigour with real-world business insight to deliver genuine transformation.
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Exceptional leadership requires an understanding of how the brain drives perception, emotion, and decision-making. Helena reveals how leaders can build trust, connection, and engagement by working with the brain’s natural wiring, not against it, in complex and fast-changing environments.
Key Insights:
The neural foundations of empathy, trust and social cohesion, and their impact on leadership.
The neurobiology of language: how words literally shape minds.
Practical ways to ignite energy, enhance collaboration and energise multi-generational teams .
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Every decision we make is filtered through unconscious neural shortcuts that shape judgement and perception. Helena’s session integrates neuroscience and behavioural science to explore how these mechanisms operate, and how we can make better and braver decisions under pressure.
Key Insights:
The neuroscience of bias, uncovering the hidden traps that distort perception and reasoning
How to balance intuitive and analytical processes in uncertain situations.
Frameworks for improving risk evaluation, group decision dynamics and strategic choices.
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The brain is a dynamic, adaptive system, driven by neuroplasticity, constantly rewiring itself in response to new information, experiences and environments. In today’s high-pressure world of relentless and rising demands, our neural systems are frequently pushed to their limits. Drawing on neuroscience and psychology, Helena explores how neuroplasticity allows us to strengthen and optimise brain function and maintain cognitive performance.
Key Insights:
The neurobiology of stress identifying and resetting the brain’s threat response
Strengthening emotional regulation and cognitive flexibility under pressure
Designing organisational environments that sustain psychological wellbeing and high performance
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Innovation begins in the brain. We have an extraordinary capacity for learning and creativity, but at the same time we struggle with anything too new. In this energising session, Helena explores how to unlock and access our natural curiosity and imagination, and how organisations can harness these to drive creative performance.
Key Insights:
The neurocognitive barriers to creativity and how to overcome fear, cognitive rigidity and our natural drive to conform.
How curiosity activates the brain’s reward system, promotes psychological safety and enhances learning agility.
Practical methods for fostering experimentation, stretching cognitive capability and embedding innovative methods into daily routines.
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AI is transforming how we work, think and create, but our greatest advantage will not come from technology alone. In this thought-provoking session, Helena explores how the brain responds to uncertainty, why we are drawn to familiar patterns of thinking, and how we can develop the cognitive agility, creativity and discernment needed to thrive in an AI-driven world.
Key Insights:
How AI can unintentionally reinforce sameness in thinking and why originality remains a uniquely human advantage.
The neuroscience of change, including how the brain responds to uncertainty and forms new neural pathways through neuroplasticity.
Practical strategies to challenge default thinking, expand perspective and strengthen creativity, critical thinking and adaptability in a rapidly changing world.
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frequently asked questions.
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Helena’s work focuses on neuroscience, psychology, leadership behaviour, decision-making, resilience, and how individuals and organisations perform effectively under pressure in complex environments.
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She is typically engaged for keynote-style sessions across conferences and internal or external events, where psychological and neuroscientific insight is applied to explore behaviour, decision-making, and wellbeing in demanding organisational settings.
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Beyond keynote contributions, Helena supports facilitated discussions and workshops that explore behavioural insight, neuroscience, and sustainable performance.
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Her work is particularly relevant to organisations addressing leadership effectiveness, decision-making under uncertainty, burnout, cognitive overload, behavioural change, and the psychological demands of modern working life.
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She engages with a wide range of audiences, from board-level leaders and managers to early-career professionals and graduates, across corporate and public sector organisations.
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Her approach is evidence-led, practical, and accessible, translating psychological research into insight that resonates with real working lives.
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She adapts her insights to the audience’s context and challenges, focusing on behavioural understanding rather than clinical or technical intervention.
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Helena's work on psychology, neuroscience, behaviour, and decision-making translates effectively across international and cultural contexts, particularly where organisations are navigating complexity, change, and human performance at scale.
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Pricing for Helena is influenced by factors such as event location, format, and time commitment. Speaking Office ensures fee consistency across all enquiries, whether via speaker bureaus or direct clients, so that pricing remains aligned and non-competitive across channels. Accurate and up-to-date pricing can be provided once event details are shared, ensuring alignment with both the client’s requirements and Helena’s long-term positioning.
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Speaking Office aims to respond promptly to all enquiries regarding Helena, typically within one business day. Response times may vary slightly depending on event complexity and time zone, but all enquiries are handled with care and attention.
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Helena is available for virtual and hybrid events, as well as in-person engagements, depending on availability and event requirements. Speaking Office can advise on the most appropriate format based on audience, objectives, and technical considerations.
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Advance booking is recommended for Helena, particularly for peak periods and international events. While shorter lead times can be accommodated, early enquiry allows for greater flexibility and planning.
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Speaking Office exclusively represents Helena for speaking engagements and live events work. Details regarding availability, fees and general enquiries are managed by his speaker manager via the contact information on this page.
How do I book Helena for a speech?
Speaking Office exclusively represents Dr Helena Boschi for speaking engagements.
To discuss arrangements, please contact Speaking Office: