Shirine Khoury-Haq is an international business leader who has led complex transformations, improved business performance and navigated crises across retail, technology, insurance and professional services.
As the first female CEO of the Cooperative Group, Shirine led a far-reaching turnaround from 2022 to 2024, reducing net debt (excluding leases) from £920 million to £55 million, increasing underlying operating profit by 30%, and helping grow membership from 4.2 million to 7.3 million. In 2025, she led the Group’s response to a major cyberattack, making difficult decisions to contain the threat while protecting essential services, colleagues and customers. The financial and operational transformation of the previous two years enabled the organisation to withstand the devastating impact of the attack. Her open letter to business leaders about the experience was published in the National Cyber Security Centre’s 2025 Annual Review.
As the Chief Operating Officer of Lloyd’s of London, she led a major modernisation and digitisation programme for the London Insurance Market, spanning 200 countries and territories and hundreds of organisations. In all of her roles, including at McDonald’s, Catlin and IBM, she has had the privilege of experiencing and leading transformation at every scale, from individual sites to complex global businesses – through significant technological changes, successful implementation of AI for commercial benefit, and mergers and acquisitions.
She has served as Audit Chair of FTSE 100 housebuilder Persimmon and was briefly on the board of the Post Office. Shirine also co-chaired the government’s Net Zero Council with the Energy Secretaries under both the Conservative and Labour governments.
In 2025 she was ranked number one in INvolve’s 2025 Heroes Top 100 Women Executives list and number one in PR Week’s UK Business communicators of the year. Shirine combines commercial discipline with a conviction that people and purpose matter, with a passion for diversity, education and enabling people to achieve their full potential.
keynote speeches.
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Most turnarounds do not fail for lack of ideas. They fail because leaders misdiagnose the problem, there is lack of understanding for the need for change, try to change everything at once or lose the people needed to deliver. Drawing on transformations from McDonald’s restaurants to the £11bn Co-op Group, where focus on right sizing, improving cash and profitability enabled the business to withstand a major cyberattack. Shirine explains how to establish the facts, restore financial and operational discipline, choose the few things that matter most, build a change-ready environment, and create momentum without sacrificing long-term growth. This is a practical guide to moving from complexity and constraint to performance, confidence and lasting value.
Key takeaway: a way to diagnose performance, prioritise interventions, align governance and turn a strategy into measurable action.
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A major cyberattack can turn a business upside down in hours. In 2025, Shirine led Co-op through precisely that experience, balancing containment, business continuity, public scrutiny and the needs of colleagues and communities. Her open letter to business leaders on the attack was published in the National Cyber Security Centre’s 2025 Annual Review. She explores the choices only senior leaders can make: what to protect first, how to organise decision-making, when to trust specialists and how to communicate when the facts are still emerging. Moving beyond cyber to disruption of all kinds, this talk shows why resilience is built before a crisis —and tested in the decisions made during it. Importantly, she discusses the calm after the storm and why it is as important to manage as the storm itself.
Key takeaways: practical principles for readiness, judgement, accountability and humane leadership under pressure.
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Technology is rarely a strategy, it is a tool to achieve strategy. Too many organisations invest in systems or AI without first being clear about the customer problem, the operating model and the economic benefit – or the recognition that people and the organisation are usually the critical success factors, not the technology itself. With experience modernising the London insurance market and using digital tools to reshape businesses across different industries and countries, Shirine sets out a business and people -first approach. A pragmatic alternative to both AI hype and technology paralysis.
Key takeaway: technology and AI are key determinants of organisational success - how to choose what to do and how to ensure that the investment delivers results.
videos.
frequently asked questions.
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Shirine Khoury-Haq's work focuses on business transformation, turnaround strategy, crisis leadership and the commercial application of AI and digital technology. Drawing on her experience leading the Co-op Group and modernising the London insurance market, she explores how organisations can improve performance, navigate disruption and deliver lasting change. Her approach combines commercial discipline with a strong emphasis on people, culture and purpose.
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Shirine is available for keynote presentations at corporate conferences, leadership events and executive gatherings. Her presentations draw on first-hand experience of leading major organisational transformations and managing complex business challenges, combining strategic insight with practical lessons for senior decision-makers. Session lengths and formats can be discussed according to the event's requirements.
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Shirine is particularly relevant to organisations navigating business transformation, financial and operational challenges, technological disruption or periods of uncertainty. Her experience spans business turnarounds, cyber crisis management, digital modernisation and large-scale organisational change. She brings practical insight into balancing immediate commercial priorities with long-term resilience, growth and stakeholder confidence.
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Shirine's speaking is particularly suited to senior executives, board members, business leaders and transformation teams. Her insights are relevant to audiences across retail, financial services, technology and other sectors managing complex change. She is also well suited to leadership conferences and corporate events exploring resilience, strategy, innovation and organisational performance.
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Shirine brings a pragmatic, commercially grounded and people-centred perspective to leadership discussions. Drawing on substantial executive experience, she translates complex business challenges into clear priorities and actionable lessons. Her approach emphasises sound judgement, accountability and the importance of aligning people, strategy and execution to achieve measurable results.
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Yes. Shirine's experience spans multinational businesses and complex international markets, including her work modernising the London insurance market, which operates across 200 countries and territories. Her expertise in business transformation, crisis leadership and digital innovation addresses challenges shared by organisations globally, making her relevant to international conferences and cross-border leadership audiences.
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Speaking Office manages enquiries regarding Shirine's speaking engagements. Fees are dependent on factors including the event format, location and specific requirements. Please contact Speaking Office to discuss your event and obtain further information about fees and availability.
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Speaking Office aims to respond promptly to enquiries regarding Shirine's speaking engagements. Her speaker manager can provide guidance on availability, fees and event requirements, and discuss the most appropriate format for your audience.
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Virtual and hybrid speaking formats can be discussed with Speaking Office, depending on Shirine's availability and the event requirements. Please contact her speaker manager to explore the options for your event.
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Advance planning is recommended, particularly for major conferences, international engagements and events requiring tailored content. Availability will depend on Shirine's existing commitments, so organisers are encouraged to contact Speaking Office as early as possible to discuss their requirements.
Find out more about Shirine: linkedin
How do I book Shirine for a speech?
Speaking Office exclusively represents Shirine Khoury-Haq for speaking engagements,
To discuss booking Shirine for your event, please contact Andrew at Speaking Office: