Ann Hiatt Speaker Biography
Former Amazon & Google Executive Advisor and Leadership Strategy Expert
Ann Hiatt is an internationally recognized leadership speaker and innovation speaker known for sharing powerful insights from inside two of the most influential companies in the world. As a trusted advisor to top technology executives, she spent more than a decade working closely with visionary leaders who transformed global industries. Today, Hiatt delivers compelling keynote presentations that reveal how organizations can think bigger, innovate faster, and build cultures that drive long-term success. Drawing from firsthand experience in Silicon Valley, she equips audiences with practical strategies for leadership, innovation, and career growth in a rapidly changing world.
Career at Amazon and Google
Ann Hiatt built her reputation while working alongside some of the most influential business leaders of the modern era. Early in her career, she served as executive business partner to Jeff Bezos at Amazon, where she witnessed the leadership philosophy and strategic thinking that helped shape the company’s extraordinary growth. She later joined Google, where she worked with then-CEO Eric Schmidt and senior leadership during one of the company’s most innovative and transformative periods. Through these experiences, Hiatt gained a rare behind-the-scenes perspective on how world-class leaders make decisions, scale organizations, and cultivate innovation-driven cultures.
Bestselling Author and Thought Leader
In addition to her work as a leadership keynote speaker, Ann Hiatt is the author of the acclaimed book Bet on Yourself. In this influential leadership guide, she shares the career lessons and growth strategies she learned while working with top Silicon Valley innovators. The book explores how professionals can recognize opportunities, build confidence, and develop the mindset necessary to succeed in fast-changing industries. Through her writing, Hiatt has become a respected thought leader on leadership development, career strategy, and innovation-driven growth.
A Leading Voice on Innovation and Strategic Leadership
Today, Ann Hiatt is widely recognized as a sought-after innovation speaker and leadership expert who helps organizations navigate disruption and embrace new opportunities. Her keynotes translate the leadership principles and innovation frameworks used at companies like Amazon and Google into practical strategies that any organization can apply. Hiatt’s presentations focus on topics such as innovation culture, strategic thinking, intrapreneurship, and future-proof leadership. Through engaging storytelling and actionable insights, she inspires leaders and teams to adopt the bold thinking and experimentation mindset that drives breakthrough results.
Global Keynote Speaker and Advisor
As a leadership speaker for corporate conferences, leadership summits, and innovation events, Ann Hiatt works with organizations across industries seeking to unlock new growth and empower their leaders. Her presentations combine real-world stories with practical frameworks that help executives lead more effectively in uncertain and competitive markets. She also advises companies and entrepreneurs on strategy, innovation, and leadership development, helping organizations translate big ideas into meaningful impact. Hiatt’s global perspective and Silicon Valley experience make her a powerful voice for organizations looking to accelerate growth and cultivate high-performance teams.
Book Ann Hiatt for Your Next Event
Organizations looking for a dynamic leadership keynote speaker and innovation speaker consistently turn to Ann Hiatt for her rare combination of insider experience, practical insights, and inspiring storytelling. Through her work with leaders at Amazon and Google, she offers audiences a unique window into how some of the world’s most successful companies approach leadership, strategy, and innovation. Her keynotes empower leaders to think like innovators, build cultures of accountability, and recognize new opportunities for growth. When you book Ann Hiatt through Speakers.com, you bring an engaging and forward-thinking speaker to your event who will inspire audiences to embrace bold ideas and lead with confidence in a rapidly changing world.
Ann Hiatt Speaking Topics
Lessons in Leadership From Silicon Valley
As EA to three of the world’s most successful giants of technology, Ann Hiatt’s 10-year career has been quite a journey. She is at the top of her game. Currently Chief of Staff at Google and Executive Assistant to its Executive Chairman, Eric Schmidt, she is also the former EA to Marissa Mayer (CEO of Yahoo!) and before that she was EA to Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon.com). So how did she get to work for some of the most powerful people on the planet and more to the point, how does she maintain her position as one of the most influential Assistants in the world? Each leader has taught her valuable lessons in business and in this session, Ann will share her story and tips on being a top-level Assistant, leadership and personal effectiveness.
Bet on Yourself: Recognize, Own and Implement Breakthrough Opportunities
In this in-depth interview with Lucy Brazier OBE, Ann Hiatt shares both the daily habits and long-game strategies she learned working side-by-side for decades with the giants of technology at Amazon, Google, and Yahoo. These tried-and-true methods to take ordinary opportunities and create something extraordinary, and the leadership principles that guide the work of these celebrity CEOs, are directly applicable to your goals.
The 70-20-10 Model for Innovation
Innovation doesn’t happen by accident—it requires structure, focus, and strategic investment. Ann Hiatt explains the powerful 70-20-10 innovation framework used by leading technology companies to balance core business growth with bold experimentation. Leaders learn how to allocate resources, encourage smart risk-taking, and cultivate a culture where breakthrough ideas can thrive even as organizations rapidly scale.
From Purpose to Impact
Great organizations succeed when people feel deeply connected to the mission behind their work. Ann Hiatt shows leaders how aligning purpose, passion, and organizational goals can dramatically increase engagement, innovation, and long-term retention. Audiences gain practical strategies for building cultures where employees feel empowered to contribute their best work and create meaningful impact.
Future-Proof Growth Strategies
Sustainable growth requires leaders who empower employees to think and act like owners. Ann Hiatt reveals how organizations can cultivate “intrapreneurs” who take initiative, embrace accountability, and drive innovation from within. Through practical frameworks and real-world insights, she shows how leaders can create a culture with a strong bias for action that accelerates growth and prepares organizations for the future.
Ann Hiatt Books
Bet on Yourself: Recognize, Own, and Implement Breakthrough Opportunities
Purchase BookAnn Hiatt Videos
Ann Hiatt Speaker Testimonials
Ann Hiatt has had a large impact on Armadillo since joining our Board of Directors as the Non-Executive Director in October 2018. Internally, Ann has helped us dissect our growth plan for the company and set up internal strategies for employee accountability and delivery of goals as well as an increased executive effectiveness. Externally Ann has represented Armadillo at several conferences, media interviews and hosting community events which has expanded our network and reputation
- | Armadillo
Ann Hiatt's keynote speech at our Siemens training event brought together her 15 years of experience, memorable stories and key business insights from Silicon Valley and interpreted these lessons for our participants. Every attendee left the conference with enthusiasm and actionable steps to increase their impact. The group was highly satisfied about her talk so that we immediately booked her to return in a few months. We look forward to our cooperation in the future!
- | Siemens AG
Ann Hiatt has been an advisor and friend to Plenty since our earliest growth stages. She has not only advised me, as the CEO, but also our entire senior management team. Ann brings with her an unparalleled expertise on how to maximize executive efficiency through building the right support team and senior management structure. She is also extremely well connected and has offered her rolodex at critical moments for active problem solving.
- | Plenty
