Speaking Topics

Leadership & Leadership Development

Practical leadership, first-time managers, executive leadership, developing high-performing teams and building leadership capability.

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Careers & Professional Development

Career progression, interview success, public sector careers, LinkedIn, personal branding and navigating career transition.

Change, Culture & Organisational Development

Leading through change, organisational culture, employee engagement, resilience, communication and developing people.

Personal & Professional Growth

Confidence, personal and professional transformation, managing change, communication, difficult conversations and achieving professional success.

Tailored Keynotes & Guest Lectures

Every keynote, conference session and guest lecture is designed around your audience, objectives and event, creating an engaging, practical and memorable experience.

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Book Maria for Your Next Event

Every keynote, workshop and guest lecture is tailored to your audience, objectives and event, ensuring every session is relevant, engaging and practical.

Tailored Career Coaching for Every Step of Your Transition

There’s something incredibly powerful about bringing people together to learn, reflect and see things differently. Whether speaking at a conference, delivering a leadership event or guest lecturing in a university setting, my aim is always the same, to create an engaging, practical and memorable experience that leaves people with ideas they can immediately apply.

With over 25 years’ experience spanning industry, education and professional coaching, I’ve had the privilege of speaking to audiences across the public and private sectors, universities and professional organisations. My talks combine practical workplace experience, leadership expertise and real-life examples to make complex topics accessible, relevant and engaging. Whether discussing leadership, career development, organisational change, workplace culture or professional success, I focus on delivering practical insights that resonate with every audience.

Every keynote, guest lecture and conference session is tailored to the audience, the event and the learning objectives. I believe the most impactful presentations are those that encourage participation, challenge thinking and inspire meaningful conversations long after the event has ended. My style is interactive, energetic and conversational, creating an environment where audiences feel engaged, involved and motivated to take action.

As an award-winning lecturer and experienced leadership and career coach, I understand how people learn, how they engage and what helps ideas translate into action. Whether I’m speaking to students preparing for their future careers, leaders navigating organisational change or professionals looking to develop new skills, my goal is always to deliver a session that is relevant, practical and genuinely valuable.

I’d love the opportunity to contribute to your next conference, leadership event or guest lecture and help create an experience that informs, inspires and leaves a lasting impact.

Maria Ryan

Founder, Brand New Horizons
Adjunct Lecturer | University of Limerick & DCU
Leadership, Career & Organisational Development Consultant

We invited Maria to join Ulster Bank to deliver a webinar series to help employees cope with news that the bank was leaving the Irish market. Maria is very motivational and made the sessions very practical with good workable examples to put into practice and take forward. The best external speaker the Academy has invited to participate in training.
Audrey Doyle , Learning Partner, Ulster Bank
Maria was approachable, engaging and explained complex topics in a practical and accessible way. She created an environment where everyone felt comfortable contributing, asking questions and stepping outside their comfort zone. Her examples were relevant to our roles, and the role-play activities helped bring the learning to life. I left with greater self-awareness and practical communication techniques that I continue to use in my day-to-day work.
Participant Feedback, Unijobs Leadership Development Programme
We engaged Maria to support our organisation through a period of change. She designed and delivered a tailored three-month development programme that was highly relevant to our business and our teams.

Maria’s approach was professional, approachable and engaging, creating an environment where participants felt comfortable contributing and asking questions. Her use of practical examples and role-play brought the learning to life in a meaningful and highly relevant way.

Grainne Mullane, Operations and Services Manager, Unijobs

Trusted by Organisations Across Ireland

Private Sector Clients

Public Sector Clients

Take the Next Step in Your Career

Whether you are preparing for promotion, applying for a new role, or planning your long-term career, I would be delighted to discuss how I can help you achieve your career goals with confidence.