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Speaking and keynotes

Frameworks that stick.
Outcomes that last.

Tom Wardman helps organisations build the trust, authority and marketing systems that make demand predictable and hold up as AI changes how buyers search.

Why it matters

The most trusted voice in your market wins

Trust is now the main driver of growth in marketing.

Not traffic. Not reach. Not clever campaigns.

The companies that win over the next decade will be the most trusted voice in their market, and so clearly positioned that AI platforms recommend them by default.

Tom Wardman is a marketing strategist, author of Build a Trusted Brand, one of the UK's first certified Endless Customers coaches and one of the UK's leading voices on trust-based marketing and owning your marketing in-house.

His keynotes combine practical frameworks, real business examples and clear next steps. Audiences leave with a structured understanding of why trust matters and exactly how to build it.

Past engagements

Trusted by businesses across the UK and beyond.

From founder-led companies to industry conferences, Tom has spoken at events where leadership teams are ready to think differently about trust, growth and who owns their marketing.

Keynote programmes

Five talks. One through-line.

Every programme is built around the same core idea: trust is the most valuable, and most underbuilt, asset in modern marketing. Choose the talk that fits your audience, or ask about a custom session.
#1

Build a Trusted Brand

The framework for becoming the most trusted voice in your market

Audiences will learn:

  • Why trust, not traffic, is now the defining driver of growth in marketing
  • Why traditional lead generation is working less well every year
  • The 9-step framework from the book, step by step
  • How trusted brands build authority over time and become the default choice
  • Why AI search will recommend trusted brands over optimised ones

Best for: Marketing leaders, founders, leadership teams, business conferences

Format: Keynote (45–60 min) / Workshop (half day)

keynote-trusted-brand-graphic-transparent-1
#2

Stop Renting Your Marketing

Why agency dependency is holding back your growth

Audiences will learn:

  • Why outsourcing marketing often creates hidden risk
  • The difference between marketing support and marketing ownership
  • Why AI has changed what's worth paying an outside agency for
  • Why your own team drives long-term growth more reliably than a retainer
  • How to build marketing your team can run and measure

Best for: CEOs, founders, leadership teams, marketing conferences

Format: Keynote (40–60 min)

Two lists comparing what leaves with an agency, such as logins, the content plan, reporting and know-how, with what stays, which is only the invoices you paid
#3

The Trust Implementation Gap

Why most marketing strategies fail inside organisations

Audiences will learn:

  • Why most marketing strategies stall between planning and doing
  • The six factors that decide whether trust-building succeeds inside an organisation
  • The barriers that stop strategy from turning into action
  • How to align leadership, marketing and sales around one plan
  • How to move from marketing activity to market authority

Best for: Leadership conferences, internal marketing teams, change programmes

Format: Keynote (45–60 min) / Workshop (half day / full day)

keynote-implementation-gap-graphic-transparent-1
#4

Invisible to AI

How to become the brand AI platforms cite, recommend, and surface

Audiences will learn:

  • How AI search is changing how buyers find and choose companies
  • Why most companies are currently invisible to AI platforms
  • The authority signals AI systems look for
  • How trusted brands win AI recommendations
  • The first steps to showing up in AI answers

Best for: Marketing conferences, digital strategy teams, B2B leadership events

Format: Keynote (40–60 min)

keynote-invisible-to-ai-graphic-transparent-1
#5

The Agency Operating Model

How agencies grow without founder burnout or shrinking margins

Agency-specific talk

Audiences will learn:

  • Why agencies stall between £1m and £5m in revenue
  • What makes an agency depend on its founder
  • Why underpricing and scope creep eat into margins before anyone notices
  • The Agency Operating Model: the four quadrants of an agency that runs without its founder
  • How to grow with systems instead of heroics

Best for: Agency founders, agency leadership teams, agency conferences

Format: Keynote (45–60 min)

keynote-agency-operating-model-graphic-transparent-1

What audiences leave with

Every talk is built around structured frameworks, not inspiration. Audiences leave with:

A clear framework

A structured model they can use straight away. Not a set of ideas, but a system with an order and a logic to it.

A diagnostic

A way to spot where trust, ownership or skills are missing in their current approach.

A practical roadmap

Action steps in order, not theory. Audiences know what to do first, second and third.

Shared language

Leadership, marketing and sales aligned around the same priorities and the same framework.

Testimonials

"Great intro session on sales and marketing techniques - content was great and insightful. I learnt a lot in a short space of time!"

Victoria Gilbert - Senior Finance Business Partner, Square Mile Accounting

"We really enjoyed Tom's "They Ask, You Answer" workshop. It was interesting and informative, giving us a great understanding of the importance of adopting a customer-centric approach to our content marketing strategy. "

Rae Hill - Director, Protektor

Speaking formats

Available as:

  • Keynotes — 30 to 60 minutes
  • Workshops — half day or full day
  • Executive briefings — tailored for leadership teams

Available for:

  • Conferences and industry events
  • Leadership and strategy off-sites
  • Internal training programmes
  • Association and membership events

Every session is tailored to your audience, with examples from your industry and clear, jargon-free delivery.

Who books Tom?

Event organisers book Tom when they want an audience to leave with structure, not just inspiration.

His talks are well suited to:

  • B2B marketing and growth conferences
  • Leadership and founder events
  • Agency owner communities
  • Digital change and strategy events
  • Internal marketing and sales leadership sessions
About Tom

Hear from the speaker directly

I've spent years asking one question: why do some businesses become trusted, while others stay invisible?

I've worked inside agencies, alongside founder-led businesses and across industries, and the pattern is the same. The companies that win long-term aren't the ones with the biggest budgets or the most content. They're the ones that earn genuine trust, write down their thinking and own their marketing.

That work led me to write Build a Trusted Brand, to become one of the UK's first certified Endless Customers coaches, and to spend the last decade helping businesses turn expertise into authority and authority into demand.

I speak on these topics because I've lived them, as a practitioner, as a strategist and as someone who has watched AI search change what it means to be visible and credible.

My talks aren't about inspiration. They're about structure. Every session is designed so your audience leaves knowing exactly what to do next.

Frequently asked questions

What topics do you speak about?

Trust-based marketing, brand authority, owning your marketing in-house, AI search and the systems businesses need to become the most trusted voice in their market.

What is the central theme across all your talks?

Every talk is built around one core idea: trust is now the most valuable, and most underbuilt, asset in modern marketing.

Do you only speak about marketing?

No. Marketing is a major focus, but the talks also cover sales alignment, leadership thinking and how organisations build skills in-house.

Do you speak about AI and search?

Yes. One of the keynote programmes focuses on how AI search is changing visibility, discovery and trust, and what businesses need to do about it.

Are your talks more about strategy or implementation?

Both. The talks explain the shift clearly, then show audiences exactly how to apply it through practical frameworks.

What makes your talks different from typical marketing keynotes?

They're built around structured frameworks, not motivational commentary. Audiences leave with models they can actually use inside their organisation.

Do you speak about agency dependency and in-house marketing?

Yes. That's the main theme of the "Stop Renting Your Marketing" keynote, and it runs through much of the wider speaking work.

Do you cover trust as a measurable business asset?

Yes. Trust is treated as a commercial driver of growth, not a vague brand concept.

Are your talks relevant for companies trying to become more visible in AI platforms?

Yes. It's one of the clearest shifts in modern marketing, and several talks address it directly.

Do all five keynote programmes connect together?

Yes. Each talk takes a different angle, but they all connect back to trust, authority, owning your marketing and growth that lasts.

What speaking formats do you offer?

Talks are available as keynotes, workshops and executive briefings, depending on the audience and the depth you need.

How long are your keynote sessions?

Most keynotes run between 30 and 60 minutes depending on the event format and agenda.

Do you offer workshops as well as talks?

Yes. Several of the programmes can also be delivered as half-day or full-day workshops for teams that want to go deeper.

What is an executive briefing?

A shorter, focused session for founders, leadership teams or boards who want strategic clarity and discussion.

Can talks be delivered virtually?

Yes. Sessions can be delivered online or in person, depending on the event and audience.

Do you include Q&A in your sessions?

Yes. Most formats can include Q&A or audience discussion if that suits the event.

Are your talks suitable for internal offsites and strategy days?

Very much so. The framework-led format works especially well for leadership off-sites and internal alignment sessions.

Can one of the talks be turned into a longer training session?

Yes. Some talks extend naturally into workshops where teams work through the framework in more detail.

Do you adapt timing to the event format?

Yes. Talks can be shaped to fit conference slots, internal sessions or longer workshops.

Do you travel for speaking engagements?

Yes. Talks can be delivered in person where it makes sense, with online delivery also available.

Do you customise talks for different audiences?

Yes. Every session is adapted to the audience, the type of event and how experienced the room is with marketing.

Are your talks suitable for leadership teams?

Yes. Much of the content is designed for founders, CEOs and senior teams who need a clearer plan for growth.

Can you tailor a talk for marketing teams specifically?

Yes. Talks can focus on content, trust-building, implementation and building skills in-house, depending on what the team needs.

Can you speak to mixed audiences of sales, marketing, and leadership?

Yes. Many sessions are designed to align those groups around the same commercial priorities.

Do you customise by industry?

Yes. Examples from your industry can be built into the talk where they help.

Are your talks suitable for agency audiences?

Yes. The Agency Operating Model keynote is built for agency founders and leadership teams.

Can you tailor a session around AI visibility for digital or B2B audiences?

Yes. "Invisible to AI" is especially relevant for B2B, digital strategy and leadership audiences trying to understand the next shift in search.

Do you adapt for audiences with limited marketing knowledge?

Yes. The talks are jargon-free and designed to be understood by non-specialists as well as marketers.

Can you align the message with an existing change programme or event theme?

Yes. I can tailor the framing so the talk supports the wider goals of the event or initiative.

Do you use real business examples in your talks?

Yes. The talks draw on practical frameworks, real implementation experience and business examples rather than abstract theory.

What should audiences leave with after a talk?

A clear framework, a better way to see what's missing today and a practical sense of what to do next.

Are your talks designed to be inspiring or actionable?

Actionable first. The goal isn't just to inspire the audience, but to give them a structure they can use straight away.

How do you make sure audiences can put what they learn into practice?

Each talk is built around a model, a diagnostic and a practical roadmap, so people leave with an order to follow, not just ideas.

Do your sessions include practical frameworks?

Yes. Frameworks are the backbone of every keynote and workshop.

Can a talk genuinely change what a business does next?

Yes. The aim is for audiences to leave clear enough that decisions and priorities shift straight away.

Do your talks help organisations think differently about trust?

Yes. A major purpose of the talks is to reposition trust as a strategic asset for growth rather than a soft brand concept.

Will audiences leave with shared language they can use internally?

Yes. That's one of the biggest benefits. Leadership, marketing and sales leave with a common framework and vocabulary.

Can talks help teams that feel stuck or fragmented?

Yes. Structured thinking often helps teams work out why progress has stalled and where to focus next.

Do your talks support longer-term change?

Yes. The talks stand alone, but they often act as the starting point for deeper strategy or implementation work.

Can your talks work without any follow-up consulting?

Yes. Each session is designed to be valuable on its own, even if there's no further work together.

Who typically books you to speak?

Conference organisers, founder communities, leadership teams, membership organisations, and companies running internal strategy or training events.

What kinds of events are your talks best suited for?

Conferences, off-sites, leadership events, internal training programmes, and association or membership events.

How far in advance should we book?

As early as possible, especially for in-person events. Availability depends on the calendar and the event format.

How do we decide which of the five talks is right for our audience?

Start with your audience's biggest need: building trust, AI search, owning their marketing, putting strategy into practice or growing an agency.

Can you create a custom session rather than using one of the five talks as listed?

Yes. The listed programmes are core formats, but sessions can be tailored where needed.

Do you provide a call before booking to discuss fit?

Yes. A short conversation helps clarify the audience, the outcomes you want and the most suitable talk.

Are workshops priced differently from keynotes?

Yes. Workshops involve more time, depth and preparation, so the price reflects that.

Do you provide slides or supporting materials afterwards?

That depends on the event and format, but frameworks and follow-up materials can be discussed as part of the booking.

Can talks be delivered as part of a series or wider programme?

Yes. Some organisers book several sessions, or combine a keynote with a workshop or executive briefing.

How do we book you to speak?

Get in touch with the event details, the type of audience and your preferred format, and we'll find the right session.

Ready to give your audience something they can use?

Every session is built around one outcome: your audience leaves with a framework they can put into practice. No theory. No fluff. Just structured thinking on trust, growth and owning your marketing.
Book Tom to speak