Keynote Speech Change Management
Creating opportunities & shaping change together
Change is not what happens around you, but how you deal with it. In this Change Management presentation by keynote speaker Ilja Grzeskowitz, you will learn how to recognize and exploit the opportunities of change even in uncertain times. Inspiring. Inspiring. Transforming. The former retail manager not only talks about change management, but also exemplifies change in a captivating way. From his time at Karstadt and IKEA, the author knows what it takes to make people want to explore new paths and actively shape the future. Keynote speech Change Management: Actively creating the Future Using practical examples, inspiring stories and messages tailored to the audience, you will receive ideas, tools and methods that you can implement directly and use in your everyday life. This will enable you to not just passively endure change management processes, but to actively shape them, prepare your company for the challenges of the future and create a culture of openness and willingness to change. Leading yourself and others through transformation processes The result of this individual and entertaining presentation: a high level of motivation, strong implementation skills and an attitude that will enable you to seize the opportunities of change even under difficult conditions. In short: you will learn. You will laugh. And after the presentation, you will roll up your sleeves and feel like doing something.
Helping global leaders to master change before change masters them
Ilja Grzeskowitz is an economist, bestselling author, and globally sought-after keynote speaker for change. His mission: to show organizations that change isn't a threat, but the greatest opportunity of our time.
Starting out as Germany's youngest managing director, Ilja led ten locations throughout the country for Karstadt, Hertie, Wertheim, and IKEA. He managed thousands of employees and was responsible for a sales volume of over 500 million euros. In times marked by permanent restructuring, threatened store closures, and massive staff cuts, he succeeded in developing motivated and committed teams across vastly different circumstances.
At the height of the department store crisis, he realized what really mattered: putting people at the center. Only with the right mindset can you take away the fear of change and create appetite for the future. With the learnings from that time, he now inspires and moves people all over the world.
Ilja is a former guest lecturer at the Berlin School of Law and Economics and SRH University, and the founder of the Change Leaders Academy. To date, he has published 14 books in 7 languages, including the 2025 SPIEGEL bestseller “Freedom Starts in Your Mind", as well as earlier hits such as “Think it. Do it. Change it." and "The Changemaker Mindset".
His credo: Change doesn't need perfect plans, but people who start. That's why his name stands for one thing above all: lived change that creates the desire to take action. His clients and the media love to call him "Mr. Change", because Ilja Grzeskowitz stands for one thing above all: a living proof of what the power of change is all about.
Among his clients are global brands like Accor, Allianz, Audi, Bayer, BASF, Biogen, BMW, Cancom, Capri Sun, Continental, DPD, Kao, Lufthansa, Nespresso, Marriott, Mercedes, Orange, O2, SWISS, T-Mobile, Zalando, and Zara, alongside three-quarters of Germany's DAX companies and the who's who of European mid-sized enterprises.
As a globally sought-after speaker, Ilja has delivered 1,200+ keynotes across 27 countries and five continents, and is considered "Germany's most successful change expert" (OÖ Nachrichten). His tagline says the rest: Making. Change. Happen. Helping change leaders master change before change masters them.
His keynotes are marked by northern German humor, bold ideas, and contagious passion for what happens when we stop hesitating and start shaping. He makes complex connections tangible and sends his audiences home with practical, actionable insights.
When Ilja isn't standing on a stage around the globe, he's passionate about playing golf (with varying success), rooting for HSV (despite everything), and enjoying his favorite drink, coffee (lots of it and always black). Some things simply never change.