KEYNOTE SPEAKER • EXECUTIVE COACH • CULTURE ARCHITECT

Courageous Reinvention

Helping leaders, founders, and organizations navigate change with courage, clarity, and practical frameworks for lasting transformation.

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The Philosophy

Why Courageous Reinvention?

We often believe reinvention begins after failure.

It doesn't.

It begins the moment your next chapter asks more of you—not less.

In a world reshaped by AI, uncertainty, and constant change, reinvention is no longer optional.

It is leadership.

Change is inevitable. Reinvention is intentional.

Recipient of the

2026 EU Business School
Innovation Award

Featured By

Featured by global organizations, leading conferences, universities, and executive communities across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.

Keynote Talks

Courageous Reinvention Keynotes

Every keynote explores a different dimension of Courageous Reinvention, helping leaders, founders, organizations, and audiences navigate transformation with courage, clarity, and humanity.

01Flagship Keynote

Courageous Reinvention

The Leadership Edge for a World That Never Stops Changing

Leadership conferences · Executive teams · Founder forums · Organizations navigating transformation · Women in leadership

Every major transformation begins with the same choice: whether to resist change or grow through it. Drawing on my own journey of rebuilding life from the ground up, together with more than 2,000 hours coaching leaders and executives, this keynote explores how people and organizations can evolve without losing what makes them human. Courageous Reinvention isn't about becoming someone else. It's about having the courage to become more fully yourself, and leading others to do the same.

Audience Takeaways

•A new perspective on transformation and leadership
•Practical frameworks for navigating uncertainty
•Greater confidence leading through change
•Inspiration to embrace courageous reinvention with intention

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The Real Disruption Isn't AI.

It's Human Leadership at Scale.

For leadership conferences · executive teams · companies scaling fast

We are scaling companies faster than we are developing the humans inside them. In a world where everyone has access to the same AI tools, the real competitive advantage becomes deeply human: judgment, trust, emotional intelligence, and the ability to lead through uncertainty. Built around the Human Intelligence Framework™, this keynote gives leaders concrete tools to lead people through change without losing what technology cannot replicate: their humanity.

Audience Takeaways

•A practical framework for human-centered leadership at scale
•Clarity on what AI cannot replace in people and culture
•Tools for building trust and emotional intelligence under pressure
•A renewed commitment to leading humans as well as technology

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From Pawn to Queen

Reinvention, Identity & Leading in the Age of AI

For women in leadership · transformation audiences · leadership events

A keynote about reinvention, courage, and becoming who you were always meant to be. Through the metaphor of chess and the raw truth of rebuilding life from zero at 40, this talk explores what it means to move through uncertainty, identity collapse, and transformation without losing yourself. Because resilience is not strength. It is movement. And the pawn that keeps moving becomes the queen.

Audience Takeaways

•A personal metaphor for reinvention, identity, and power
•Reframing resilience as movement, not strength
•Courage to lead and act before the world forces change
•Inspiration to reclaim agency in any chapter of life

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Selected past & upcoming engagements

Global HR SummitIstanbul · 2026
LEAP Tech ConferenceRiyadh · 2026
EU Business School CommencementBarcelona · 2026
Women in Tech Global ConferenceOnline · 2026
Chess in Education ConferenceKatowice, Poland · 2026
Tunisian Talents in Spain · Casa ÁrabeMadrid · 2026
Fondation Hanns SeidelTunis · 2026
CIEE Business SchoolBarcelona · 2026
MBA League JuryBarcelona · 2026
Chai & Chat · MeditariMWC Barcelona · March 2025
EU Business SchoolBarcelona · 2025
IDEKAPITAL CEO ForumKleivstua, Norway · March 2022

Every keynote is tailored to your audience and context.

Book Myriam to Speak →

Courageous Reinvention — Live

From Pawn to Queen: The Most Powerful Move You'll Ever Make

Commencement speech at EU Business School, Barcelona.

Did you know that in chess, a pawn can become a queen?

In this commencement speech at EU Business School in Barcelona, I share my personal journey of reinvention, resilience, and starting over after losing what I once thought defined me.

Through the metaphor of chess, I explore the power of courage, self-worth, and the small decisions that shape our lives.

Whether you're graduating, changing careers, rebuilding after a setback, or standing at the beginning of a new chapter, this message is for you.

Thank you to EU Business School for the invitation and the honor of delivering this year's commencement address.

#CourageousReinvention#Leadership#PersonalGrowth#GraduationSpeech#Chess

On stage

Myriam Ben Farhat addressing a packed auditorium at Global HR Summit Istanbul 2026 — Keynote · Global HR Summit, Istanbul 2026

Myriam Ben Farhat keynote at Global HR Summit Istanbul 2026 — Keynote · Global HR Summit, Istanbul 2026

Myriam Ben Farhat speaking at conference panel — Panel · Katowice

Myriam Ben Farhat keynote at Casa Árabe Madrid — Tunisian Talents in Spain · Casa Árabe, Madrid

Myriam Ben Farhat with co-panelists backstage — Fondation Haans Seidel · with co-panelists

Myriam Ben Farhat keynote at EU Business School Barcelona — Keynote · EU Business School, Barcelona

Myriam Ben Farhat facilitating the IDEKAPITAL CEO Forum workshop, Norway 2022 — IDEKAPITAL CEO Forum · Norway, March 2022

Framework

The Human Intelligence Framework™

Courageous Reinvention is the philosophy.

The Human Intelligence Framework™ is the methodology.

In a world where technology is evolving faster than people, the greatest competitive advantage is the human capacity to adapt without losing what matters most.

The Human Intelligence Framework™ develops the four capabilities that make Courageous Reinvention possible.

Awareness

You cannot regulate what you cannot see.

Awareness is operational clarity on your most important leadership tool: yourself.

Emotional Regulation

Calm is precision under pressure.

In fast environments, your ability to regulate yourself is your edge.

Honesty at Scale

Not comfort. Truth.

The ability for people to speak honestly without fear. That's where performance starts.

Kindness as Strategy

At scale, you manage trust, not just work.

Kindness is not the soft one. It is the one holding all the others together.

"Technology accelerates change. Human Intelligence determines whether we thrive within it."

— Myriam Ben Farhat

Coaching

Courageous Reinvention Coaching

Every meaningful transformation begins within.

Whether you're leading an organization or redefining your own next chapter, lasting change doesn't come from becoming someone else.

It comes from having the courage to become more fully yourself.

I partner with founders, executives, senior leaders, and women navigating meaningful transitions with greater clarity, confidence, and intention.

ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) badge

ICF PCC · 2,000+ Coaching Hours · Former Chief People Officer · Global Leadership Experience

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Executive Coaching

Founders · Executives · Senior Leaders · Leadership Teams

Executive Coaching

A bespoke coaching partnership for founders, executives, and senior leaders navigating meaningful change.

Together we develop the clarity, confidence, and leadership capacity needed to navigate complexity while staying deeply aligned with your values.

This is not advice.

It is a thinking partnership designed to help you lead your next chapter with intention.

Typical engagement: six sessions over approximately three months, with support between sessions.

Investment shared after application.

Apply →

From Pawn to Queen

A Courageous Reinvention Journey

From Pawn to Queen

A Courageous Reinvention Journey

A transformational coaching journey for women who have outgrown the life they once built and are ready to consciously create what comes next.

Together we reconnect with your values, rediscover your voice, and build your next chapter with courage, clarity, and intention.

This isn't about becoming someone else.

It's about becoming more of who you truly are.

Typical engagement: six sessions over approximately three months.

Investment shared after application.

Apply →

Workshops

Courageous Reinvention Experiences

Every workshop is built around one central question: How do people and organizations evolve without losing what matters most? Whether navigating AI, rapid growth, leadership transitions, or cultural transformation, the challenge is the same: helping humans adapt with courage, clarity, and intention.

AwarenessEmotional RegulationHonesty at ScaleKindness as Strategy

Human Intelligence at Scale

The full framework as a leadership experience.

The Human Intelligence Framework delivered as a half-day or full-day session for executive teams. Built around Awareness, Emotional Regulation, Honesty at Scale, and Kindness as Strategy. Not theory, a working session that shifts how leaders show up immediately.

Half day · In-person or virtual · 5–100 participants

Your Next Move

A leadership clarity workshop.

A half-day experience helping leaders and teams reconnect with values, strengths, and direction. Built around the 3-column exercise and the Human Intelligence Framework.

Half day · In-person or virtual · 15–100 participants

🌍

Global Experience

Built across 65+ countries and diverse teams.

🎯

Fully Customized

Designed around your specific context and challenges.

👥

For Real Leaders

Executive teams, HR leaders, and organizations scaling fast.

Enquire About a Workshop →

About

The Story Behind Courageous Reinvention

At 40, I rebuilt my life from the ground up. New country. New language. New career. I thought I was starting over. Looking back, I was becoming more of who I truly was.

That journey became the foundation of everything I teach today, and gave birth to the philosophy I now call Courageous Reinvention.

Professional Experience

Today, I serve as VP of People Experience & Inclusion at Chess.com, one of the world's largest digital platforms, supporting a globally distributed team across 65 countries.

Previously, as Chief People Officer at Play Magnus Group, I built the People function through rapid international growth, 11 acquisitions, and the company's IPO on the Oslo Stock Exchange before its acquisition by Chess.com.

Alongside my corporate leadership role, I am an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with more than 2,000 coaching hours, partnering with founders, executives, leadership teams, and organizations navigating transformation.

Philosophy

I believe the greatest leadership challenge today is not keeping pace with technology. It is evolving without losing what makes us human. That is why my work brings together Courageous Reinvention and the Human Intelligence Framework™, helping people develop the awareness, emotional regulation, honesty, and kindness required to lead through uncertainty with clarity and courage.

Closing

Whether I'm delivering a keynote, coaching an executive, or facilitating a leadership experience, my mission remains the same:

To help people and organizations evolve without losing who they are.

Credentials

ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC)

2,000+ coaching hours

EU Business School Innovation Award 2026

Languages

French · English · Arabic · Spanish

Based in

Barcelona · Working globally

Work With Me →

Featured

Building culture at scale across 65 countries.

Podcast · Episode 25: Negotiating with Heart — Reshaping Leadership and HR in Tech.

A Story of Reinvention & Authentic Leadership · Jessika Klingspor's Conscious Podcast.

"Chess is for everyone, no exceptions." · Chess.com X Level1.

In the press

Emotionally Intelligent Negotiation · Tony Anagor

Resilience and Radical Optimism: Myriam Ben Farhat's Journey in Tech and Leadership

A feature on reinventing a career, leading layoffs with empathy, and redefining negotiation as collaboration.

Read the article (PDF) →

Damas y Reyes · Federico Marín Bellón

Ajedrez para los que ni siquiera tienen un techo

On bringing chess to people experiencing homelessness in Barcelona with Fundación Arrels, and Chess.com's belief in the human power of the game.

Read the article →

Reels

Short ideas from my YouTube channel @myriambenfarhat.official

My daily habits philosophy.

Mindset is a decision.

The power of baby steps.

Testimonials

In their words.

A true highlight of the summit. Myriam offered an incredibly inspiring perspective on how to lead in an AI-augmented world, guiding us through the delicate balance of embracing technology while remaining profoundly human, and reminding us that our most distinctive human edge, the one thing AI cannot replicate, is our power of judgment.

Elif Okyar

Global Director, People & Culture · Global HR Summit, Istanbul 2026

A stimulating and empathetic speech that prompted some powerful questions, including: in a world where most people you compete with have access to similar tools, what do you uniquely bring that no tool can replicate? Tools are no longer your edge.

Andrew Spence

Future of Work Speaker & Advisor · Global HR Summit, Istanbul 2026

Myriam coached me and many on our team at Chessable through 2020 and 2021, and the impact has stayed with me. She has a rare ability to guide people into honest, deep introspection, challenging us to confront the parts of ourselves we so easily ignore once the day-to-day takes over. As both my leadership coach and a personal coach to the wider team, she helped us grow in ways we wouldn't have reached on our own. I'm genuinely grateful for the time we spent working together.

David Kramaley

Founder & CEO, Chessable

She left a lasting impression on the entire group. What stood out immediately was her honesty and the way she connects strategy to the human side of business. Students didn't just enjoy the session, they applied it. If you're looking for a speaker who brings together strategic thinking with real-world leadership experience and delivers it in a way that genuinely connects with people, I would highly recommend Myriam.

Maria Kelly

Professor of Strategic Management · Barcelona

Myriam brought a unique perspective, combining deep knowledge of leadership with a genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion. Her insights were thought-provoking, and she had a remarkable ability to connect with the audience. Her engaging speaking style and dedication to these important topics left a lasting impact on our attendees.

Maryna Tkachenko

HANNOVER MESSE · Onshape by PTC

Contact

Let's talk.

For speaking, coaching, or workshop inquiries.
I read every message personally.

Direct contact

Based in

Barcelona, Spain · CET timezone

Working in French · English · Arabic · Spanish

“The leaders who will define the next decade are not the ones who know the most.
They are the ones people trust the most.

AI will never compete with that.
But your leadership will.

Myriam Ben Farhat

Work With Me →