Elke Edwards

Elke Edwards is a leadership expert, keynote speaker and founder of Ivy House, specialising in transformational leadership and life skills for emerging talent and leaders at every stage. With over 25 years' experience, she has worked with senior teams across more than 40% of FTSE 100 companies, including Virgin, Google, Jaguar Land Rover and RBS, and previously founded the award-winning executive development company Blue Sky. Author of the bestselling book Extraordinary: How to Lead a Bigger, Braver, More Meaningful Life, Elke now focuses on making game-changing leadership development accessible to all ages, from sixth formers to executives. Her keynotes equip audiences with practical tools to lead with self-awareness, authenticity and purpose, creating more courageous and capable leaders across organisations and communities.

After building and successfully exiting Blue Sky, an award-winning executive development company that operated across 37 countries and worked with 40% of FTSE 100 leaders, Elke Edwards founded Ivy House with a bold ambition: to democratise transformational leadership development and make it accessible far earlier in people's lives. Her conviction that the life-changing skills traditionally reserved for executives should reach emerging talent and young people has reshaped her career focus and driven her work as a keynote speaker, author and leadership expert. Through Ivy House, she now partners with organisations including RBS, Aviva, Nationwide, Heathrow and Jaguar Land Rover to develop their brightest emerging talent, whilst also delivering The Ivy House Award to sixth formers, ensuring that foundational leadership and life skills reach young people when they can make the greatest difference.

Elke's expertise is rooted in over 25 years spent coaching and developing senior leaders in boardrooms across some of the world's most recognisable companies, including Virgin, BBC, Barclays, Sky and NatWest. Her bestselling book, Extraordinary: How to Lead a Bigger, Braver, More Meaningful Life, distils her philosophy that great leadership begins with self-awareness, authenticity and a clear sense of purpose. The book has extended her reach beyond the corporate sphere, offering practical tools and insights to readers at every stage of their personal and professional journeys. As both Creative Director of Ivy House and a sought-after speaker, Elke combines deep strategic insight with an accessible, human-centred approach that resonates across industries and generations. Her work reflects a consistent belief that leadership is not simply about authority or expertise, but about connection, judgement and the ability to unlock potential in others.

Elke's keynotes equip audiences with actionable strategies to lead with confidence, navigate change and build resilience without sacrificing ambition or authenticity. She challenges traditional leadership models and encourages individuals to tap into their core strengths, redefine success on their own terms and lead lives that are not only successful but meaningful. Whether speaking to senior executives, emerging leaders or educators, Elke creates lasting impact by helping people think differently about how they grow, lead and contribute. Her message is both practical and inspiring: leadership development should not be a privilege reserved for those at the top, but a foundation built early, empowering people to thrive in business, in their communities and in life.