Viola De Girolami

Viola De Girolami is a keynote speaker and transformation advisor who specialises in helping leaders navigate organisational change and client leadership. With over 15 years driving large-scale transformation at Warner Bros., McDonald's, and Carphone Warehouse, she understands the human dynamics and strategic realities that determine whether change efforts succeed or stall. As former Executive Director of Digital Marketing & Data at Warner Bros., she built the studio's digital capability from the ground up, reshaping how global phenomena like Joker and Barbie reached audiences. Her sessions equip teams with practical frameworks to shift from reactive delivery to strategic leadership, helping them distinguish between motion and genuine progress whilst regaining the clarity and confidence to drive transformation that lasts.

When Viola De Girolami built Warner Bros.' digital and data capability from the ground up, she reshaped how some of the world's most recognised cultural phenomena reached global audiences. As Executive Director of Digital Marketing & Data, she led one of the studio's most significant transformations, fundamentally changing how films such as Dunkirk, Joker, and Barbie connected with millions whilst advising senior leadership on major strategic initiatives. That experience, combined with over 15 years driving large-scale change at McDonald's and Carphone Warehouse, taught her what most transformation efforts overlook: the human dynamics and strategic realities that determine whether change truly sticks or simply creates the illusion of progress.

Earlier in her career at McDonald's, Viola worked through a defining period of brand reinvention following the reputational crisis triggered by Super Size Me, witnessing first-hand how one of the world's most iconic brands pivoted under pressure and rebuilt relevance in a rapidly changing market. At Carphone Warehouse, she led digital and customer transformation during a period of industry disruption. Having lived transformation from the inside across strategy, leadership, culture, and execution, she observed recurring patterns in why change efforts succeed or fail. She later deepened this understanding through formal training in Positive Psychology, integrating behavioural science and human performance into her advisory practice. Today, as founder of What Clients Really Want, she works with senior leadership teams and organisations navigating change, performance challenges, and strategic transition. Her recent work includes programmes that help teams shift from project management to client leadership, addressing what clients expect from their partners in 2026 and beyond whilst helping professionals regain the clarity and confidence to lead, challenge, and create genuine value.

Viola delivers keynotes at corporate events, company away days, and conferences, drawing on her experience inside global brands and her work with decision-makers across sectors. Her presentations combine strategic insight with compelling real-world stories, helping teams distinguish between motion and genuine progress whilst equipping them with practical frameworks they can apply immediately. Whether addressing the psychology of resistance, the gap between strategy and execution, or the realities of leading through complexity, she challenges audiences to ask better questions about what truly drives sustainable transformation. Participants consistently describe her sessions as empowering, leaving with the tools and clarity needed to drive change that lasts. Her approach is both grounded in real-world experience and informed by evidence, creating lasting impact that extends well beyond the event itself.