May is an engaging and sought after speaker on topics including leadership, performance, and career success. Her experience spans a variety of formats from university to corporate settings over a range of group sizes.

All talks can be customized for audience, length, interactivity, or keynote, or specially created to fit your needs (talk, workshop series, keynote).

Sample Speaking Topics

THE ACHIEVER PATH
The Invisible Game of Getting Ahead And The 9 Achiever Capabilities You Need In Order to Master It

The steps to professional success are harder to decode than ever before and even the most capable professionals are struggling to keep up and understand what’s required to advance their careers at each stage. May offers an insightful, actionable strategy for navigating the complex new world of work, overcoming the anxiety – and even panic – of getting and staying ahead, and finding your path to accelerate your career success.

Using real-world examples, stories, and cut-to-the chase advice, she introduces a proven framework for taking ownership of your career, including the 9 Achiever Capabilities that take the mystery out of career mastery and a game plan to immediately shift your trajectory, boost your confidence, and enhance your impact.

STEER CLEAR OF THE MID-CAREER SLUMP
and Position Yourself For Greater Success

Are you afraid of plateauing prematurely or burning out? Do you fear getting stuck in your career? Are you working hard yet not making as much progress as you’d like? These are challenges that all achievers face in mid-career.

Whether you’re seeking to steer clear of the mid-career slump or find yourself in one already, you can use this as the impetus for you to take charge and make the next leap forward. In this session, you will learn:

  • A framework for understanding your career, why most of us face that mid-career slump and how to navigate through it
  • 5 capabilities that stand between you and further advancement
  • 3 strategies you can pursue right now to get out of the slump, position yourself for greater career success, and live a happier life

DESIGNING YOUR OWN CAREER
How To Take Charge And Feel Inspired

Achievers across the board want to feel inspired about their careers, yet this is easier said than done. Wherever you are in your career, these practical strategies and tools can help you achieve all that you can and gain personal confidence in your abilities.

SIX PRINCIPLES FOR SUCCESS

May shares her key takeaways, tips and stories from a 24-year career where she rose from entry level position to Managing Director and COO. Learn from her ups and downs and many mistakes so you can enhance your influence at work to achieve excellent outcomes for yourself, your team and your organization.

ADVANCING AT THE TOP
How To Be Even Better

For professionals at or near the top of their game, already operating in a rarefied atmosphere, there may seem to be fewer ways to advance. So what now: Is it just a “waiting game”? Do you have to jump ship? In May’s view, the answer to those questions is definitely “NO!” Learn how you can make that final push to even greater success.

YOUR BRAND AT WORK
Having Presence, Impact and Influence

How is your brand at work working for you? What can you do to improve your presence, impact and influence both internally and externally? What is the alignment between your personal and professional self?

This session focuses on strengthening your personal brand at work so you can step up to the next level with confidence and authenticity.

  • Energetic and engaging

    May is one of the most energetic and engaging speakers I know of. She brings a positive message of taking charge of your own career/life, that people can make mistakes along the way and survive, and she wants everyone to leave with some action they can take immediately to proactively direct their career in the direction they desire.
    Don Breiland
    Director of Risk Management, Salt River Project

  • Memorable and lasting

    I attended the session this morning with May Busch. I thought it was one of the best career development sessions I’ve attended in a long time. She pulled together a lot of concepts for managing your career in such a memorable and lasting way. I walked away with a few things to think about for my own career, as well as, others to share with my leaders and individual contributors.
    Department Head
    Global Financial Services Firm

  • Inspirational speaker

    May has thought long and deeply about her experience as a leader at the top level of an Investment Bank, and has come to some very original and completely practical conclusions. Coupled with this, she is a superb, inspirational speaker, and I have been proud to ask her to talk to top quality MSc students on the core Leadership module in their programme.
    Professor David Sims
    Head of the Faculty of Management, and Director of the Centre for Leadership, Learning and Change at Cass Business School, City University, London

  • A true leader

    'Perspectives on Leadership' was what May came to speak to us on, but she delivered much more. Her talk was an insight into a journey to success and inspired many thought provoking discussions after the talk. It would not be an overstatement to say that this was one of the best one hour spent in the six months that I have been at Imperial College Business School. What strikes me most about May is her strength of character, excellence in her field and a reflection of a true leader.
    Suchika Gupta
    MBA Candidate, Imperial College London

  • Compelling and unique

    The talk was informative, inspiring and very well-organized and was delivered in compelling and unique fashion. May attracted a large post-lecture crowd and her honesty, wit and professionalism created an atmosphere of rich discussion that endures months later.
    Claire Cockerton
    MBA Candidate, Imperial College London

  • A joy to work with

    We received a lot of positive feedback from the women in attendance. The women I spoke with appreciated not only your wisdom but also your humor and how very thoughtful and practical your advice was. And they so welcomed and appreciated your willingness to stay after the presentation and interact with them. You were truly a joy to work with. I just can’t thank you enough!
    Anne M. Hanyak
    President/CEO, AZ Women’s Leadership Forum

Arizona State University
Harvard University
Stanford University
Imperial College Business School
Oxford Said Business School
Channel 4
CASS Business School
England Basketball
City Women’s Network
Squire Sanders

Speaking Engagements

Keynote & Speaker

Squire Sanders (law firm)
Women's Network client event
“What Works for Women”
(London, UK)

England National Team Training Camp
Girls' U18 Basketball
“Leadership, Motivation and the Winning Mindset”
(Hertfordshire, UK)

SEO London (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity)
“How to Succeed in the City and Beyond”
(London, UK)

Deutsche Bank
Debt Capital Markets Women’s Dinner
“Perspectives on Leadership and Career Success”
(London, UK)

Major, Lindsay & Africa/DLA Piper Women’s Event
“Having Personal Impact”
(London, UK)

Arizona State University
W.P. Carey School of Business
Thought Leadership Series
“Anatomy of a Deal”
(Phoenix, Arizona)

The Two Percent Club
Pearls Launch Event
“The Art of Networking”
(London, UK)

Panelist

Oxford Said Business School
The Entrepreneurial University Leadership Programme
(Oxford, UK)

CASS Business School
Women in Business event
“Banking vs. Consulting”
(London, UK)

Stanford University
Clayman Institute for Gender Research
“Gender Perspectives on Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Policy and Practice”
(Stanford, CA)

City Women's Network
“Getting the Most out of Your Corporate Career”
(London, UK)

Inside Out Festival of Higher Education and the Arts
“Should Universities Continue to Exist in their Current Form?”
(London, UK)

Harvard Leadership Conference at the Kennedy School of Government
“Corporate Leadership in Complex Times”
(Cambridge, MA)

Guest Lecturer

Imperial College Business School
Full Time MBA Programme
“Perspectives on Leadership”
(London, UK)

Imperial College Business School
Executive MBA Programme
“Perspectives on Leadership”
(London, UK)

Arizona State University
W.P. Carey Business School
“Leadership and Success”
(Tempe, Arizona)

CASS Business School
Leadership MBA Course Lecture
“Leadership Perspectives”
(London, UK)

Media

Channel 4
Talent Management Series
“In Conversation with May Busch: Career Insights From a Diverse Leader”
(London, UK)

Channel 4
“An Evening Discussion – Is China The Next Media Superpower?”
(London, UK)

Workshop

CRAC (The Career Development Organisation)
“The Future of Financial Careers in the City”
(London, UK)

HERA (Her Equal Rights and Autonomy)
Mentor Orientation
“What it Means to be a HERA Mentor”
(London, UK)

Harvard University
“Leadership and Career Success”
(Cambridge, MA)

UK Investment Bank
“Impact and Influence”
(London, UK)

UK Media Company
“Your Brand at Work – Having Presence, Impact and Influence”
(London, UK)

UK Media Company
“Career Transitions – All Along the S-Curve”
(London, UK)

UK Media Company
“Concepts for Leaders – Success, Failure and Other Apparent Paradoxes”
(London, UK)

Contact May about speaking at your company, university, organization or event

Contact