speaker
‘Helping you succeed in an unscripted world’
Neil Mullarkey transforms the creative and collaborative capabilities of teams and leaders with his unique improv and communication expertise.
He is one of the world’s most experienced and accomplished improv performers and has inspired successful, innovative change in corporations and business worldwide for close on 25 years.
His many clients include Google, Deloitte, Vodafone, Accenture, Unilever and top law firms.
“We won Sales Team of the Year at the Media Week Awards. Neil gave people on our Sales Team the confidence to be OK with not having all the answers.
And in fact to welcome not having the answers, and enjoy that the questions they might get from their clients could be challenging, or ones they simply can’t answer. But that’s not just OK, but something they should embrace as part of the creative sales process.”
— ROSS FAULKNER, Head of Futures, Upping Your Elvis
You may recognise Neil from his performances in 'Whose Line Is it Anyway' and two 'Austin Powers' movies.
You will have heard his voice on lots of TV commercials and BBC Radio 4 comedy shows.
He still performs most Sundays with the Comedy Store Players, Europe's top improv troupe, which he co-founded with Mike Myers.
Organisations need to be nimble, confident both in spotting opportunities and dodging threats.
Neil has developed a unique five pillar approach - LASER - based on the skills and drills of improv, forged in the fire of years of practice in the theatre and beyond, and now a tried and tested method for instilling new ways of thinking for leaders and organizations across different sectors, across different countries.
There are two spectres hanging over the world of work - remote and robots.
How can we collaborate creatively when we may not even be in the same room? And won’t artificial intelligence be doing everything soon?
Why not borrow the skills of improv theatre, where teams have for decades been creating stories in the moment?
Improv has structures and protocols which are directly transferable to the world of work. Using his LASER framework Neil has been sharing these skills and drills with the world’s leading organisations for over twenty years.
Here are some examples of those who would benefit from sessions with Neil:
A team not working well together
A leadership team trying to find its way
A team trying to communicate its story to colleagues or clients
Leaders who need to feel comfortable in an uncertain world
A team who just want to have fun together
— A leader wanting to have the personal impact needed in the boardroom
“In a world that's more volatile and uncertain than ever, businesses need leaders who can be agile, adaptive, innovative. This is what Neil teaches, brilliantly.
LASER and how he applies it in different ways - including to virtual work - is really simple and powerful…The world needs more.“
— MATT BRITTIN, Google President EMEA
Neil Mullarkey brings the improv mindset and more to the world’s biggest corporations - transforming businesses from the inside by encouraging communication, simplicity, collaboration, engagement and creativity.
Neil is often asked to tutor high potential candidates who are preparing to step up to the C-Suite, as partners or senior directors.
They need improv and storytelling skills. Technical ability is not enough at the top table. Left and right brain need to working in tandem as you need to be able to think on your feet, create allies and frame the narrative.
Humour is never far away in Neil’s work - lightening the atmosphere, creating psychological safety but making the learning more and engaging thus more memorable.
This workshop set us up for success and it is the most impactful training intervention I have ever been involved with, offering new skills and thinking with a great deal of fun at the right pace. Neil went the extra mile, exceeded expectations and was an absolute pleasure to work with.
— Director, Life Sciences firm
Neil’s new book, *In The Moment* was published by Kogan Page in June 2023.
Communication expert and renowned comedian Neil Mullarkey discusses his book In the Moment: Build Your Confidence, Communication and Creativity at Work, an engaging and illuminating guide to success | Talks at Google
As he explains in his game-changing book, IN THE MOMENT, improv has so much to teach leaders.
But there are times when something else is needed - preparation and structure - for which Neil’s experience as a director, script-writer and communication coach is invaluable.
“Neil Mullarkey’s insightful book In the Moment, combines the practice of improv with cutting edge ideas from the behavioral sciences to illustrate what it takes to communicate – and learn – more effectively.
Whether you’re seeking to connect with or influence a co-worker, feel more credible and confident in a presentation, or step up to lead in a new situation, this book will arm you with the tools your need in the moment.”
— Professor Herminia Ibarra, Charles Handy Professor of Organizational Behaviour, London Business School