Martin Gutmann

Biography

Martin Gutmann is a globally sought-after keynote speaker who brings fresh and urgent insights into how leaders can understand and navigate today’s uncertain world. Combining history, sociology, and organisational psychology, he delivers engaging, story-driven talks that challenge conventional wisdom and offer practical takeaways for leaders and organisations. His ability to bridge the past with the present helps audiences rethink leadership, decision-making, and strategy in an era of rapid change.

A professor at the Lucerne School of Business and senior lecturer at ETH Zurich, Martin’s research and thought leadership have reached over 60 million people through pieces in the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, Forbes (where Martin is a regular contributor), Inc., Fast Company, and many other popular outlets, as well as appearances on leading management podcasts. His TED Talk, “Are We Celebrating the Wrong Leaders?”, has been viewed over 2 million times and he was recently recognised in the Thinkers50 Radar Class of 2026.

Martin is the best-selling author of The Unseen Leader: How History Can Help Us Rethink Leadership. Adam Grant, organisational psychologist and thought leader, describes the book as a: “A provocative look at what history really teaches us about effective leadership. This book will challenge you to rethink some of your core assumptions about what it takes to align people around common goals.”

Born in Sweden, Martin has lived and worked in Japan, the US, Canada, Mauritius, Germany, and Switzerland. From 2016 to 2020, he was the founding Managing Director of the Swiss School of Public Governance, where he launched a program for future global public sector leaders. He holds a Ph.D. in history from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, an Executive MBA from IE Business School in Spain, and higher education teacher’s training from Harvard University and ETH Zurich.

Martin has delivered thought-provoking keynotes for organisations such as Google, UBS, Swiss Re, Zurich, Fujitsu, and Dow, as well as major international conferences. His presentations resonate with audiences across leadership, HR, strategy, and innovation, inspiring them to rethink how they approach decision-making and organisational culture. Participants leave with actionable strategies, a fresh perspective on leadership, and practical tools to turn uncertainty into opportunity.

Book Martin Gutmann to inspire your leaders and equip them with the insights needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.