Book IWD Speaker: Erin Hatzikostas

Erin Hatzikostas is a former Turnaround CEO turned Authenticity Aficionado

A former Fortune 50 executive and turnaround CEO, Erin Hatzikostas is obsessed with helping organizations build connections faster, earn trust sooner, and stand out from the pack by using authenticity as their strategic advantage.

In 2016, Erin became the CEO of a fledgling company and led a massive turnaround, tripling earnings from $17M to $50M and increasing employee engagement by 15% in just 3 years. In doing that, she uncovered an unorthodox playbook for success, without burning people out (or being a jerk). She’s now sharing that playbook with leaders navigating change, growth, and sometimes seemingly impossible goals.

Erin is a globally recognized expert on authenticity in the workplace and talks about authenticity in a unique way. She helps people see that it’s not just fluffy “be-yourself” doo-doo, but instead a tangible and actionable set of actions you can take to change the game.

Erin has spoken to some of the world’s most respected organizations, including CVS Health, General Dynamics, and Yale University. Across industries – from lawyers to special military operators to donut makers – audiences quickly embrace her message, eager to ditch the buzzwords and business autopilot in favor of authentic action that actually works.

A sought-after keynote speaker, Erin is often referred to as “The Mel Robbins for business”. She artfully blends her real-world leadership experience with her signature sass, humor, and straight talk.

Erin’s thought leadership has reached hundreds of thousands of people. Her TEDx Talk ranked among the Top 20 most-viewed TEDx talks worldwide in 2021. She’s also the award-winning author of two books – "You Do You(ish)" and "The 50% Rule".

Erin co-hosts the hit podcast "b Cause Work Doesn’t Have to Suck", and her work has been featured by ABC, CBS, Business Insider, Fast Company, and more. Her company also led a groundbreaking national study on the impact of authenticity in the workplace.

Most importantly, Erin is a human. She's married to Manny, who she met while stumbling through (and failing) an early career in the Actuarial field. Together, they “manage” two teenagers - Ella and Mick. In Erin's free time, you can find her watching sports, skiing, drinking wine in her fat pants, or dancing wherever you're not supposed to dance.

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