About John
Strategy
Governance
Storyteller
Founder, Hale Consulting Group ยท Brisbane, Australia
Professor John Hale, The Strategy Guy, is a Brisbane based board strategy facilitator, keynote speaker, conference MC and author of four books on strategy. He has advised boards and executive teams at organisations including Toyota, Shell, IBM, Dulux and Flight Centre.
John helps boards and leaders think clearly, act decisively and build organisations that thrive. He is driven by a fundamental conviction: that better strategic thinking changes everything. Not just for organisations โ but for the people inside them.
He is one of the most sought-after keynote speakers on AI futures, strategy and leadership. He delivers thirty keynotes annually to some of the world's biggest brands, many returning year after year.
As a professor, strategist and facilitator, John brings rare intellectual depth to the room while powerfully engaging with it. He combines rigorous research with relatable storytelling, to make key ideas feel both compelling and accessible.
A career built on
one obsession
John's obsession with helping leaders think clearly and act decisively began as a hardware engineer and software programmer before advancing into national technology sales and management. Driven by a passion for sport, his second career saw him thrive as a director of sport where he secured multiple state and national title wins.
Transitioning into academia, John taught strategy, ethics and leadership at five universities including Melbourne Business School and Singapore Management University. In 1998, he launched Hale Consulting Group and has since delivered 181 client engagements. He has advised boards across dozens of industries, and since 2016 has chaired more than 100 Queensland Government Mentoring for Growth panels.
In 2018, an invitation to present to the Global Speakers Summit opened his most recent career as a speaker and author. Having published four books on strategy, leadership and AI, John delivers keynotes that are rigorously researched and unexpectedly practical. He possesses a rare ability to hold audiences ranging from intimate boardrooms to 2000 conference delegates.
Background & credentials
The CEO Book
The Strategy Note
The Strategic Accountant
Ready to brief John
on your board,
team or event?
Board strategy days and governance sessions, executive facilitation,
and keynotes for conferences and offsites.
Or for a different kind of conversation โ a private advisory for accomplished men and women in personal transition.