Catherine DeVrye

About Catherine

Catherine DeVrye is a twice-awarded Australian Keynote Speaker of the Year, a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), and the author of nine best-selling books translated into over a dozen languages. A former university lecturer and IBM executive who spent more than a decade in sales, marketing, communication, and management development roles — including two years in Tokyo as Asia Pacific Headquarters Human Resource Manager — she has spoken at conferences across five continents, sharing stages with Prime Ministers and Presidents. She holds a Master of Science degree and has attended executive programs at Harvard University, Melbourne Business School, and IMD Switzerland.

What separates Catherine from the crowded field of leadership speakers is the span of genuine experience behind every message. She served as CEO of Junior Achievement Australia, as speechwriter and press secretary to government Ministers, and as an independent board member of the world's third-largest police service. She carried the Olympic torch on the day of the Sydney 2000 opening ceremonies and is co-author of the official Sydney 2000 Games Report for the IOC. Her keynote material draws equally on boardroom strategy and personal adversity — she is a cancer survivor who arrived in Australia jobless and near penniless before building an international career — and she is as comfortable weaving in lessons from trekking to Timbuktu or climbing beyond Everest Base Camp as she is quoting hard business data.

Audiences at leadership conferences, sales kick-offs, and corporate retreats respond to Catherine because she connects head and heart without sacrificing substance. Her sessions on change, resilience, customer service, and leadership are grounded in the same practical frameworks that earned Mercedes-Benz an all-time record year and prompted a standing ovation from KPMG delegates. She tailors her delivery to the brief and leaves teams with common-sense tools they can use immediately — making her equally effective opening a national conference or closing a high-stakes offsite.