Keynote Speaker
Moderator
Leadership Advisor
Women Confidence Mentor

…and Founder of “Let’s Just Be Imperfect, Ladies”

New speech: “The Leadership We Need in 2026”

Here’s my reminder of your power, especially in challenging times: My speech is for everyone who looks for ways to keep going, recharge and feel a sense of confidence in 2026 - especially in these times of negative news and personal overwhelm for many of us.

My message: when strong-men try to divide and intimidate us with loudness and dominance, what if our most powerful response was not fear - but warmth? Here are my tips to translate this leadership philosophy into your daily work.

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Welcome to “Let’s Just Be Imperfect, Ladies”

Leadership starts with being authentic. That’s why I founded “Let’s Just Be Imperfect, Ladies” in 2020 with a message to all powerful ladies out there: “You don’t need to become stronger, tougher or more courageous in order to “make it" in your career. You are already strong.”

What the world needs now are leaders who lead with empathy, courage and authenticity. Women who feel safe to show up fully as themselves in the workplace - in their very own, feminine leadership style, rather than ‘fitting in’. And men who are open to be allies in creating workplaces where everyone can thrive, especially in challenging times.

In past years, I travelled Europe as a Keynote Speaker, moderator and 1-1 Mentor to support organisations, companies and international decision-makers - both men and women - to become change-makers who lead and speak with confidence and who make their work culture more inclusive, diverse - and inspiring for more people to join.

Let’s work together for more authentic leadership.

Leadership Keynote Speech

Make your event empower a new generation of leaders.

As a keynote speaker, Helene inspires managers, leaders, change-makers, women and men to change perspective, to regain confidence and to feel empowered on their leadership journey: be it on female leadership, authentic leadership or powerful communication.

Helene's Keynote Speeches

Moderator & Event host

International conferences, interviews and panel debates with high-level leaders in German, English and French.

Helene is a seasoned event host who brings warmth, professionalism and 15+ years of event experience to global stages. Her natural presence on stage and her interview experience makes guests shine and leaves audiences inspired with that “Wow, what an event!” feeling.

Moderator

1-1 Leadership Mentoring

Say “hi” to the powerful woman who is already inside you.

In the 1:1 mentoring, I accompany women in high-pressure jobs for 3 months so that they can unlock their full potential & their calling by finding their space as a powerful and confident woman in the corridors of power. I accompany them trough career transitions, through exhaustion and I give them concrete tools to remain confident from within - be it for their leadership skills or their Public Speaking Confidence.

1-1 Authentic Leadership Mentoring

Hi, I am Helene.

I am a speaker, mentor and leadership expert focused on authentic leadership, gender equality and inclusive workplace cultures. I am also a senior communication advisor at the European Commission.

After my own experience as a young women in senior roles and often male-dominated rooms of power, I founded the initiative Let’s Just Be Imperfect, Ladies to inspire women to be true to themselves in their full female potential and create their own definition of success, speaking with confidence and authentic power.

Since 2020, I have had the privilege of inspiring audiences across Europe at international conferences, intimate leadership trainings and 1-1 mentoring, building a vibrant community. I worked with leaders and organisations across Europe who are committed to redefine leadership culture so that more people in their teams can lead from their authentic strengths, rather than outdated ideas of toughness or dominance. Empathy, emotional intelligence, collaboration and authenticity are essential foundations of my idea of modern leadership.

Today, I continue this mission through selected speaking engagements, advisory support and mentoring.

Here's my full story.

Helene’s Leadership Philosophy

Let us truly empower the people in our organisations by allowing them to step into their full potential - rather than “changing” them.

Helene challenges the “classic” idea of leadership: she redefines “women empowerment” by reminding women of the powerful leadership qualities that they already have - their empathy, their sensitivity and their bridge-building capacity in the workplace - qualities that are too often underestimated, yet essential at the top of every organisation.

At the same time, her perspective includes men as active allies in shaping more inclusive leadership cultures and communication, drawing on her own experience from senior environments where women are still underrepresented.

Leadership Philosophy

“Many work structures are simply not designed for feminine strengths and not welcoming for diversity and authenticity. My message after 10 years of being “the young woman” in senior jobs myself: when we stop fixing women and start fixing work cultures together with the leaders who are currently at the top, we will change power structures, decision-making and opportunities - and therefore our organisations, our economy, our countries.”

-Helene Banner, Leadership Speaker

Selected speaking engagements

Oxford Union Society
European Commission
SHE Conference Oslo
German Agency for International Cooperation // Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Diageo
Diversity Charter Greece
AmCham EU - American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union
Forschungszentrum Jülich
London School of Economics - LSE Alumni Association Belgium
European Women's Management Development
WEgate - European Gateway for Women’s Entrepreneurship
Mollie
European Environment Agency
Linklaters | Global Law Firm | Global Lawyers
European Stability Mechanism
Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois
Climate & Company
Europäische Akademie Berlin
DHL Service Logistics
Bundesstiftung Gleichstellung - German Federal Agency for Gender Equality
College of Europe
ENISA - European Union Agency for Cybersecurity
European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)
Allianz