Matthew E. May
Keynote Speaker: Strategy & Innovation Expert, Author, Ex-Advisor at Toyota
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Matthew E. May Biography
Matthew E. May is an internationally recognized leader on strategy, innovation, and lean. As the Founder & CEO of StratInnoSys and creator of The Idea Score, he specializes in helping senior executives and teams craft competitive strategies and innovative approaches that result in sustainable competitive advantages. His work extends beyond business frameworks; he aims to inspire new thinking, share unique perspectives, tell compelling stories, and deliver practical takeaways in his presentations. With a background that includes eight years as a full-time advisor at Toyota, May brings profound insights from one of the world’s leading examples of efficiency and innovation.
May has authored five influential books on innovative thinking, his latest being "Winning the Brain Game: Fixing the 7 Fatal Flaws of Thinking." His other notable works include "The Laws of Subtraction," where he outlines six simple rules for winning in the age of excess everything; "In Pursuit of Elegance," which explores why the best ideas often have something missing; "The Shibumi Strategy," and "The Elegant Solution," drawing heavily from his extensive experience at Toyota. His expertise is frequently sought in prominent publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Strategy+Business, The Rotman Magazine, Fast Company, and Harvard Business Review blogs. May also writes the bimonthly “Brain Game” column for Inc. magazine.
May is a graduate of The Wharton School, where he earned his MBA, and Johns Hopkins University, where he obtained his BA. His unique combination of educational background, professional experience, and creative achievements, including winning the New Yorker cartoon caption contest, positions him as a leading thinker in the fields of strategy, innovation, and operational efficiency. His keynote speeches, which include "Mind of the Innovator," "Elegant Leadership," and "Competing for the Future," are celebrated for integrating interactive elements that engage the audience directly, making complex concepts accessible and actionable.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Matthew E. May and other top speakers and celebrities.
Matthew E. May Speaking Topics
The Art of Playing to Win Leaders at every level face the same daunting challenge: how to win consistently in a massively disruptive business environment. Enter the need for a forward-looking strategy that enables a player to create a sustainable advantage and superior value relative to the competition. In this talk, Matthew show leaders how to begin with a future-back winning aspiration, then answer two deceptively simple questions: Where will you play? and How will you win? Blending compelling examples with stories from years of front-line experience facilitating strategy sessions, this keynote delivers a master class on competing for the future.
Secrets to Achieving the Maximum Effect With Minimum Means Amidst an arguably expanding world economy, one fact stands clear: business leaders are facing a scarcity of resources. Materials cost increases and other financial burdens combined with an ever-shrinking pool of top talent leaves leaders facing a critical capability challenge. Enter the concept of elegance: achieving the maximum effect with minimum means. In this compelling keynote, Matthew reveals how the best leaders spur creativity and innovation among their ranks by imposing intelligent constraints.
How Game-Changers “Think Different” The pressure to stand out and stay relevant in a fiercely competitive marketplace demands innovative thinking to jump the curve and move to the next level. That pressure falls squarely on the shoulders of the individual, because companies don’t innovate, people do. The tension between business objectives and creative thinking isn’t easily resolved…unless you can tame the traps of traditional thinking. In this compelling keynote, Matthew takes the audience inside the minds of the world’s most creative executives and entrepreneurs to reveal how they crush the status quo, write their own rules, change the game, and move the world.
Science confirms the distinction between the biological brain and the conscious mind. Each day, a game of mind versus matter plays out on a field defined by the problems we need to solve. Most are routine, and don’t demand a more mindful approach. It’s when we’re faced with more difficult challenges that our thinking becomes vulnerable to brain patterns that lead us astray: We leap to solutions that simply don’t work; we fixate on old mindsets that keep us stuck in neutral; we overthink problems and make them worse; and we kill the ideas of others, as well as our own. Worse, we keep doing these things, over and over again, naturally and instinctively.
In this provocative and highly interactive keynote, Matthew E. May engages audiences in the same simple thought challenges given to over 100,000 people during a 10-year period. Calling on modern neuroscience and psychology to help explain the “seven fatal flaws,” May draws insight from some of the world’s most innovative thinkers. He then combines a super-curated, field-tested set of “fixes,” proven through hundreds of creative sessions, to raise our thinking game to a more mindful level.
How do you stand out and stay relevant in a world that is massively distracting and mostly disruptive? It’s a daunting challenge for everyone, no matter their walk in life. In an age of excess everything, success looks different, and now demands a new skill: Subtraction.
Matthew E. May defines subtraction as simply as the art of removing anything excessive, confusing, wasteful, unnatural, hazardous, hard to use, or ugly—or the discipline to refrain from adding it in the first place. And if subtraction is the new skill to be acquired, we need a guide to developing it. In this keynote, May outlines six simple rules for winning (in business, as well as life) in the age of excess everything, and delivers a single yet powerful idea: When you remove just the right things in just the right way, something very good happens.
Matthew E. May Videos
How do I book Matthew E. May to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Matthew E. May for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Matthew E. May, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Matthew E. May or any other speaker of your choice.
How much does it cost to book Matthew E. May for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Matthew E. May, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fee for a live event is $10,000 - $20,000. For the most current speaking fee to hire Matthew E. May, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
What topics does Matthew E. May speak about?
Matthew E. May is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Innovation, Creativity, Corporate Strategy, Business, Business Growth, Futurism, Authors, Leadership and Strategic Leadership.
Where does Matthew E. May travel from?
Matthew E. May generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
Who is the agent for Matthew E. May?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Matthew E. May for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Matthew E. May for your next private or corporate function.
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Matthew E. May or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Matthew E. May is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Innovation, Creativity and Corporate Strategy. The estimated speaking fee range to book Matthew E. May for live events is $10,000 - $20,000. Please contact us for virtual event fees. Matthew E. May generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are R "Ray" Wang, Troy Hazard and David Weinberger. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Matthew E. May for an upcoming event.
SPEAKING TOPICS
Matthew E. May Speaking Topics
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7. Competing for the Future
The Art of Playing to Win Leaders at every level face the same daunting challenge: how to win consistently in a massively disruptive business environment. Enter the need for a forward-looking strategy that enables a player to create a sustainable advantage and superior value relative to the competition. In this talk, Matthew show leaders how to begin with a future-back winning aspiration, then answer two deceptively simple questions: Where will you play? and How will you win? Blending compelling examples with stories from years of front-line experience facilitating strategy sessions, this keynote delivers a master class on competing for the future.
-
6. Elegant Leadership
Secrets to Achieving the Maximum Effect With Minimum Means Amidst an arguably expanding world economy, one fact stands clear: business leaders are facing a scarcity of resources. Materials cost increases and other financial burdens combined with an ever-shrinking pool of top talent leaves leaders facing a critical capability challenge. Enter the concept of elegance: achieving the maximum effect with minimum means. In this compelling keynote, Matthew reveals how the best leaders spur creativity and innovation among their ranks by imposing intelligent constraints.
-
5. Mind of the Innovator
How Game-Changers “Think Different” The pressure to stand out and stay relevant in a fiercely competitive marketplace demands innovative thinking to jump the curve and move to the next level. That pressure falls squarely on the shoulders of the individual, because companies don’t innovate, people do. The tension between business objectives and creative thinking isn’t easily resolved…unless you can tame the traps of traditional thinking. In this compelling keynote, Matthew takes the audience inside the minds of the world’s most creative executives and entrepreneurs to reveal how they crush the status quo, write their own rules, change the game, and move the world.
-
1. The Brain Game: Fixing the Seven Fatal Flaws of Business Thinking
Science confirms the distinction between the biological brain and the conscious mind. Each day, a game of mind versus matter plays out on a field defined by the problems we need to solve. Most are routine, and don’t demand a more mindful approach. It’s when we’re faced with more difficult challenges that our thinking becomes vulnerable to brain patterns that lead us astray: We leap to solutions that simply don’t work; we fixate on old mindsets that keep us stuck in neutral; we overthink problems and make them worse; and we kill the ideas of others, as well as our own. Worse, we keep doing these things, over and over again, naturally and instinctively.
In this provocative and highly interactive keynote, Matthew E. May engages audiences in the same simple thought challenges given to over 100,000 people during a 10-year period. Calling on modern neuroscience and psychology to help explain the “seven fatal flaws,” May draws insight from some of the world’s most innovative thinkers. He then combines a super-curated, field-tested set of “fixes,” proven through hundreds of creative sessions, to raise our thinking game to a more mindful level.
-
2. Subtraction: Removing Excess for Better, Smarter Business
How do you stand out and stay relevant in a world that is massively distracting and mostly disruptive? It’s a daunting challenge for everyone, no matter their walk in life. In an age of excess everything, success looks different, and now demands a new skill: Subtraction.
Matthew E. May defines subtraction as simply as the art of removing anything excessive, confusing, wasteful, unnatural, hazardous, hard to use, or ugly—or the discipline to refrain from adding it in the first place. And if subtraction is the new skill to be acquired, we need a guide to developing it. In this keynote, May outlines six simple rules for winning (in business, as well as life) in the age of excess everything, and delivers a single yet powerful idea: When you remove just the right things in just the right way, something very good happens.
VIDEO
Matthew E. May Videos
FAQS
-
How do I book Matthew E. May to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Matthew E. May for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Matthew E. May, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Matthew E. May or any other speaker of your choice. -
How much does it cost to book Matthew E. May for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Matthew E. May, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fee for a live event is $10,000 - $20,000. For the most current speaking fee to hire Matthew E. May, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Matthew E. May speak about?
Matthew E. May is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Innovation, Creativity, Corporate Strategy, Business, Business Growth, Futurism, Authors, Leadership and Strategic Leadership. -
Where does Matthew E. May travel from?
Matthew E. May generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. -
Who is the agent for Matthew E. May?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Matthew E. May for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Matthew E. May for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Matthew E. May or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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