Kerrie Smit
Kerrie Smit is a dynamic and engaging business and motivational speaker who leaves lasting impression. With over 30 years in business, her wealth of knowledge of change management and organisational behaviour inspires audiences to reach their fullest potential. Kerrie's ability to connect with people and deliver insights makes her a sought-after speaker in the industry. Prepare to be motivated and transformed by her unique approach to personal and professional growth.
Keynote Speaker, Presenter, Facilitator
Kerrie Smit is the Founder and Change Director of Agencia Change, specialising in transforming business performance through superior stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and people enablement.
With a 30-year track record, Kerrie has earned a reputation for translating complex dynamics into immediately applicable strategies that drive growth and long-term value. Her expertise lies in empowering leaders and teams to successfully navigate organisational complexity, working through high-stakes change, and secure sustainable growth.
Kerrie’s dynamic sessions are centred on developing the human element of business—equipping audiences with actionable tools for effective negotiation, positive influence, and building the strategic relationships required for major business outcomes.
Keynote & Workshop Offerings
The Adaptive Edge: Mastering Change as a Life Skill (Keynote)
In a world defined by constant disruption, adaptation is the ultimate competitive advantage. This motivational keynote transforms how your team views uncertainty. We move beyond simple "coping" mechanisms to embed change as a positive, repeatable skill. Your attendees will learn practical frameworks, including the 3-Step Change Cycle (Diagnose, Design, Deliver) and the Small Wins Method, to successfully navigate personal and professional transitions. Equip your staff with the essential mindset for continuous growth, innovation, and resilience.
Ideal for: All-staff events, resilience programs, leadership development, fostering a growth culture.
Emotion Coaching: From Reaction to Response (Keynote/Workshop)
Business is run by people, and people are driven by emotion. This session focuses on the critical skill of emotional intelligence, teaching leaders and team members how to move from instinctual "reaction" (dismissive, laissez-faire, disapproving) to a constructive "response." Attendees will master a simple, five-step process to validate feelings, build psychological safety, mend difficult professional relationships, and enable better problem-solving. Strengthen your internal community by fostering empathy, trust, and clear communication.
Ideal for: Improving team dynamics, enhancing psychological safety, conflict resolution training, management coaching.
Stakeholder Alignment & Influence (Workshop/Keynote)
Strategic goals are realised through strong relationships. This practical and intensive session provides the tools for identifying, understanding, and proactively engaging every person critical to your success. Attendees learn how to Cultivate Mutual Understanding and Achieve Strategic Alignment using techniques like Stakeholder Mapping and active listening frameworks. Empower your team to effectively manage competing objectives, influence decisions, and drive collaboration across silos to ensure unified project delivery and organisational purpose.
Ideal for: Project teams, cross-functional leaders, strategy alignment sessions, improving negotiation and communication skills.
Why is Kerrie Smit the Right Speaker for Our Event?
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What makes this speaker's approach to business topics unique?
Kerrie's presentations bridge the gap between complex theory and immediately applicable strategies by focusing on the human dynamics of business. Instead of high-level concepts, she provides practical toolkits—such as the 5-Step Emotion Coaching Response or the 3-Step Change Cycle—that attendees can use the moment they leave the room. Her energy, depth of experience, and focus on mindset shift make the content highly actionable and motivational.
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Does the speaker have real-world experience to back up the material?
Yes, absolutely. Kerrie Smit is the Founder and Change Director of Agencia Change and has over 30 years of experience managing large-scale organisational change and stakeholder engagement across diverse sectors, including government, banking, and technology. This ensures her content is grounded in proven success from complex, resistant environments.
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How will the content align with our desire for a "motivational" speaker?
While highly strategic, the sessions are deeply motivational. The core message is empowerment:
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The Adaptive Edge inspires attendees to take the "pilot's seat" in their own careers by embracing a Growth Mindset over a Fixed one.
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Emotion Coaching motivates staff to consciously choose trust and empathy, resulting in stronger teams and better outcomes. The presentations are designed to be energetic, insightful, and focused on individual capacity building.
Questions on Sessions and Logistics
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Which session is best for improving our team's internal community?
Emotion Coaching: From Reaction to Response is often the most direct fit for strengthening internal community and building psychological safety. It provides every staff member with the essential skill to manage conflict, validate feelings, and build trust in daily interactions. The Adaptive Edge is an excellent alternative for teams needing collective resilience and a shared positive outlook toward the future.
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Are the sessions tailored to our specific audience and industry?
Yes. All presentations are based on core psychological and change management principles, but the examples, case studies, and language are fully customised to match your industry, current internal challenges, and the specific event objectives. The content is always adapted to ensure maximum relevance and engagement.
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We have a tight 60-minute slot. Can the content fit?
Absolutely. All three sessions—The Adaptive Edge, Emotion Coaching, and Stakeholder Alignment—can be delivered as impactful, 60-minute keynotes. We focus on the most high-value takeaways and actionable tools to ensure a memorable, content-rich experience within the time constraint.
What is the ideal audience size for these sessions?
The speaker is comfortable with diverse group sizes. All three keynotes are highly scalable for higher interactivity in smaller groups, strong pacing in medium-sized groups (e.g., 51–100 attendees) in an all-staff conference format, or for ensuring a high level of engagement and interaction with much larger audiences.
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