Barbara Zelenay · Keynote speaker and moderator
I am an executive transformation leader who also knows how to hold a stage. The speaking and moderation work here comes from the same place as the work in the boardroom: reading the room, creating clarity and getting people moving. In-person, online, or hybrid. In English, German, Slovak or Czech.
One talk, built on lived experience: how to lead people through change when nobody has all the answers yet.
Unscripted by choice. I hold the room and let the real conversation happen: panels, fireside chats, town halls.
Everyone's talking about AI on stage right now. Almost nobody is talking about how you lead people through the transformation it triggers. This isn't theory. It's lived experience from one of Europe's largest carve-outs, from Bosch to private equity ownership.
I prepare deeply. Then I listen.
The interesting moment is usually the one nobody scripted: the follow-up question, the unexpected answer, the point where people stop performing and start talking.
"Unscripted means authentic. A real conversation can't be predetermined. It can be prepared for, led well and challenged when it needs to be."
Hosting and moderating C-level events, from internal leadership sessions to global stages, including live broadcast commentary for a World Championship, with roots going back to my first moderating gig in high school.
I translate complex technology into conversations any audience can follow, from the factory floor to the C-suite.
Front and center when that's where I'm needed. Behind the scenes making it work when I'm not. Stage, camera, control room, live broadcast or virtual.
"Barbara's passion and energy are truly infectious, captivating audiences and fostering an environment of engagement and interaction... her ability to translate complex concepts into accessible discussions is noteworthy."
Dr. Andreas Nauerz Executive Board Member & CPO, IONOS (MDAX)
"Barbara is a star. She is quick on her feet and her decision making is on point. She does extremely well under pressure. She has the ability to lead and follow. A team player who you can drop in any country and she would be able to run a successful event."
David Lasday Strategic Advisor, Sportech
And sometimes it amplifies more than your voice, it amplifies your responsibility. My grandfather, Gabo Zelenay, was a voice recognized across Czechoslovakia and beyond by generations of sports fans. He had a gift for bringing sporting moments to life, painting pictures with words, making listeners feel like they were right there.
Turns out, I landed behind a mic myself more than I realized: lacrosse fields, stages, town halls, livestreams, leadership broadcasts, transformation events. Different topics, different audiences, same tool.
Every time we speak, we shape how people understand what's happening around them. We can reduce uncertainty, or create it. Build trust, or lose it. Communication isn't about filling silence. It's about creating clarity, especially when uncertainty is inevitable, but silence is destructive.
"Some legacies aren't about following in someone's footsteps. They're about finding your own voice."
Selected clips from stages: keynotes, panels, and moderated sessions.
On site: conference keynotes, panel moderation, panel participation, fireside chats, executive and leadership offsites, town halls and all-hands, kick-offs and strategy days, workshops and masterclasses, roundtables, press briefings, customer and partner events, trade show stage hosting and booth interviews, award shows and galas, association and university talks, and sports events and ceremonies.
Online and hybrid: hybrid conferences, live streams, product and brand launches, webinars, virtual town halls, online panel moderation, LinkedIn Live and AMA formats, internal digital event series, podcast and video interviews, and recorded studio segments.
Conference keynotes and moderated main-stage sessions typically run between 100 and 400 people. Workshops and masterclasses work best at 10 to 20. Online formats have no practical ceiling, and small executive rooms are just as welcome as large stages.
English, German, Slovak, and Czech.
Munich is home base. I am regularly in Stuttgart, Vienna, Prague, and Bratislava, and travel across the DACH region, Central Europe, the rest of Europe and North America. Remote and hard-to-reach locations are not a problem.
Leading and communicating through uncertainty. Transformation, carve-outs and separations. Life under private equity ownership. Commercial transformation and go-to-market. Change management and employee engagement. And AI: not the technology hype, but the human side of the transformation it triggers.
It depends on the format, the duration, the complexity and how much preparation the event needs. Tell me what you want the event to achieve, and I will come back with something that fits. The first conversation is always free.
Something not covered here? Email me and ask.