Dr Gaia Grant PhD

Dr Gaia Grant is a globally recognised expert on innovation, leadership, and change, helping organisations and leaders navigate the complex tensions that can either fuel or frustrate innovation for sustainable growth. As a researcher at the University of Sydney Business School, Gaia is the creator of the unique ‘Innovator’s Profile’ and ‘Polar Positioning’ (PoP) tool, providing leaders with practical insights and frameworks to drive innovation and performance across diverse contexts.

With over 30 years of experience in strategic development across Fortune 500 companies, multinational corporations, and not-for-profit organisations, Gaia brings a rare combination of rigorous research and practical expertise. She has consulted to and worked with market leaders including Google, JP Morgan, Visa, Salesforce, Boeing, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Citibank, HSBC, AMP Bank, Deloitte Digital, KPMG, Bloomberg, Baker & McKenzie, Colgate-Palmolive, Deutsche Bank and many others, who attest to her insightful and actionable approach.

Gaia is also an accomplished author, with books including The Innovation Race: How to Change a Culture to Change the Game, the international bestseller Who Killed Creativity?… And How Can We Get It Back, and Leading Purpose-Driven Innovation. Her research focuses on creating cultures that support sustainable innovation, drawing on thousands of survey responses and multiple interviews with global leaders. She has collaborated with the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Superannuation Association Fund, among others, examining how organisations foster integrity, creativity, and high performance.

In addition to her corporate and academic work, Gaia has led innovative long-term projects for not-for-profit organisations globally, including initiatives supporting impoverished farmers in Indonesia, refugee organisations internationally, and health education programs reaching over 25 million teachers and students in India.

A highly sought-after keynote speaker and facilitator, Gaia has delivered presentations at major international conferences and events, including Salesforce International Roadshow, Gartner Symposium CIO ITXpo, World President Organisation Global Conference, Optus/Singtel National Event, Growth Faculty Conference, Ci Creative Innovation Conference, and the Creative Problem-Solving Institute (SUNY, US). She has also presented her research at universities and management conferences across the US, Asia Pacific, Israel, and Europe.

Gaia holds a PhD from the University of Sydney, an MSc from the State University of New York, a Graduate Certificate in Creative Change Management (SUNY), a BD Hons (Macquarie University), and a BA Dip Ed (Macquarie University), and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

Through her research, consulting, and speaking, Gaia equips leaders with the evidence-based frameworks, practical tools, and strategic insights needed to foster innovation, drive change, and achieve sustainable growth in today’s complex global environment.