James O'Loghlin
James O'Loghlin is one of Australia's most respected and recognisable media personalities with a passion for practical innovation.
James O'Loghlin is exclusively represented and managed by ODE Management for all keynote, workshop, MC and speaking engagements worldwide. ODE Management holds James's diary and confirms all availability and fees for keynotes on innovation, creative thinking and event hosting. Event organisers can book direct, and speaker bureaus can book on behalf of their clients.
To check availability, contact ODE Management on +61 2 9818 5199 (Asia Pacific) or +1 877 950 5633 (USA).
My speaker bio...
James O’Loghlin is one of Australia’s most respected media personalities, and an experienced and highly skilled keynote speaker, facilitator, and MC. James is perhaps best known for his 15 years presenting witty and entertaining programs on ABC Local Radio, and as the host of over 300 episodes of the much loved "The New Inventors" on ABC-TV . It was this role that fuelled James’ passion for practical innovation.
James has been delighting corporate audiences with his unique brand of corporate insight and comedy for over a decade, and is equally at home giving keynotes, acting as MC for conferences and awards nights, and facilitating panel discussions. He is a favourite with Australian audiences and event planners, and a true industry professional with hundreds of successful live events to his credit.
James is the author of 12 books, including ‘Innovation is a State of Mind’, and, with Prof Ian Hickie, the bestselling mental health book ‘Minding Your Mind’. Prof Hickie and James’s mental health podcast, ‘Minding Your Mind’, has been listened to over a quarter of a million times.
James speaks on the topics of Innovation, where he shares practical strategies to help people identify opportunities for innovation in their business and take advantage of them, Mental Health, where he shares evidence based strategies to help people maintain and improve their mental health, and Persuasion and Influence, where he shares practical strategies to help people to become more persuasive and influential.
Master of Ceremonies and Facilitator
James is an accomplished and highly experienced MC, able to draw laughs from whatever is happening whilst running events efficiently. You get the professionalism of an experienced radio and television host who is utterly at home on stage, combined with the humour of one of Australia’s best corporate comedians. James is an experienced and able panel facilitator who always ensures that the discussion is informative and entertaining.
Enlightening and inspiring! James' ability to engage with the audience and make complex ideas accessible resonated with everyone.
Vinyl Council of Australia
James brought such a mix of clarity, humour, and genuine curiosity to the room, connecting people with the ideas in a very pragmatic and relatable way.
SA Water
James was very easy to work with and quick to understand our requirements and desired outcomes for the event. He kept the delegates engaged and inserted innovation insights along the way.
Infrastructure Association of Queensland
James was a standout session from our event where many attendees who saw his keynote and sat in on his workshop sessions stated that they were going away from the day with actionable items to implement based on innovation. James was a breeze to deal with, and we would recommend for anyone looking for a great speaker on innovation that he is the go-to guy.
Events & Membership Officer, Resource Industry Network
James was an outstanding keynote speaker and MC. He clearly took the time to research and understand the unique challenges we face, delivering practical strategies with energy and authenticity. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive - truly a highlight of our event!
Executive Officer | Farmsafe
My speaking topics...
Minding Your Mind
Practical Strategies For Mental Clarity, Resilience & Performance
In today’s fast-paced world, thriving professionally requires more than just skills and experience—it demands mental clarity, emotional resilience, and the ability to navigate complexity with confidence.
Whether you're leading a team, managing clients, or striving to stay sharp and balanced, this keynote delivers actionable tools to strengthen mental wellbeing and performance.
The cost of poor mental health is staggering—over $50 billion annually in Australia alone—yet many of the most effective solutions are simple, practical, and within our reach.
James O’Loghlin, award-winning broadcaster and co-author of the bestselling Minding Your Mind with renowned psychiatrist Prof Ian Hickie, brings warmth, humour, and sharp insight to this engaging and inspiring session. With over 400,000 downloads of their podcast Minding Your Mind and a brand-new book, A User’s Guide to the Mind, James is at the forefront of making mental health strategies accessible and empowering.
In this keynote, your audience will learn:
- Proven, evidence-based strategies to boost mental health and wellbeing
- How the mind works—and how to take care of it
- How to build focus, resilience, and better decision-making under pressure
- Techniques to manage stress and prevent burnoutHow to create emotionally intelligent and connected teamsSkills for thriving in uncertain and high-pressure environments
- How to recognise and shift unhelpful thought patterns
- How we can change and become more confident, calm, and effective
“Superb no-nonsense information”
- Dr Norman Swan
“Warm, humorous and compassionate”
- The Melbourne Observer
Watch me...
Innovation is a State of Mind
Everyone knows innovation is important. The pace of change has never been faster. Today’s cutting edge best practice quickly becomes tomorrow's fax machine. No matter how well your business is doing today, to stay relevant and successful, you have to keep innovating
Former host of ABC-TV’s ‘The New Inventors’, author of ‘Innovation is a State of Mind’ and innovation expert James O’Loghlin will discuss:
- How to identify opportunities for innovation and generate new ideas
- 3 things everyone can do to be more innovative A process everyone can use to create innovation
- How to build a workplace culture that encourages innovation
Note – a practical workshop can follow the keynote, where participants apply the innovation process to their own business, identify opportunities for innovation, and come up with new ideas.
Watch me...
Overcoming the Barriers to Innovation
Many of us want to focus more on innovation and improving our business but find it just doesn’t happen.
What goes wrong? What stops us from being innovative? How can we overcome those barriers? In this informative and entertaining keynote, former host of ABC-TV’s ‘The New Inventors’, author of Innovation is a State of Mind’ and innovation expert James O’Loghlin will outline the 6 big barriers to innovation, and share practical strategies to overcome each one, to enable people to ensure that making their business better becomes a part of their work every day.
Session takeaways:
- An understanding of the factors that prevent us from being more innovative
- Easy to implement strategies to become more innovative every day
- Strategies to identify opportunities for innovation and take advantage of them
- How to create an innovative workplace culture
Note – a practical workshop can follow the keynote, where participants apply the innovation process to their own business, identify opportunities for innovation, and come up with new ideas.
Watch me...
Persuasion and Influence
How do you persuade people? When you have an idea, how do you get others on board to help you turn it into something real? Lots of good ideas never get anywhere. How can you make sure that yours do?
Being able to persuade is an essential skill. You might have an idea at work, something you want to pitch in a meeting, or a proposal you want to excite clients and customers about. You might want to get your team fired up, persuade your boss, or even harder, one of your kids. To do it, you need to know how to persuade, and how to influence. In this compelling and informative keynote, James O’Loghlin will share practical strategies to enable people to be more persuasive and influential.
Session takeaways:
- How to boil a complex argument down to its essence and present a short, sharp and compelling pitch
- How to identify and get to decision-makers
- How to work out what a decision maker wants, what they need and how your proposal can solve a problem for them
- How to focus on solutions
- How to find and enlist influential supporters
Watch me...
Master of Ceremonies and Facilitator
James O'Loghlin is one of Australia's most accomplished and experienced Masters of Ceremonies, trusted to keep conferences, awards nights, leadership forums and corporate events running smoothly from start to finish. Combining the professionalism of a seasoned television and radio host with the humour of one of Australia's leading corporate comedians, James creates an engaging atmosphere while ensuring every event stays on track.
Best known for hosting more than 300 episodes of ABC-TV's The New Inventors and spending 15 years on ABC Local Radio, James is equally at home introducing keynote speakers, facilitating executive panels, interviewing guests and adapting effortlessly to the unexpected. His ability to connect with audiences, think on his feet and keep conversations flowing makes him a favourite with event planners across Australia.
Whether acting as Master of Ceremonies, moderator or panel facilitator, James brings warmth, wit and professionalism to every event, helping create a memorable experience for delegates, speakers and organisers alike.
Audience Takeaways
- An energetic, engaging and professionally hosted event from beginning to end.
- Seamless transitions between sessions, speakers and program elements.
- Insightful and entertaining panel discussions that keep audiences engaged.
- A relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere created through humour and quick thinking.
- An experienced MC who can adapt confidently to changes and keep events running smoothly.
Watch me...
See me...
https://odemanagement.com/speakers/james-ologhlin#sigProId0639f3e0ad
Watch me...
Persuasion and Influence
Innovation is a State of Mind
MC Facilitator Showreel
Minding Your Mind
How Everyday Innovation Keeps Businesses Ahead of Disruption
April 13th 2026 When things are going well, innovation is often the first thing to stall. James O’Loghlin helps leaders turn that around by embedding practical, structured innovation into daily operations. Because the… Read more +
3 Simple Steps to Innovate in Times of Change
January 20th 2026 Change is accelerating, but innovation does not require genius. James O'Loghlin reveals a simple three-step process that any team can use to adapt, experiment, and build a culture ready for… Read more +
How James O’Loghlin Helps Educators Turn Ideas Into Action
September 17th 2025 Bring fresh ideas and energy to your next education event with education keynote speaker James O’Loghlin. A dynamic keynote speaker, author, and media personality, James blends humour with practical strategies… Read more +
A Users Guide To The Mind
A User’s Guide to the Mind is the powerful new book from respected media personality James O’Loghlin and leading psychiatrist Prof Ian Hickie — the founding CEO of Beyond Blue.
Following their bestselling book and podcast Minding Your Mind, this second collaboration offers a practical, science-backed guide to understanding how your mind works — and how to look after it. From identity and belonging to decision-making, relationships, work and family, the book explores the pivotal moments that shape our mental and emotional wellbeing.
With warmth, clarity, and real-world insight, James and Ian share practical tools and strategies to help you navigate both the highs and lows of life, improve your relationships, and build a deeper sense of satisfaction. Whether you’re thriving, struggling, or somewhere in between, A User’s Guide to the Mind is a trusted companion for living with more clarity, connection, and calm.
Book: Innovation is a state of mind
Change is now happening faster than ever before, and no matter how well you’re doing things, if you keep doing them the same way soon you’ll be left behind. Everyone knows that innovation is important. It’s a priority for government and business, and we’re always being told that we have to think smarter. The problem is that no one tells you how to actually do it – until now.
