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Speaking and briefings

Executive leadership briefings with Celeste Warren

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Executive leadership briefings from CRW Diversity are focused sessions that help senior teams think differently about leadership, culture, systems, and the decisions that shape people's experiences at work.

Celeste Warren delivers briefings alongside keynotes and facilitated conversations. She is a TEDx speaker and former Fortune 100 Vice President whose sessions are known for candor, practical strategies, and lived experience.

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What is an executive leadership briefing?

An executive leadership briefing is a short, focused session that gives a leadership team shared context and better questions on an issue it needs to decide. Unlike a keynote, it is built for action by a specific group. CRW Diversity's briefings center on leadership, culture, talent, and the systems that either enable progress or quietly restrict it.

Evidence cards

Three formats, one purpose

Executive briefings

A briefing is tailored to a senior team and a specific issue. It frames what is happening, why it matters for people and performance, and what questions the team should be asking about its own systems and decisions.

For leadership teams that need to decide

Keynotes

Keynotes aim to shift thinking. Celeste Warren's TEDx talk, The Cost of Standing Still, asks leaders to stop asking only what their people need to do differently and begin asking what needs to change around them.

For conferences and larger audiences

Facilitated conversations

Facilitated conversations draw out a group's own perspectives. A Cornell University professor described Celeste's approachable style as one that facilitated a meaningful and productive dialogue on DEI in the workplace.

For groups that need to hear each other

Numbers card

Why briefings matter: published figures

Research on briefings, mostly from customer briefing programs, shows how much a well-run session can shape what people do next. These figures come from Because Executive Briefings and Meetings Don't Run Themselves on mandel.com and are not CRW Diversity's own results:

  • 76 percent of customers surveyed by ABPM said they discovered additional solutions during a briefing that appeared to be useful to their company.
  • 72 percent of customers increased the amount of their purchase by an average of 36 percent as a result of a briefing, according to research cited in the same article.

Those are commercial briefings, not leadership briefings, but the lesson carries over: a focused session with the right people can change decisions. That is the goal of a CRW Diversity executive briefing.

Comparison

Which format fits your goal?

CRW Diversity's speaking formats, compared on the same three criteria
FormatTypical audienceGoalInteraction
Executive briefingA senior leadership teamShared context before a decisionFocused discussion
KeynoteConference or company-wide audienceShift thinking on leadership and systemsMostly presentation
Facilitated conversationLeadership group or cohortSurface the group's own viewsHighly interactive

Procedure

How to plan an executive briefing

  1. Name the decision or issue

    Be specific about what the leadership team needs to understand or decide.

  2. Describe the audience

    Share who will attend, their roles, and what they already know.

  3. Contact CRW Diversity

    Use the contact form at crwdiversity.com with your date, format, and goal.

  4. Shape the session

    The briefing is tailored to your organization, drawing on the Equity in Action Model where it helps.

For ongoing ideas between sessions, Celeste Warren writes The Equity Leadership Brief on workplace developments shaping leadership, talent, culture, and opportunity.

Return to the main guide: executive advisory for leaders, from CRW Diversity.

FAQ

Common questions

How is a briefing different from a keynote?
A keynote usually addresses a large audience and aims to shift thinking. A briefing is typically smaller and more focused, aimed at a leadership team that needs to act. A facilitated conversation goes further by drawing out the group's own views. CRW Diversity offers all three formats, so the right one depends on your audience and your goal.More answers in the full FAQ
How much does an executive leadership briefing cost?
No public price is listed. Briefing fees generally vary with preparation time, audience size, travel, and whether the session is a one-off or part of a series. CRW Diversity scopes each briefing to the organization, so ask for a quote once you know your audience, your preferred date, and the decision or issue the briefing should address.More answers in the full FAQ
Does Celeste Warren speak at conferences and events?
Yes. Speaking is one of the three core services at CRW Diversity, covering keynotes, executive briefings, and facilitated conversations. Celeste Warren is a TEDx speaker whose talk, The Cost of Standing Still, looks at how systems either enable progress or quietly restrict it. Speaking and press inquiries go through the contact form at crwdiversity.com.More answers in the full FAQ
Are sessions in person or virtual?
CRW Diversity does not publish a fixed list of formats. Celeste Warren has spoken in person, including to a Cornell University class, and at virtual events such as DIAL Global's virtual summits. Ask about in-person, virtual, or hybrid delivery when you make contact, and confirm the logistics for your specific session at that point.More answers in the full FAQ
Can we start with a briefing and expand later?
Yes, and many organizations prefer to start with a single executive briefing to align senior leaders on an issue, then decide whether workshops or advisory support should follow. CRW Diversity offers all three services, so moving from one to another does not require a new provider. Discuss your preferred sequence when you get in touch.More answers in the full FAQ
What is the TEDx talk The Cost of Standing Still about?
In The Cost of Standing Still, Celeste Warren explores what happens when talented people are ready to move forward but the systems around them are not. She argues that organizational momentum is shaped by systems that either enable progress or quietly restrict it, and invites leaders to ask what needs to change around their people. It is on YouTube.More answers in the full FAQ

For senior executives

Start a confidential conversation with Celeste Warren

Advisory, executive briefings, and leadership workshops all begin the same way: by understanding where you are and what may be standing in the way.

Contact CRW Diversity

Published by CRW Diversity