Speaking

Museum für Kommunikation, Frankfurt am Main, Germany November 25, 2025   Organized by Soroptimist International Germany – Club Frankfurt Vision, the event “Der Pinke Stuhl – Demokratie stärken, Frauen stärken” (Strengthening Democracy by Strengthening Women) addressed an essential question for democratic resilience: Can there be a democracy problem without it being a women’s problem? From her perspective as a delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, Eleonora Bonacossa emphasized that “a democracy problem hits women first — but it concerns us all.” Women often feel the cracks in democratic systems earlier, because many work at the very interface where inequality becomes visible: in education, [...]

United Nations, Vienna, Austria September 12, 2025 Eleonora Bonacossa served as Chair and Moderator at the international conference “The Role of Women for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future”, held in September 2025 at the United Nations Headquarters in Vienna. Organized by Ursula Oberhollenzer, Global Chair CSR, and Brunhilde Schram, Global Chair SDGs, within the global G100 network, the conference convened women leaders, policymakers, scholars, and civil society actors committed to shaping new pathways toward peace and sustainability. As Chair, Eleonora combined human-centered presence with professional rigor, infusing the conference with positive relational energy and creating a safe and respectful space where diverse perspectives could be voiced and [...]

Women’s Pavilion by Cartier, Expo Osaka/Japan, May 27, 2025 The prestigious Osaka Sakuyahime Study Group of Osaka University invited EB in May 2025 to speak at the international conference 'Achieving a Sustainable Society and Economy through Women’s Leadership.' The event took place in an extraordinary location: the Women’s Pavilion, an architectural masterpiece designed by renowned Japanese architect Yuko Nagayama, and commissioned by Cartier. The Pavilion is one of the centerpieces of EXPO OSAKA 2025, dedicated to innovation, equity, and global collaboration. Eleonora’s keynote addressed the future of leadership through a gender-conscious and systemic lens, highlighting the power of women's leadership to drive sustainable transformation — not only [...]

Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology, Milan, Italy, May 20, 2025 As a keynote speaker, Eleonora Bonacossa was featured at the 69th Global Entrepreneurship Conference of the International Bar Association, hosted at the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology in Milan. During this impactful Women’s Breakfast session, Eleonora introduced the concept of a Leadership Checkup — a bold and necessary invitation to assess and renew leadership practices in a rapidly evolving world. With her signature clarity and human-centered approach, she proposed a self-assessment quiz inspired by the idea of a Leadership MOT (Modeled after the UK’s "Ministry of Transport" inspections) as [...]

Commission on the Status of Women CSW69, UN HQ, New York, USA, March 2025 At the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Eleonora Bonacossa joined the German government delegation for the 69th Commission on the Status of Women. On the opening day, she shared her insights with Soroptimist International, reflecting on the historic legacy of the 1995 Beijing Conference—a milestone that transformed the path for half of humanity.Her insights highlighted the ongoing challenges and opportunities in advancing gender equality, while emphasizing the power of leadership, collaboration, and collective action to drive meaningful change worldwide. Play Video

G100 Meeting, European Parliament, Strasbourg, France April 2024 Speaking at the European Parliament, Eleonora Bonacossa highlighted the profound influence leaders have on mental health. Drawing from her experience at global events, she shared that great leaders create stars through integrity, inclusivity, and authenticity, while poor leadership can leave lasting scars. She urged leaders to build safe, inclusive spaces where everyone feels a sense of belonging, and to lead with empathy, connection, and humanity at the heart of their approach. Keynote: „Good leaders create stars; bad leaders create scars!“ Read my keynote

Book Presentation, Circolo dei Canottieri, Milan, Italy, December 2023 At the Christmas Lunch of the Soroptimist Club ‘Empowerment Net Milano’ held at the prestigious Circolo dei Canottieri Olona in Milan, Eleonora Bonacossa presented her book 6 Leadership Skills. The presentation, structured as an engaging interview, highlighted not only the six transformative skills but also their powerful impact on both for-profit and non-profit organizations. She shared how these skills can unlock the full potential of leaders and teams, fostering collaboration, innovation, and sustainable success, and inspiring a new generation of leaders to step into their power. Read my book presentation

WEF World Conference, Sattavis Patidar Centre, London, UK, October 2023 In her speech at the WEF on October 30th, 2023, in London, Eleonora Bonacossa emphasized the importance of coaching as a crucial skill for leaders. Despite its transformative potential, coaching remains underutilized due to outdated leadership practices that prioritize giving advice over asking questions. She outlined a coaching mindset focused on conversations that help individuals and teams set goals and identify resources. Eleonora Bonacossa introduced five steps to develop coaching skills, including self-observation, active listening, asking focused questions, exploring inner resources, and fostering trust. By mastering these skills, leaders can innovate their approach and enhance their effectiveness [...]

Growth Academy, SIE, Howest University, Kortrijk, Belgium, June 2022 At the Leadership Growth Academy organized by Soroptimist International of Europe in Kortrijk, Belgium, Eleonora Bonacossa delivered a powerful keynote on inclusive and innovative leadership. She emphasized the need for open-mindedness and adaptability in addressing modern challenges, advocating for the replacement of outdated models with inclusive practices, an innovative culture, and relational energy. Highlighting research that links toxic workplaces and lack of recognition to high resignation rates, she underlined that effective leadership requires listening, valuing team members, and fostering meaningful change. Her talk also explored key traits such as inclusivity, innovation, coaching abilities, and the courage to be [...]

Leaders Today Awards, Novosibisrk, Russia, November 2018 Back in 2018, long before curiosity became a mainstream leadership value in Europe, Eleonora Bonacossa was already championing it on the grand stage of the Novosibirsk Philharmonic during the LeadersToday Awards ceremony. In a powerful keynote, she challenged the audience to rethink leadership as a force driven by curiosity, collective creativity, and bold international openness. Long before others caught on, she highlighted how these elements would shape the future of innovation, not just in business but across entire regions. Her words still resonate today, proving that true leadership is about seeing ahead—before the world catches up. „Leading with Curiosity: Unlocking [...]