"Vanessa had me hanging on her every word. I love her down-to-earth style, which makes her extremely approachable.
Her wealth of knowledge is highly impressive, and her eagerness to share this with her audience is truly appreciated."
- Belinda C (Conference Attendee)
KEYNOTE SPEAKING
Honest, energetic, practical talks on AI, recruitment, HR, and the human skills technology cannot replace.
"AI Handles Tasks. Humans Handle Trust. That is the whole story of work in 2026, and it is what I bring to every stage I step onto."
Vanessa Raath, Founder, The Talent Hunter
I have always been passionate about public speaking, and it ties in perfectly with my love for travel. There is nothing better than sharing knowledge, engaging with an audience, and collaborating with the people building the future of work, all while exploring new places along the way.
I have delivered keynotes across five continents, from San Diego to Dublin, Cape Town to London, Sydney to Amsterdam. Every year, I return to Johannesburg for a home-crowd audience, because raising the local standard has been part of my mission from the start.
Recruitment is where my career began, but AI has expanded what audiences want me on stage for. I now speak to HR leaders, people managers, business owners, executive teams, and entire industries about AI Fluency and the human skills that technology cannot replicate.
Looking for an insightful, engaging speaker or a dynamic emcee for your event? Let's connect.
What I Talk About
My keynotes are fully customisable. If you have a specific theme or challenge in mind, I will design something built around it with enough notice. The topics I am asked to speak on most often include:
🔹 AI Fluency in Business. What fluency actually means for teams, leaders, and whole industries, not just theory.
🔹 Staying Relevant in a World of AI. How professionals make themselves indispensable rather than replaceable.
🔹 The Human Bit of AI. Where AI helps, where it hurts, and the calls only humans can make.
🔹 Smarter Talent Sourcing. How to find hidden talent beyond LinkedIn (for recruitment audiences).
🔹 Personal Branding. How to build the brand that brings opportunities, talent, and clients to you.
🔹 The Future of Work. What leaders need to know about the shifts already underway.
Some of my best-received talks have started from a client saying, "Our team is stuck on X, can you speak to that?" So I am always happy to build something tailored to your audience, industry, or event theme.
Where I've Spoken
📍 2022: Johannesburg, London, Sydney, Cape Town, Seattle
📍 2023: Cape Town, Johannesburg, Amsterdam
📍 2024: Istanbul, Barcelona, Bogotá, Amsterdam, Cape Town, Johannesburg
📍 2025: Philadelphia, London, Amsterdam, Johannesburg
📍 2026: San Diego, Cape Town, London, Dublin, Johannesburg
Some of My Key Speaking Appearances
Keynote at NPAWorldwide EMEA Annual Conference | Dublin, Ireland | 2026 Topic: AI Masterclass for Recruiting Success
Keynote at TEAM Annual Conference | Warwickshire, UK | 2026 Topic: Where we should and shouldn't be using AI in our Recruiting Processes
Keynote at Talent Acquisition Week | San Diego, USA | 2026
Topic: Staying Relevant in Recruitment in a World of AI
Keynote at Recruiters Unite | Cape Town, South Africa | 2026
Topic: What I Learned from 100 Tech AI Demos
Keynote at HRWorks Annual Conference | Cape Town, South Africa | 2024
Topic: The Importance of Talent Acquisition as Part of the HR Function
Keynote at Sourcing Summit | Amsterdam, The Netherlands | 2024
Topic: Staying Relevant in a World of AI Recruitment
Opening Keynote at LHR Americas Annual Conference | Bogotá, Colombia | 2024
Topic: Three Pillars to Master to be an Awesome 360 Recruiter
Opening Keynote at NPAWorldwide Annual EMEA Conference | Marbella, Spain | 2024
Topic: Half-Day Workshop on Staying Relevant as a Recruitment Agency Owner
Keynote at Recruiters Unite | Cape Town, South Africa | 2024
Topic: How to Use Generative AI More Effectively as a Recruiter
Opening Keynote at Sourcing Summit | Amsterdam, The Netherlands | 2023
Topic: Staying Ahead of Generative AI as a Recruitment Professional
MatcHR Webinar Series | Global/USA | 2023
Topic: "So You Think You Have D&I Issues?" Asked the South African
SourceCon | Seattle, USA | 2022 (In Person)
Topic: Diversity Sourcing Tactics
Sourcing Summit | Sydney, Australia | 2022 (In Person)
Topic: The Latest and Greatest Talent Sourcing Hacks
The Recruitment Network Annual Conference | London, UK | 2022 (In Person)
Topic: How to Break Out of LinkedIn to Find Talent
MatcHR Webinar Series | Global/USA | 2021
Topic: Unleashing the Power of Your Personal Brand to Source Talent
Resourcing Conference | Greece | 2021
Topic: Why Sourcing Needs to be Part of Your TA Strategy
SourceCon Digital | Global/USA | 2021
Topic: Expect the Unexpected
Sourcing Summit Diversity | Global | 2021
Topic: The Diversity Talent Sourcing Blueprint (with Balazs Paroczay)
TalentPRO | Germany | 2021
Topic: How to Build a Sourcing Team
Henley Business School | South Africa | 2021
Topic: How to be Creative When Looking for a New Job
L&D Cares Summit | Global | 2021
Topic: How to Stand Out in a Crowded Marketplace
APSO Virtual Annual Conference | South Africa | 2020
Topic: How to Develop a Proactive Sourcing Mindset for 2021
RCircle Diversity, Equality, Belonging & Inclusion Conference | Global | 2020
Topic: Strategies to Improve Your Diversity Recruitment
Sourcing Summit Virtual #SOSUV | Global | 2020
Topics: From Sourcing Noob to Sourcing Trainer, and Diversity Sourcing Strategies That You Need in Your Business
Knowledge Resources Strategic Talent Management Conference | South Africa | 2020
Topic: Why Talent Attraction Must be Part of Your 2021 Strategy
TalentNet Live | Global | 2020
Chaired a Diversity Sourcing Panel with Balazs Paroczay and Nofar Shoshani
Talent42 | Global | 2020
Guest on a panel discussing using talent globally to work remotely
Association of Talent Acquisition Professionals (ATAP USA) | Global | 2020
Topic: So You Think You Have Diversity Issues?
SourceCon | Seattle, USA | 2020
Topic: What Diversity Sourcing Means in the African Context
DisruptHR Johannesburg | 2018
Topic: Why Would We Want to Work for You?
📢 Book Vanessa For Your Event
Whether it is a global recruitment conference, an internal team offsite, an industry summit, or a virtual event, let's talk about what will land best with your audience.
Loved the talk and want your team to go deeper? That is where AI Fluency Workshops come in, turning the ideas from the stage into everyday capability. Or see the full picture at Recruitment Training Services.
Curious First? Take The Assessment
🧠 How AI fluent are you really? My free 7-minute assessment measures what you actually do with AI, not what you intend to do. You'll get your AI Fluency Profile, a category breakdown, and a benchmark against recruiters worldwide.
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