Dr. Helen Turnbull

Dr. Helen Turnbull is a world recognized Thought Leader in global inclusion and diversity. Her PhD dissertation research was on stereotype threat and internalized oppression across cultures and she has a deep knowledge and understanding of what it takes to create an inclusive environment. In May 2013 she spoke at TEDx on “The Illusion of Inclusion” and has recently developed a new model on the complexity of embedding an inclusive workplace culture. She keynotes on these topics globally and has spoken to senior executives in Australia, Asia, Europe, the UK, and the USA.

Her client list includes Texas Instruments, Raytheon, J.P. Morgan Chase, Aetna Insurance, Motorola, Hewlett Packard, AT&T, Lucent Technologies, IBM, and Citigroup Europe. She has also worked in Australia with multiple corporations, including Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Ernst & Young, Reserve Bank of Australia, Price Waterhouse Cooper, Westpac, Grain Corp, QBE Insurance, Australian Department of Defence, and many others on Unconscious Bias and its impact on diversity and inclusion.

Dr. Turnbull has Award-winning clients and has made major contributions in assisting Texas Instruments to win the Catalyst Award and was instrumental in developing programs for both J. P. Morgan Chase and Citigroup Europe that won the prestigious Opportunity Now Award and Business in the Community Awards. Commonwealth Bank of Australia also won the 2012 Catalyst Award attributing the win in part to Cognizant, an Unconscious Bias tool developed by Dr. Turnbull.

She is a member of a number of professional societies, including the Academy of Management, the American Psychological Association, the American Sociological Association, and American Society for Phenomenology; The Neuro-Science Institute for Leaders, and the OD Network. In 2009, she won the “Distinguished Research Award” for a journal article – “Diversity & Inclusion: Developing an Instrument for the Identification of Skills Deficiencies,” published in the Academy of Strategic Management Journal and also published in the Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict Journal, and the Reflective Practioner Journal. Her latest book is “Blind Spots: A Conversation with Dr. Turnbull about Unconscious Bias." She is also a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) member of the National Speakers Association, and The Global Speakers Network and an accomplished keynote speaker, particularly in the area of Unconscious Bias and Inclusion.

In addition to her Ph.D., Dr. Turnbull has two master's degrees in Organizational Behavior and Mental Health Counselling and an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Sociology.