A speaker who has lived what he talks about, for fifty years.
Larry Szeliga does not teach leadership from a classroom. He built it on manufacturing floors, in boardrooms, and in the middle of every kind of operational pressure a manufacturing organization faces, from union floor supervision at General Motors to CEO of a global joint venture with Michelin Tire.
His keynotes introduce audiences to a category of hidden organizational cost most leaders have never seen quantified, and leave them with a specific question they can apply in their own organization before they leave the room.
“Only you could come up with something this powerful and original. You have the knowledge, skills, and mindset to make this work.”
— Gervase Bushe, PhD — ranked #7 in the world by HR Magazine as an original thinker in HR and Organizational Development
From local Chambers of Commerce to national conferences and corporate boardrooms.
If your audience includes leaders responsible for people, performance, and profitability, this is the right conversation.
Manufacturing Companies
CEOs, COOs, VPs of Operations, Quality Leaders, HR Directors, Plant Managers
Professional Associations
SHRM chapters & national conferences, manufacturing associations, quality & continuous-improvement organizations
Public Sector
Bureau of Workers’ Compensation safety conferences, Chambers of Commerce, economic development organizations
Corporate Events
Executive off-sites, leadership retreats, board presentations, annual leadership conferences
Academic & Conference
TEDx events, business school programs, executive education, industry symposia
Booking Larry is straightforward. Here is how it works.
Reach Out
Call or email Larry directly. Tell him about your event, your audience, and what you want them to take away. He’ll tell you within 24 hours whether the fit is right.
Choose Your Topic
Select from three keynote topics or discuss a custom presentation built around your audience and objectives. Larry tailors the content to your event.
Confirm the Details
Agree on format: Keynote, workshop, or panel. Confirm date, location, and logistics. No handlers, no advance riders, no complications.
The Presentation
Larry shows up prepared, on time, and focused on your audience. Every presentation ends with a specific insight they can apply immediately. That is the standard.
On fees: Speaking fees vary by engagement type and organization. Community organizations, Chambers of Commerce, and public-sector conferences are accommodated at reduced or no-cost rates. Corporate and association fees available upon request.
Not a motivational speech. A conversation that changes how your audience thinks.
Every Larry Szeliga presentation delivers six things:
- Original thinking, not a repackaging of existing research or familiar frameworks
- Real manufacturing stories your audience will recognize from their own floors
- A specific financial perspective that makes the invisible visible and the abstract concrete
- A diagnostic question they can apply in their own organization before they leave the room
- A framework they will remember and reference long after the event ends
- A presenter who has lived what he talks about, for fifty years
What makes a Larry Szeliga keynote different: it ends with a number. A specific, credible figure that represents what the problem is actually costing, and how much of it is recoverable. That number changes the conversation permanently.
45-Minute Keynote
High-impact presentation. Single core idea delivered with clarity and evidence. Ideal for conferences, association events, and executive sessions.
90-Minute Workshop
Deeper engagement with Q&A and audience application. Participants leave with a specific action they can take in their own organization.
Half-Day Session
Full exploration of the framework with group exercises, diagnostic application, and facilitated discussion. Ideal for leadership retreats and off-sites.
Panel & Podcast
Available as a panelist or podcast guest. Brings practitioner credibility and original thinking to any conversation on workforce, culture, or performance.
Three keynotes. Each stands alone or works as a series.
All three can be tailored to your specific audience and industry.
1
The Hidden Cost: What Your Financial Statements Have Never Shown You
Every manufacturing organization is carrying a category of hidden cost that has never appeared as a line item in its financial reporting. This keynote names it, quantifies it, and shows exactly how it becomes recoverable profit margin.
2
Standards Don't Fail. They're Allowed To.
92% of executives believe their engagement programs are working. US workforce engagement has fallen to a 31% eleven-year low. This keynote explains exactly why, and introduces the root cause no engagement program has ever addressed.
3
The CLEAR Path: Root Cause Thinking Applied to Organizational Cost
The most persistent organizational problems are never solved because they are never properly diagnosed. This keynote introduces a five-step framework that applies fifty years of manufacturing root-cause discipline to the hidden financial cost of organizational standards erosion.
Credentials from both the platform and the boardroom.
Platform Experience
- Keynotes on Workplace Culture, Team Building, and Leadership
- TEDx Talk
- Podcasts including TrustCourse AI, the Anika Begum Leadership Podcast, and 14 appearances on Money For Lunch — iHeart Radio
Industry Credentials
- 50 years inside manufacturing — Production Supervisor to CEO
- Subject Matter Expert designation by GM VP leadership in SPC, Design of Experiments, Problem Solving, Team Building, and Cost of Quality
- Independent consultant to GM, Ford, Chrysler, Saturn, GE Medical, and Colgate-Palmolive
Academic Validation
- Framework peer-reviewed by Gervase Bushe, PhD — ranked #7 globally in HR/OD by HR Magazine
- Master’s Degree in Human Resources and Organizational Development
- United States Army Reserve
Ready to bring this conversation to your audience?
Reach out directly. Tell Larry about your event, your audience, and what you want your people to walk away thinking about. He’ll tell you within 24 hours whether the fit is right, and if it is, he’ll make it work.
Speaking fees vary by engagement type and organization. Community organizations and public-sector conferences are accommodated. No booking agents. No advance requirements. Just a direct conversation about whether the fit is right.