01 · Strategic advisory
Strategic Advisory
Direct work with the CEO, CHRO, or executive sponsor to build a DEIA strategy your finance team will sign off on. Three- to twelve-month engagements.
Discuss an engagementStrategic DEIA advisory · Keynote · Author
Inclusion that survives contact with the C-suite.
I help executive teams build diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility work that doesn't collapse the moment finance asks a question. Twenty years in. Three best-selling books. Four continents. Five hundred keynotes and counting.
Excerpts from recent keynotes. Captions on by default.
- 20+ years in DEIA practice
- 3 best-selling books
- 4 continents
- 500+ keynotes delivered
The problem
Most DEIA consulting is theatre.
Slide decks, listening sessions, a glossy report, and twelve months later the same conversation. I work the other way. Strategy your CFO can defend, programs your line managers can run, and language that doesn't curdle when the political weather changes.
How I work
Three pathways into the work.
Every engagement starts with a qualified conversation, not a calendar link. Tell me what's actually going on and I'll tell you whether I'm the right person, what the work would look like, and what it would cost, before you commit anything.
02 · Assessment
Assessment & Insight
A diagnostic with teeth. Where the organization actually stands on DEIA, not where the all-hands deck claims it does, and where to spend the next dollar.
Request scope03 · Capability building
Capability Building
Keynote, executive workshop, manager training, or a multi-session program for ERG leaders. Built for retention, not vibes.
See keynote topicsMost DEIA work collapses the moment finance asks a question. The work is to be ready when they do.
Keynote & workshop topics
Four talks that pay back the room.
A few of the keynotes Michael delivers most often. Each one is shaped for your audience: board, C-suite, people leaders, or ERG. The full catalogue of fourteen talks, with learning objectives and pairings, lives on the Talks page.
DEIA · Board & C-suite
It's the Economy Stupid
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility is STILL Good Business
The business case for DEIA, made in plain language for the people who sign the cheques. Drawing on Deloitte and McKinsey research, this keynote shows what the data actually says, what it does not, and where the real cost shows up if the work stops.
- Board briefing
- Executive keynote
- Leadership session
DEIA · Strategy & HR
What Gets Measured, Gets Done
Measuring Success in Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility
Built on the framework from Birds of All Feathers: how to measure DEIA work without flattening it. Which numbers actually mean something, which ones are theatre, and what to do when leadership wants both a dashboard and the truth.
- Keynote
- Executive workshop
- Strategy session
2SLGBTQI+ · All-staff & ERG
Breaking Down the Alphabet
Understanding the Difference Between Attraction, Identity and Expression
The 2SLGBTQI+ initialism, demystified. Drawn from Alphabet Soup, this keynote unpacks the difference between who you are attracted to, who you are, and how you show up. Built for audiences who genuinely want to get it right.
- Keynote
- Pride headliner
- Manager primer
2SLGBTQI+ · All-staff & managers
He/She/They/Hey!
Understanding the Why and How of Pronouns
Pronouns at work, taken seriously without being precious about it. Why they matter, how to use them in real conversation and email, and what to do when you slip up. Practical language people can actually use on Monday morning.
- Manager training
- All-staff session
- ERG workshop
Selected clients
A few of the organizations Michael has worked with.
What clients say
From the people who hired me.
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Michael brought a thoughtful balance of humor and education to the table, creating a forum where employees could gain a better understanding of important topics. We would definitely recommend him to any organization interested in elevating its awareness of LGBTQ+ issues.
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Michael provided our organization with amazing insights into how we can make our workplace and our world more open, equal and considerate. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to other organizations looking to enhance their inclusiveness, equity and diversity functions.
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Michael's ability to address what can obviously be a tricky and sensitive topic, with an awareness to these sensitivities and with a level of empathy that made it accessible to staff who may have been previously unaware. Highly recommend bringing Michael in to your organization, we intend to have him back sometime soon.
Additional references available on request during the inquiry process.
About Michael
Twenty years on the inside of this work.
Michael Bach has spent two decades building diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs for organizations that range from Fortune 100 companies to global professional services firms to government agencies. He has worked across four continents with executive teams who needed the work to actually hold up, not just look good on a slide.
He is the author of three books, including the bestseller Birds of All Feathers, and a sought-after keynote speaker on DEIA, 2SLGBTQI+ inclusion at work, and what it takes to lead this work without losing the room.
Beyond consulting: Michael also works as an actor and voice-over artist. If you're hiring for performance, say so in your inquiry and the conversation goes a different direction.
Start a conversationBooks
Books I've written.
Two on DEIA and 2SLGBTQI+ inclusion at work. One co-authored memoir, in a very different lane. All three bestsellers.
Start a conversation
Tell me what's actually going on.
No calendar link. No discovery-call funnel. Send a short message (what you're trying to do, who's involved, and roughly when) and I'll reply personally within two business days with whether I'm the right person and what makes sense as a next step.
- Two business days. I write the reply myself.
- No pitch deck on the first pass. A real read, a real reply.
- Plain language welcome. Tell it like it is.