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Toni Kent
Toni Kent is a professional speaker, compere and writer who has the rare combination of 25+ years IT sector experience and the ability to entertain audiences with honest, humorous insights into social mobility, life as a working parent and corporate culture.
About Toni Kent
Toni Kent specialises in providing keynote speaking, panel hosting and event MC duties to organisations across the technology, professional services and education sectors where she is valued for her high-energy, highly-relatable style. When combined with her skills as a stand-up, audiences frequently remark on her refreshing and memorable delivery. Keynote clients have included the likes of Amazon Web Services, KPMG, Microsoft, PWC and Enterprise Group. She has also been the proud host of the UK Social Mobility Awards 2021 and 2023, the PRIME Commitment 10th Anniversary Conference and the Zen Partner Conference.
Alongside speaking, hosting and stand up, Toni is the author of four books and a writer of editorial on the topic of social mobility and women in tech. She is also a respected podcast host, co-host and sought-after guest. As well as using her own voice, Toni has been a trusted ghost-writer to senior leaders in the technology industry who want to project a more humorous, human, voice both online and on-stage.
Toni has worked in, and alongside the technology industry for 25 years – a time during which she went from assisting in early wireless networking infrastructure deals through to managing some of the UK’s largest partner relationships at Microsoft where she spent 10 years learning the intricacies of how one of the world’s largest corporates operates.
Following this, she went on to spend a further 10 years creating content for senior leaders at organisations including IBM, TD Synnex, Brightcove, VMware and Progress Software. From ghost-writing thought-leadership articles through to hosting partner conferences and webinars on sustainability in computing, Toni maintains a keen understanding of the commercial and cultural landscape of this exciting industry.
Toni was born into a working class family in Basingstoke. The eldest of four children, she and her family lived on a large council estate and she can vividly recollect the impact of redundancy and right-to-buy on the lives of those around her during the ‘70s and ‘80s.
When Toni was 14, her father died – an event that left the family reliant on benefits. In the four years that followed, Toni scraped her GCSEs and was a birthing partner to her mother, twice. Living in an environment that social services described as “chaotic and neglectful”, Toni decided that she wanted a different life than what was predicted for her.
Today, thanks to a second chance at education, positive female role models and a career in IT, Toni finds herself in what could be described as a “middle-class bubble” and it’s not always comfortable. Using her writer’s eye and comic timing, Toni helps bring to life the challenges and opportunities that exist for organisations to advance an important and highly topical conversation.
To book Keynote Speaker Toni Kent contact The Speakers Agency on +44(0)1332 810481 or email enquiries@thespeakersagency.com
Toni’s speech topics include, but are not limited to:
- Resilience
- Motivational
- Inspirational
- Social Mobility
- Women in Tech
- Women in Business
- Future of work
- Stand-up
- Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Testimonials
"Toni’s speech brought to life the saying 'when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change'."
University of East London
"Toni compered a virtual event for one of our tech clients and she was a dream to deal with. A fun professional to work with who understood what was required without too much of a brief."
Amanda Morris
"Authentic storytelling at its finest. Thought-provoking, insightful, serious in the right places with the perfect amount of humour, yet also hugely inspiring."
Strategic PA Network
"A speaker who manages to lift the audience and change perspectives."
Amazon Web Services
"Smart, insightful, very funny with a brilliant delivery."
Corgi Technical Services
"A phenomenal MC."
June Sarpong MBE
"Toni brought to life the very difficult topic of social mobility and class; colleagues commented afterwards how much they enjoyed her talk."
Direct Line Group
"Carried the event with warmth, passion and humour."
The Sister Sister Global Network
"Has the ability to bring humour into all situations, read her audience and choose topics that resonate."
Smart Works Reading
"I have to say, if you’re looking for someone who can deliver a practical and thought provoking message that engages all participants – I would thoroughly recommend Toni."
ForHousing
