Monday, August 3, 2026 – Christine Whelan, Keynote Speaker

The Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is excited to announce Dr. Christine B. Whelan—acclaimed speaker, bestselling author, and “Purpose Professor”, as the keynote speaker for the 2026 Distinguished Speaker Series at GSB’s annual session. Dr. Whelan brings a wealth of insight into how leaders can translate modern research on happiness and well-being into real-life, actionable results.

In her highly anticipated keynote, “Choosing Purpose in Banking and Business,” Dr. Whelan shares lessons from her two decades of research and teaching on the good life, inspiring us to give ourselves credit for the purposeful actions we take each day. True to her motto, “Not for school, but for life we learn,” Dr. Whelan’s session is interactive from start to finish. Through a series of small-step exercises, attendees will draft their own daily purpose statement, and will leave with a concrete purpose-based commitment in hand: one small action, taken today, toward building purpose within their teams, their families, and their communities.

With a doctorate from Oxford, and appointments at Emory University and University of Wisconsin – Madison, Dr. Whelan has authored five books, a bestselling Audible Original, and has been a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, the TODAY Show and NPR’s Marketplace, where she brings immediate credibility and fresh insights.

From the TEDx stage, through thought leadership with AARP, in executive development workshops with Kohls, women’s leadership events with JPMorgan and keynotes with the Wisconsin Credit Union League, Dr. Whelan has worked with the leaders that make businesses, non-profits and community organizations thrive, guiding them to co-create internal metrics of meaningful success, turning aspirational mission statements into real-world daily practices.