Marie-Dominique Quilici

I am a trained work psychologist. For over 30 years, I have worked within companies and consulting firms where I have strived to improve working conditions, develop skills, and make organizations effective while creating pleasant work environments. My missions have focused on training, support, consulting, and change management among others, across various sectors.

In parallel, I have developed theatrical, improvisational, and comedic skills. I have always aimed to bring the two worlds closer together. The conference is a way to combine all these skills in the service of organizations.

Doctors and leaders I had in training. They advised me to become a speaker given the quality of my content and the original way I had of presenting and embodying it. Their experiences with conferences were quite mixed.

The opportunity to combine the stage and transmission immediately appealed to me. What I love is being able to make companies effective in a short time, concerning a large number of people by bringing good humor and concrete tools.

What taught me the most was accompanying companies undergoing profound changes and being able to convince sometimes reluctant populations to take this turn thanks to powerful key messages and humor.

It is to see transformations taking place during the conference and afterwards.

To make it understood that difficult situations are just a hurdle to overcome as long as one understands the full interest, has the right tools, and above all, a contagious positive energy.

To make organizations efficient and operational by helping leaders and teams better understand issues, find the right tools, and above all, have fun using humor and good cheer. To create the strength of the collective by experiencing strong, original, and transformative experiences.

That we can have fun at work while being effective and supportive. That many current issues can be resolved with this belief.

I have many very funny personal stories that I tell outside of conferences.

They are closely related to my original way of observing the world and "daring" which has led to very often comical situations...

Shall we meet over a coffee to talk about it? 😉

Coming from a rather austere Corsican family, I am an "accident" who had to fend for herself very early on.

I was fortunate to have a sense of humor, a fierce optimism, and the ability to land on my feet... and to dare since I had nothing to lose anyway...

I also had to work very early to get by while paying for my studies... this allowed me to hold many "entry-level" positions and understand the importance of the quality of work, relationships, and interactions with each environment.

This then allowed me to quickly integrate the different cultures and issues of each company, enriched by social psychology, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience.

Working while having fun and making people happy, whoever they are...

At school, it was a phobia.

I had to work on myself and push myself.

As a child, I would have never believed I could lead training sessions, conferences, or do theater...

I had a great-aunt who raised me and instilled some very useful values: the strength of work, tenacity, respect...

Then I was fortunate to meet very effective and caring mentors. I believe that we recognize each other among people who have succeeded "by the strength of their wrist" and that there is a tacit mutual support that naturally comes into place...

Several choices have been decisive for me: to work for myself to choose my missions and my clients.

To become a speaker afterwards to be able to convey my convictions to the greatest number of people.

Effectiveness, the strength of work. Optimism. Humor (yes, it's a value 😀) Respect and kindness.

For some time now, I have been dedicating more time to my health and personal development.

A lot of connections on social networks and others, and many learnings and discoveries through different channels...

I also participate in eloquence competitions or others to challenge myself and work on my speaking reflexes.

Mandatory nap, sports, walks, and exchanges with very different people.

By escaping in various ways... (everything remains legal)

Theatrical activities, humor, improvisations through numerous workshops, writing, festivals...

A lot of reading and discovering inspiring leaders.

My stage presence, my energy, my humor, my improvisation skills.

Getting myself out of difficult situations at all times with humor...

Also knowing that sometimes behind the facade of a comedian lies a true professional in work situations.

I inform her a lot about AI and the tools at our disposal to create funny and offbeat moments on stage among other things...

I am still refining my comedian side with Canadian training and professional workshops.

I am preparing a one-woman show.

Stay authentic, at least you are sure never to be wrong.

Trust yourself and go for it, start the conferences earlier.

It's not just reserved for old university professors...

I need to work on my English in order to give conferences internationally...

I also need to overcome my bad luck with technical aspects...

Being able to always be useful to others while staying true to myself and making people happy in otherwise tense situations...

Developing conferences in other countries and seeing if my humor and style "can" adapt to different cultures...

Overcoming complex and conflicting relationships to move forward effectively and with enthusiasm.

Helping managers and leaders to better impact their teams and their environment.

By creating calmer and more effective relationships, better managing conflicts, and improving working conditions...

Having a better client relationship.

For my impact on stage,

for the quirky yet operational way of delivering messages and tools.

My ability to customize, to use humor, surprises, and to have original conferences...

To leave with a feeling of "never seen before" and to inspire immediate action.

The conferences are equipped, they can be followed by workshops and are designed for the long term (follow-up tools are provided)

Thanks to humor and social psychology, making complex and conflicting relationships less tense and more effective.

Those that I do not master.

Performance through humor and a shift in perspective.

30 years of experience in business and a dual skill set: work psychology and performing arts.

Great care is taken with the content, tailored. A show conference with humor, surprises, quirky aspects, interactivity, and adaptation to each audience.

Strong messages and punchlines that stick.

Operational tools to put into practice upon returning to the field. Conferences that have a lasting impact.

All corporate audiences since the conference is rewritten and adapted each time. The audience can be friendly or resistant.

Companies that have a real HR policy, who have already understood that one can work seriously without taking oneself seriously.

Companies that like to shake up the codes and innovate, or who enjoy being challenged and questioning themselves.

Awareness of unconscious and often harmful behaviors.

On other ways of conceiving relationships and work. Concrete tools for progress, accompanied by strong messages or punchlines that, like slogans, help to anchor new ideas over time.

Having fun to analyze situations and relationships more pertinently, having fun finding new ways to do things, having fun to experiment and enjoy the produced result.

The management of large structuring projects in companies (several hundred people) and the support of successful changes;

The recognition of my peers at conferences and various successes in eloquence competitions.

Heineken, France Boisson, Business France, Safran Belgium, Géci engineering, Valénergies, Uriops, Hospitals, Trame, APM, CJD...

Hundreds of others in support, training, consulting...

Almost all my clients have recommended me for other conferences for other services, their subsidiaries, or other organizations...

They particularly appreciated the ability to customize, to convey their messages effectively, to offer unconventional, original, funny, interactive conferences that are very well received by their audience.

Often, people are surprised to see the combination of humor, interactivity, unexpectedness, strong messages, and the concrete tools they leave with.

Audiences of 20 to 300 people.

I prefer not to work with larger groups where interactivity is more challenging.

I do not give virtual conferences; my added value is clearly my energy on stage.

Awarded the silver label by the French Association of Professional Speakers. 2026.

Toastmasters European Champion of Improvisation. 2020; Toastmasters Division Champion of Whimsical Stories. 2026.

Author of a book on patient relationships: "Taming the Cactus Patient". Writing a book on humor in the workplace, in progress.

Communicative energy, a lot of stage presence.

30 years of theatrical and humorous experience.

Testimonials are unanimous: "you never disengage"

My conferences are not just watched. They are experienced.

From the very first minutes, the stage becomes a field of experiences where humor, emotions, interactions, and reflections intertwine. Every detail is thought out as in a show: scenography, objects, surprises, situational setups, images, music, audience participation, and visual effects.

Slides are not used to project text. They tell a story, create mental images, and enhance memorization. Each visual, each accessory, each sequence is designed to bring ideas to life and transform sometimes abstract concepts into concrete and impactful experiences.

Humor is ever-present, not as an end in itself, but as an attention, understanding, and engagement accelerator. Laughter opens the door to essential messages.

My goal is simple: to create a true pedagogical fireworks display in service of key messages that are retained and, above all, put into practice.

My conferences are all based on anecdotes from my personal life and the companies I have worked for. Each key message is developed through different examples, comic relief, illustrated by experiences or proven theoretical references.

My conferences blend all these styles.

Workshops can be developed after the conference, but it can also include moments of paired experiences, for example.

My conferences are all structured and paced thoughtfully. They mix formats to maintain attention for an hour...

The moments of improvisation make them unique and necessarily tailored. Different audiences particularly enjoy these moments.

The content is always personalized: significant preparatory work is done: key messages to convey, corporate culture, specific context to take into account, anecdotes or little stories to integrate...

I have also made it a habit to offer pre- and post-communication kits to anchor the conference in a long-term dynamic. Beforehand: - Video (humorous or adapted) to disseminate and entice the audience - Poster with some keywords and visuals - Pre-questionnaire related to the topic...

Afterwards: - Dedicated tools - Memo with key messages - Action implementation and internal challenges...

Key messages are simplified but memorable,

The appeal to various strong emotions and moments of action, communion in the room

Interactivity and improvisation are often memorable and highly appreciated moments

The tools to engage in action at the end of conferences help anchor contributions in action

The deconstruction of preconceived ideas or sometimes harmful unconscious behaviors

Anecdotes that stand out because they are close to field concerns

Moments of improvisation, interaction, games with the audience

Humorous materials/videos.

Pleasure, enthusiasm

Stronger cohesion

A fierce desire to change and improve

That nothing is serious, that we can all improve when we put on the right glasses and understand that our behaviors and habits are often outdated or obsolete.

That we must dare to test and progress.

That some behaviors are also good practices to keep!

The tools provided in conferences or workshops

There are many, at least 5-6 per conference and theme.

These are all tools and methods already tested in companies.

That the first step is already decisive and that it only depends on us !!

That by always doing the same we will have different results

That work is serious and boring

That alone we go faster and further...

All examples are drawn from my experiences in companies.

To vary, I will also look for examples from everyday life that concern us all

I will also draw from collective knowledge (sports, films, advertisements...) I use any relevant reference regarding the message that needs to be conveyed.

Hierarchical relationships, client relationships,

I can press where it hurts, but by stepping aside and using humor, I create awareness about our flaws and sometimes absurd habits.

That work is boring and tedious

That it's always someone else's fault.

That only management can change things...

The entire conference is designed to be an aha moment. 😉

In-person

By adding humor, this happens rarely.

I create moments of interactivity and complicity.

I give specific examples related to the company and ask questions concerning them. Interactivity with the audience often takes place beforehand...

If the audience remains silent, I continue with the rest of the conference, integrating moments of improvisation, the people sitting in front are often more inclined to participate.

This is my great specialty!!

I have several backups of my slides, I know how to improvise and manage "oops" moments.

I always have a version without technology just in case... turning mishaps into gems,

these are always strong moments... and very appreciated when they are well managed. I also arrive early if possible to test the equipment and check everything beforehand.

Working with the stage manager or the sound/video engineers on site is also crucial.

I also bring my own equipment (headset microphone, remote...) to cover all eventualities.

By mastering the subject, there are not really any difficult questions.

Depending on the topics, it is normal to have different opinions and divergences of position.

My secret is the "yes and" that we use a lot in improvisation, which allows us to accept divergences and bounce back constructively...

For time management:

My conference is often structured in modules, which allows for great adaptability. I have time markers by sections, which also allows me to manage and adjust the interactive and improvised parts as I go.

Delays are more often related to the overall organization and less fluid transitions between speakers, rarely due to my own intervention. Also, I do not prepare the same timing (and backup plans) if I am the only speaker or if there are several of us.

It is mainly related to poor preparation: bad timing, wrong messages, unspecified specific context, vague requests, unsuitable themes... It is therefore essential to prepare well in advance for meetings with all concerned parties. Logistical preparation is also essential.

Headset, remote control, computer (feedback screen with presenter mode). I plan everything in duplicate if needed. Then the equipment needs to be adjusted according to the audience and the room itself.

The rest is planned in my conference.

Yes, a list that summarizes all my technical needs based on the conference.

The day before if possible to visit the room and finalize the logistics. I generally request a video of the room or fairly clear photos in advance;

Yes, I can travel and yes, I prefer to have an interpreter.

Upon request, I provide a summary of my slides,

there is always a memo proposed at the end: key messages, exercises, action plan...

The recording of the conference and its reuse are subject to specific negotiation.

Yes, this is even desirable to properly prepare and especially to anchor the conference over time.

For my ability to adapt my conferences to their issues.

For the quality of the conference (humor, interactivity, usefulness, audience unanimity...)

For the lively and unifying collective experience.

For the practicality and quality of the messages and tools that participants take away.