The Leading Speakers blog

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Editor-in-chief, Wired Magazine

As editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, Chris Anderson is one of the most knowledgeable and articulate voices at the centre of the new economy. He has written an exciting new book that defines an entirely new economic model for business. ‘The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More’ explores the tremendous business potential of the long tail—the rise of the niche as a powerful new force in our economy.

“Anderson’s insights with the Long Tail continue to influence Google’s strategic thinking in a profound way.”
Eric Schmidt, CEO, Google

In detail

Before taking the helm at Wired, Chris worked at The Economist for seven years in various positions in London, Hong Kong and New York, ranging from Technology Editor to US Business Editor. He also served as an editor at the two premier science journals, Science and Nature. Education background: physics, including research at Los Alamos.
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Former CEO of Starbucks

Orin C. Smith was President and Chief Executive Officer of Starbucks Corporation from 2000 to 2005. He joined Starbucks as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 1990, became President and Chief Operating Officer in 1994, and became a director of Starbucks in 1996. Mr. Smith has been a Director of The Walt Disney Company since 2006 and he has been a Director of Nike Inc. since September 20, 2004 and serves as a Member of its Audit Committee.

“Embracing diversity is not only the right thing to do socially or ethically, it’s good for business.”

In detail

Prior to joining Starbucks, Mr. Smith spent a total of 14 years with Deloitte & Touche. He serves on the Advisory Board for the University of Washington School of Business, the University of Washington Medicine Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of Conservation International. He was also a Director of Oakley Sunglasses, Watches, Shoes, and Apparel from August 1995 until July 10, 2003.
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Technical Manager of the French Football Association and Former Manager of Liverpool Football Club

Gérard Houllier was National Technical Director of the French World Cup Winning Team of 1998. He was the Manager of Liverpool Football Club from 1998-2004 and in 2005 he became the Manager of French Champions Lyon. Gérard was Manager of Paris St. Germain from 1985-1986, winning the French Championship in 1986. He was also the Manager of Lens from 1982-1985, earning UEFA Cup qualification. He worked as number two to the National French Team Head Coach, Michel Platini, for the European Championship of 1988 and 1992, later progressing to Head Coach of France.

Head Coach of France.
“Part of a manager’s role is to make players improve”
Gérard Houllier

In detail

In 2001 under his leadership, Liverpool became the first club to win three knock-out competitions in one season. One of the most respected management figures in world football.
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‘Britain’s most consistently original, outrageous, and controversial designer’

Vivienne Westwood has had an insatiable appetite for anarchic outrageousness. She has never lost her power to shock, and her continued innovations make her one of the most talked about fashion designers in the world.

Vivienne Westwood was born Vivienne Isabel Swire in Derbyshire. She moved to London when she was 17. She began designing in 1971, using the shop at 430 Kings Road, London as a showcase for her ideas. With her changing ideas of fashion came the change of not only the name of shop, but the entire decor as well. In 1971, 430 Kings Road was known as “Let it Rock”… 1950’s Rock n Roll clothing sold at a time when “hippies” were still in fashion. In 1972, the name was changed to “Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die”. The shop had clothing for “Rockers” with zips and chains, and Zoot suits. By the mid 70’s, “Sex” was the shop’s new name. With 1976 came punk, followed by “World’s End” and the Pirate Collection.
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President of France 1974-1981

Valéry Giscard D’Estaing was President of France from 1974 until 1981. In 2004 he left partisan politics and took his seat in the Constitutional Council as a former President of the Republic. From 2002-2003 he served as President of the Convention on the Future of Europe and in 2003 he was admitted to the Académie Française. He is currently President of the CEMR (Council of European Municipalities and Regions), and a member of the French Constitutional Council.

The architect of the EU constitution

In detail

Valéry Giscard D’Estaing was born in 1926 in Koblenz. After serving in the French Resistance, he completed his studies at the Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration. He then joined the Inspection Generale des Finances in 1952 where he pursued an administrative career until 1956. From 1956 to 1974 he has held numerous elective positions and governmental functions before becoming President
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Former Adviser to Mikhail Gorbachev

Alexander Likhotal served as adviser to Mikhail Gorbachev for many years and is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Geneva-based Green Cross International. He is a member of the International Council for the Earth Charter and Adviser to the Club of Madrid and has launched internationally acclaimed initiatives such as the Earth Dialogues Forum and has spearheaded Green Cross International’s global campaign for the Right to Water.

“The past has shown that new security threats would emerge in the form of global terrorism and that globalisation and our continued reliance on fossil fuels would raise the environmental stakes even higher”

In detail

Prof. Likhotal was the Deputy Spokesman for the President of the USSR and has held a number of academic positions internationally specialising in European security and NATO. He was visiting professor at the Northeastern University, Boston, USA, Research Associate at the Institute of European Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow and Associate Editor of Security Dialogue Journal, Oslo, Norway.
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Author of ‘The Name of the Rose’ and Professor of Semiotics

Italian born Umberto Eco is a prolific author and essayist and has published numerous books and articles covering a wide range of subjects from Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages to Semiotics - the Science of Signs and Symbols. He reached ultimate fame when his book ‘The Name of the Rose’ was made into a blockbuster film.

A laureate graduate from Turin University in 1954 Umberto Eco was cultural programme editor for RAI - Italian Radio and Television - from 1954 to 1959. He joined the publishing house of Bompiano in Milan as senior non-fiction editor in 1959 and was with them until 1975. Since 1962 Umberto Eco has been a regular columnist for some of Italy’s leading newspapers such as Il Giorno, La Stampa, Corriere della Sera.
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Former Creative Director of Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent

Tom Ford was hired by Gucci’s creative director Dawn Mello in 1990 as chief women’s ready-to-wear designer and later appointed design director. When, in 1994, Gucci was acquired by a Bahrain-based investment firm called Investcorp, Tom was promoted to creative director and moved to Milan.

In his first year at the helm, he was credited with putting the glamour back into fashion introducing Halston-style velvet hipsters, skinny satin shirts and car-finish metallic patent boots. In 1995, he brought in French stylist Carine Roitfeld and photographer Mario Testino to create a series of new, modern ad campaigns for the company. By 1999, the house, which had been almost bankrupt when Tom joined, was valued at about $4.3 billion. In 2000, he was named Best International Designer at the first VH1/Vogue Awards in New York.
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Former Director of Communications and Strategy for Tony Blair

Alastair Campbell is best known as a journalist and former Director of Communications and Strategy for former Prime Minister Tony Blair. He was a key figure behind Mr Blair’s rise to power and was often described as “the real Deputy Prime Minister”. Mr Campbell also played a key role in drafting the Government dossier on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, the Hutton Report, which has been the source of much media interest lately.

“In the extraordinarily difficult and wearing world of the modern media, he operated with tremendous skill and dedication.”
Tony Blair

In detail
Alastair, son of a Pennine vet, read modern languages at Cambridge before entering journalism. His career in the media began to flourish when he became political editor of the Daily Mirror. During this time he was one of then Labour leader Neil Kinnock’s closest advisers. Mr Campbell resigned to become spokesman for Tony Blair, then leader of the opposition. With the Labour election victory in 1997, he became the Prime Minister’s chief press secretary, setting up a formidable Whitehall machine to put over the government’s views and try to control the news agenda.
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Author, Journalist and Former Presenter of BBC’s HARDtalk

Tim Sebastian is best known as the former presenter of the BBC’s internationally acclaimed flagship interview programme, HARDtalk. He has spent the last seven years travelling the world for HARDtalk, interviewing the world’s newsmakers and personalities - from presidents, prime ministers and kings to authors, actors and musicians. More recently he was Chairman of the widely publiscised Doha Debates in Qatar.

“The man with all the questions”
BBC

In detail

Tim holds a BA Honours degree in modern languages from Oxford University. Based in Warsaw from 1979, he became the BBC’s Europe Correspondent in 1982. Two years later, as the BBC’s correspondent he went to Moscow, where he stayed until 1985 before moving to Washington, where he was based until 1989. In 1982, he was awarded the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Richard Dimbleby Award. In 2000 and 2001 he won Britain’s prestigious Royal Television Society Interviewer of the Year award.
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