The Leading Speakers blog

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Brand Management Expert

Martin Lindstrom is a world leading expert on branding.

Since defining ten revolutionary branding rules he has provided brand-building advice to a host of international organisations.

His clients include Mars, Pepsi, American Express, Mercedes-Benz, Ericsson and Yellow Pages.

He is also a member of several international boards including Wotch, Hitwise and eKit.com.

A master
on the
power of brands
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Strategy and Innovation Specialist

Renée Mauborgne is a key authority on value innovation and wealth creation.

She is Distinguished Fellow and Affiliate Professor of Strategy and Management at INSEAD.

Using her latest work on tipping point leadership she advises organisations, from Europe, the US and Asia Pacific, on how to create a climate of leap performance even in difficult times

She stimulates creative thinking at an intellectual level with great ease.
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Director at Cambridge Energy Research Associates in Paris

Jean-Marie Chevalier is currently professor of Economics at the University of Paris-Dauphine, Director of the ‘Centre de Géopolitique de l’Energie et des Matières Premières’. He is also a Director at CERA. He has worked, as an economist for Elf Aquitaine and the energy department of the World Bank. For several years, he was a member of the board of directors of the Banque Nationale de Paris.

The world’s leading expert on current global energy trends
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Leading Expert on Energy and Global Economics

Daniel Yergin is a highly respected authority on international politics, economics and energy. He is Chairman of Cambridge Energy Research Associates and Vice Chairman of the Global Decisions Group.

He is both a Pulitzer Prize winner and recipient of the 1997 United States Energy Award for “lifelong achievements in energy and the promotion of international understanding.”

“No one could ask for a better account of the world’s political and economic destiny since World War II.”

The Wall Street Journal
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President and Chief Executive Officer of Forbes

Steve Forbes is President and Chief Executive Officer of Forbes and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine. Forbes Magazine is recognised as one of the world’s leading business magazines and combined with Forbes Asia and the company’s eight local language editions reaches a worldwide audience of over five million readers. Mr. Forbes writes editorials for each issue of Forbes under the heading of “Fact and Comment.”

“A widely respected economic prognosticator”

In detail

In both 1996 and 2000, Mr. Forbes campaigned vigorously for the Republican nomination for the Presidency. Key to his platform were a flat tax, medical savings accounts, a new Social Security system for working Americans, parental choice of schools for their children, term limits and a strong national defense. Mr. Forbes continues to energetically promote this agenda.
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Founder and CEO of easyJet, easyGroup, easyEverything

Born in Athens, Greece in 1967, Stelios Haji-Ioannou is the middle son of Loucas and Nedi, both of Cypriot origin.

Stelios has an older brother, Polys and a younger sister, Clelia who are both shareholders in Stelmar Tankers and easyJet.

Stelios was raised in Athens where he attended Greek High School (Doucas School) and at the same time took two A-levels in Maths and Economics.
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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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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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First Woman to Summit Everest from North & South Sides

Cathy O’Dowd is a winning explorer and raconteur.

Not one to submit to adversity, she reached Everest’s peak from the south, despite facing the worst storm in the mountain’s history.

She took on the challenge of the treacherous north side two years later, but her attempt ended when she stopped to try and save a dying climber.

A year later she returned and succeeded in becoming the first woman to climb Everest from both the north and south sides.

The first woman to conquer both the north and south sides of Everest

In detail

A former university lecturer with a Masters degree in Media Studies, she grew up in South Africa.

Now based in Europe, she remains an active adventurer, from the heights of the Himalaya to the wilderness of the Arctic. In 2003 she attempted a new route up the notorious east face of Everest.
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Chairman Emeritus of Volkswagen AG

Dr. Hahn is the renowned former Chairman of the Volkswagen Group. Under his chairmanship the VAG Group expanded from producing 2 million cars in 1982 to 3.5 million capacity in 1992, also acquiring SKODA in the Czech Republic. His celebrated career with Volkswagen Group led him to several senior positions including CEO of Volkswagen of America Inc.

One of the leading figures in international business.

In detail

Carl Hahn studied Business Administration at the University of Cologne and Zurich, Economics in Bristol and Paris. He also graduated as a Doctor of Economics at the University of Bern, Switzerland. As Chairman of the Volkswagen Board of Management he drove Volkswagen to the heights of success, with heavy investments in the ‘Golf’, now one of the most successful cars ever built. He now serves on numerous boards in Europe and the USA, including Perot Systems Corp (US), Benetton (Italy), Gerling-Konzern, Thyssen (Germany)
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