The Leading Speakers blog

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Futurologist and Lecturer

Magnus Lindkvist is a futurologist and lecturer within business intelligence and trends. He has a MSc. in Business and Economics from The Stockholm School of Economics and studied at The School of Film, Television and Theatre at UCLA. Before founding Pattern Recognition, Magnus Lindkvist worked as a brand strategist at Differ and as a planner/account director and management group member at brand strategy agency, Grow.

“Where the day takes you, that’s where you’re going”
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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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Timken Chaired Professor of Global Technology & Innovation at INSEAD

Yves Doz is a Professor of Business Strategy and the Timken Chaired Professor of Global Technology and Innovation at INSEAD.

His business experience includes work on multinational aircraft programmes, along with consulting for many major multinational corporations and teaching in their internal development programmes.

“The metanational hypothesis is becoming reality.”

In detail

He was Associate Dean for Research and Development from 1990-1995. From 1990-1994 he held the John H. Loudon Chair in International Management.
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Former CEO of Burger King

Barry Gibbons earned the title of ‘Turnaround Champ’ from Fortune Magazine thanks to his phenomenal success in boosting Burger King’s fortunes. Within a year of taking on the role, Burger King was opening two new restaurants a day around the world. Having retired from big business, he is now a successful author, speaker and is co-founder of the UK publishing business Infinite Ideas.

Believing that managing isn’t enough he debates what it really takes to be distinct in your leadership, product development, service delivery and customer relationships

In detail

During Barry’s 5 years as the US-based Chairman/CEO of Burger King he received international acclaim. He has since co-founded and invested in a variety of ventures including a branded food service business, a magazine-CD publishing company, speciality coffee bars and a Latin theme restaurant that opened in Disneyland. He was also Executive in Residence at the University of Miami School of Business and is a regular on the BBC’s Bottom Line business broadcast.
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Professor of Strategic and International Management at LBS

Costas Markides is Professor of Strategic and International Management at London Business School. A native of Cyprus, he received his BA (Distinction) and MA in Economics from Boston University and his MBA and DBA from the Harvard Business School. Prior to joining London Business School he has worked as an Associate with the Cyprus Development Bank and as a Research Associate at the Harvard Business School.

“Costas Markides is an expert on creating breakthrough strategies with proven results”

In detail

His work has been has published in a wide range of journals such as the Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, Directors & Boards, Long Range Planning, British Journal of Management, Journal of International Business Studies, Strategic Management Journal and the Academy of Management Journal.
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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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Former Chief Investment Officer of Baring Asset Management

Michael Hughes is one of the City of London’s best-known economists and as the Chief Investment Officer of Baring Asset Management, he was responsible for the management of US $47 billion in funds. Michael uses his considerable knowledge of the global and European economic landscape to provide essential information and insights to enable decision makers to plan strategically and gain the all important competitive advantage.

“A highly respected Global Finance Expert”

In detail

Michael Hughes joined Baring Asset Management in 1998, from Barclays Capital, where he was the Group Economic Advisor and the Chairman of Barclays Capital Pensions Ltd. Prior to that, he was a Managing Director and Global Head of Economics and Investment Strategy at BZW Securities Limited.
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Fund Management Guru

Nicola Horlick is a fund management guru and the CEO of Bramdean Asset Management. Nicola has worked in the fund management industry for over twenty years and has participated in the growth of some of the UK’s premier asset management businesses which, amongst much else, offers ‘Bramdiva’ - a financial wealth management service which caters specifically to women.

“A leading fund management guru”

In detail

Nicola joined SG Warburg as a graduate trainee in 1983, before moving to Mercury Asset Management a year later. In 1991, she joined Morgan Grenfell as Director of the UK pension fund business and became Managing Director in 1992. Over the next four years, funds under her management rose from £4bln to £22bln. After leaving Morgan Grenfell, Nicola took six weeks out to write her autobiographical account, revealing the real woman behind the headlines. In 1997, Nicola co-founded the UK arm of Societe Generale Asset Management (SGAM), pulled in £2.5 billion worth of investment for SGAM and also took time off to have her sixth child.
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International Business Consultant, Author & Lecturer

Dr Jonas Ridderstråle is at the forefront of the new generation of European-based business gurus. He cuts through the madness and hyperbole surrounding the global economy and his appeal is truly global. Jonas has attained tremendous media coverage throughout the world. The 2005 Thinkers 50, the bi-annual global ranking of management thinkers, ranked him (and his colleague Nordström) at number nine internationally and as the leading European business guru.

“Rebel with a cause”

In detail
Dr. Ridderstråle holds an MBA and a PhD in international business and has been recognized as Sweden’s outstanding young academic of the year. Formerly, he was an assistant professor at the Stockholm School of Economics where he was responsible for the school’s Advanced Management Program. Jonas is currently a visiting professor at Ashridge Business School in the UK. His research focuses on new organizational models and leadership styles in the information age and has been published in leading academic journals. Jonas contributed to the best-selling Financial Times Handbook of Management and Business: The Ultimate Resource. He is on the editorial board of The Capstone Business Encyclopaedia.
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