The Leading Speakers Bureau

Trend Spotter Extraordinaire and Innovation speaker

Magnus Lindkvist is a future trends speaker who offers insightful and tangible solutions to companies wishing to grow their business in an organic way. He is the founder of the trend agency Pattern Recognition who helps companies to make sense (and money) out of the future. Furthermore, he is the creator of “Trendspotting and Future Thinking”, one of Europe’s first academically accredited courses in the subject.

“Where the day takes you, that’s where you’re going”

[expand title=”In detail”] Previously he worked as a brand strategist at Differ and for the brand strategy agency, Grow. As a member of TED and The Long Now Foundation, Magnus combines a passionate interest in the future with a strong desire to share insights that has made him one of Europe’s most sought-after future trends speakers. He is also a course director at Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship, a collaborative partnership between Stockholm School of Economics, The Royal Institute of Technology, The University College of Arts, Crafts and Design and Medical University Karolinska Institute.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you as a keynote speaker”]Magnus Lindkvist will inspire and provoke you into better future-thinking. He considers what is happening now and in the future and how it affects how we do business. He gives businesses a tangible and simple call to action on how to adapt to these future trends to develop and market their products and services.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents as a keynote speaker”]Magnus is an energetic and exciting future trends speaker who in his fun and fact-filled tailored presentations, uses humour to deliver great insights about the trends that will shape your business.[/expand]
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Former Norwegian Prime Minister and Former Director General of the WHO (World Health Organisation)

Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland is one of the most influential women of the late twentieth century.

In 1998, Gro was elected Director-General of the World Health Organization. She is one of Norway’s most respected and experienced politicians.

“One of the most influential Europeans in the last 25 years” The Financial Times

[expand title=”In detail”] Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland’s was Prime Minister of Norway on several different occasions and Chairwoman of the UN World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), now called The Brundtland Commission. She has been awarded several prestigious awards in recognition of her work, among which the Third World Prize for Work on Environmental Issues 1989, the Indira Gandhi Prize in 1990 as well as the Onassis Foundation Award in 1992 and the Charlemagne Prize of the city of Aachen.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Dr. Brundtland is a formidable speaker, who draws on her considerable expertise and own personal experiences to provide excellent observations and analysis of the current political landscape. She is also a respected author on preventative medicine, school health and growth studies. She is also part of our Top Women keynote speakers. [/expand]
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Leading Business Specialist on Asia

In January 2006 he left Arthur D. Little’s Asia Pacific Advisory Council, where he was Vice Chairman providing council on high level strategic and operational issues for companies in the Asia Pacific region.

“One of the best managers ever seen in China”

[expand title=”In detail”] Martin’s prolific career began in the automotive industry. He is the former Commercial Executive & Deputy Managing Director of the Shanghai-Volkswagen Automotive Company in China. Continue Reading »

Founder of the Grameen Bank and Winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize

In 1976, Muhammad Yunus founded the Grameen Bank to make loans to poor Bangladeshis. Since then the Grameen Bank has issued more than US$ 5.1 billion to 5.3 million borrowers. The success of the Grameen model has inspired similar efforts throughout the developing world and even in industrialized nations including the USA. His methods have also been applied to Burma and in Kosovo with great success and he is now embarking upon an effort to eliminate global poverty.

Professor Muhammad Yunus has been ranked among the top 50 most influential business thinkers. In 2009 Thinkers 50, the global ranking of management gurus, placed him among the list of most influential thinkers

“By giving poor people the power to help themselves, Dr. Yunus has offered them something far more valuable than a plate of food – security in its most fundamental form.” Former US President Jimmy Carter

[expand title=”In detail”] Besides Grameen Bank he has created a number of companies in Bangladesh to address diverse issues of poverty and development. Among the companies are Grameen Phone (a mobile telephone company), Grameen Cybernet (Internet Service Provider), Grameen Communications (Rural Internet Service Provider), Grameen Software company, Grameen Information Technology Park, Grameen Fund (Social Venture Capital Company), Grameen Capital Management company and many more.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Muhammad Yunus is a highly charismatic figure with a wealth of innovative ideas and the power to help thousands of people to decide their own destiny. He carefully explains to audiences his ideas and lays the foundations for the successful implementation of his model which is eradicating poverty around the globe.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]An empowering and emotive speaker, Muhammad Yunus talks passionately about his goals and dreams and leaves audiences inspired with his simple yet effective ideas.[/expand]
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Founder of the Third World Centre for Water Management

Prof. Asit Biswas is the founder of the Third World Centre for Water Management in Mexico. Under his dynamic leadership, the centre has established a unique international identity in pursuing cutting-edge research. In 2006 he received the Stockholm Water Prize for his outstanding contributions to global water resource issues. Prof. Biswas has been Editor-in-Chief the International Journal of Water Resources Development for the past 21 years.

He has added new dimensions to the wise use of the global water resources.

[expand title=”In detail”] Prof. Biswas acted as a Senior Advisor to Mr. Yehia Abdel Mageed, Secretary General of the UN Water Conference. During 1980-81, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). He spent 1981-1997 in Oxford, U.K. pursuing his research interests and advising governments and international organisations, he travels around the globe 10 months out of the year. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]With world-class research and focusing on out-of-the-box thinking, Prof Biswas offers audiences new and innovative ideas in the world of water management. He has been an advisor to six heads of the United Nations Agencies, most major bilateral and multilateral aid organisations and 17 national governments.[/expand]
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Expert on Energy and the Environment

Claudia Kemfert is Head of the department Energy, Transportation, Environment at the German Institute of Economic Research (DIW Berlin) and Professor of Energy Economics at Humboldt University, Berlin. She advises EU president José Manuel Barroso as a member of the High Level Group on Energy and she is an external advisor for the World Bank, the United Nations and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

“Germany’s leading exponent of green economic policies”

[expand title=”In detail”] Prof. Kemfert was awarded from DAAD and was honoured in 2006 as top German Scientist from the German research foundation (“Elf der Wissenschaft 2006”). She is a member of renowned expert commissions, sustainability advisory councils and is a member of the editorial board of Energy Economics, Gaia and Energy Efficiency. Her research activities concentrate on the evaluation of climate and energy policy strategies.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]With a wealth of unparalleled expertise in the social and economic effects of climate change, Claudia Kemfert offers organisations the necessary tools to expand without adversely affecting the environment. She shows decision makers how it is possible to achieve sustained growth and profits whilst simultaneously implementing “greener” business policies[/expand]
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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.”

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Authority on the Future of Management/IT, Professor of Forecasting

James Woudhuysen is one of Europe’s best-known independent speakers and writers on the future. James helps clients master new trends in society and innovation, so as to implement major shifts in corporate strategy and innovation. He frequently broadcasts about the future of the workplace on Radio 4’s You and Yours, and writes for spiked (London) and Novo (Frankfurt). He is also on the editorial board of the Journal of Consumer Behaviour.

In 1996 staff at Phillips nominated James as ‘Motivator of the Year’

[expand title=”In detail”] A physics graduate and author of several books, James is Professor of Forecasting and Innovation at De Montfort University, Leicester. In the 1980s he co-directed Britain’s first major study into the future of e-commerce (‘teleshopping’ in those days). He then moved to the Henley Centre, Britain’s best-known think-tank on EU markets, where he built up the firm’s forecasting on the broader future of IT and proposed, in 1992, that the Internet be delivered over TV. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]He offers a highly visual, very witty, but deadly serious alternative to myths about the future of work, consumers and IT. An inspirational opponent of politically correct trends in management and beyond, he spells out what to do and how to do it in controversial but deeply insightful style.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]James is a master at explaining ‘The Big Picture’ in a way that convincingly suggests ‘What To Do Next’. Reinforced by brilliant visuals, he first makes complex issues simple and then makes them sizzle.[/expand]
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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. In 2009 and 2007 Thinkers 50, the global ranking of management gurus, placed him among the list of most influential thinkers.

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

Costas Markides has been ranked among the top 50 most influential business thinkers. In 2009 Thinkers 50, the global ranking of management gurus, placed him among the list of most influential thinkers.

[expand title=”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.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Having taught on many in-company programmes Prof. Markides is without a doubt one of Europe’s most experienced and respected business strategists. His presentations are ideal for decision makers keen to sustain and develop superior competitive performance by implementing and understanding new business strategies.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Costas Markides is a captivating and engaging speaker and he has designed his lectures with just the right blend of humour and useful actionable information. His appearances are consistently well-received making him one of the most sought-after and prized speakers currently available.[/expand]
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Former President of Virgin Galactic

Will Whitehorn was once described as Sir Richard Branson’s “right hand man” and has recently stepped down as President from Virgin Galactic prior to the commercial launch of that unique space project to pursue a portfolio career that includes a number of Directorships most notably with Loewy the UK design and media group. He sits on the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the UK Government funding body for scientific research in the UK and is a non-executive chairman of Next Fifteen Communications Plc.

“Leading expert on Branding and Leadership”

[expand title=”In detail”] Will was talent spotted by Sir Richard Branson in 1987 and joined the Virgin Group where he rose to become Group Corporate Affairs and Brand Development Director. In this role he was the official spokesman for the company and a trusted advisor to Sir Richard. Whilst at Virgin he was responsible for Virgin’s revolutionary approach to PR and building an admired brand. This included major stories such as the battle with BA over flight prices and the Cumbrian rail crash where Virgin was praised for the heroism of the driver. More recently he ran Virgin Galactic the commercial space flight project that has made headlines. His first hand experience of running industrial design projects includes the development of Virgin’s Pendolino and the Virgin Atlantic Flyer.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Sharing his insights into the Virgin story, Will Whitehorn offers a detailed analysis of how the online industry and innovation across all business functions within Virgin has impacted on consumers and brands. In his presentations, he also explains the importance of online industry, PR and innovation and how they can be used to create a competitive edge in business and how future space technology will influence our lives including digital communications. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Will is a natural communicator with a great passion for business and technology who has the ability to inspire his audiences to innovate. [/expand]
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