The Leading Speakers Bureau

International Entrepreneur and Businessman

Sir Richard Branson is the eccentric and outspoken chairman of Virgin Atlantic Airways and Chairman of the Virgin Group. An experienced daredevil, Branson has raced powerboats across the ocean and has set distance records in hot air balloons. His unconventional style of living is only a part of his undeniable knack for beating impossible odds in business and in life. In his latest venture Richard Branson announced the signing of a deal under which a new space tourism company, Virgin Galactic, will license the technology behind Spaceship One to take paying passengers into suborbital space. In 2009 Thinkers 50, the global ranking of management gurus, placed him among the top ten most influential thinkers.

“Richard Branson has got the Midas Touch”

[expand title=”In detail”] Richard Branson received his education at Stowe School, where he established a national magazine entitled Student at the age of sixteen. He started a Student Advisory Centre at 17, aiming to help young people. At twenty years old, he founded Virgin as a mail order record retailer and a short while later; he opened a record shop in Oxford Street, London. In 1972, a recording studio was built in Oxfordshire where the first Virgin artist, Mike Oldfield, recorded “Tubular Bells”, later released in 1973.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]In his presentations Richard Branson talks about his business philosophies as a “transformational leader” with his unique business strategies. He stresses that the Virgin Group is an organization driven on informality and information, one that is bottom-heavy rather than strangled by top-level management.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]A charismatic and charming individual, Richard Branson talks candidly about his business ventures and the leadership skills which have made him into a truly global player.[/expand]
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Author and Expert on Leadership and Change Management

Robin Sharma is the author of eight number one international bestsellers including ‘The Greatness Guide’ and one of the world’s top experts on leadership, change management and personal mastery. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Sharma Leadership International Inc., a widely respected leadership development firm that has helped over 4 million people in 50 countries.

“All people have greatness within them – they only need to remember and reclaim it.”

[expand title=”In detail”] Robin is one of the most in-demand speakers in the world, frequently sharing the stage with individuals such as Bill Clinton, Jack Welch, Stephen Covey, Ken Blanchard, Deepak Chopra and Dr. Phil. a former litigation lawyer, holding two law degrees including a Masters of Law, Robin is also a leading executive coach, having worked with billionaires, major CEOs and celebrity entrepreneurs.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Robin’s mission is to help human beings become extraordinary and organizations get to world-class. He explains when individuals begin to think, feel and act like leaders they become part of the solution rather than part of the problem. And when each of us shows leadership behaviour, we elevate our personal lives, our families, our organization, our communities and our world.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]An inspirational speaker, Robin tailors his presentations to precisely meet clients’ needs and he always leaves audiences energized and re-invigorated. He is also part of our Top Leadership speakers.[/expand]
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Nobel Prize Laureate in Economics 2009

Prof. Oliver E. Williamson was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for “his analysis of economic governance, especially the boundaries of the firm” in 2009, sharing it with Elinor Ostrom. He is the Edgar F. Kaiser Professor Emeritus of Business, Economics and Law and Professor of the Graduate School, both at the University of California, Berkeley, USA. He is a prominent author in the area of transaction cost economics and related disciplines and is credited with the development of the term “Information Impactedness”, which applies in situations where it is difficult to ascertain what the costs to information are.

“Oliver E. Williamson is one of the leading economic theorists of our time”

[expand title=”In detail”] Oliver E. Williamson received his B.Sc. in management from the MIT Sloan School of Management, M.B.A. from Stanford University, and his Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University. He is recognised for developing a theory where business firms serve as structures for conflict resolution, and has argued that hierarchical organisations, such as companies, represent alternative governance structures, which differ in their approaches to resolving conflicts of interest.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Author of one of the most important books on the corporation, Prof. Williamson has been instrumental in establishing economic governance as a field of research. His focus on the cost of transactions has led him to distinguish between repeated case-by-case bargaining on the one hand and relationship-specific contracts on the other. He is highly sought-after by government organisations and corporations eager to reap the benefits of his considerable expertise, in-depth research and proven economic strategies.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Oliver E. Williamson is an engaging, enlightening and highly informative speaker with an unparalleled level of knowledge of today’s economic markets.[/expand]
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Professor of Political Economy at Harvard University

Alberto Alesina is a leader in the field of Political Economics and has published extensively in all major academic journals in economics. He is also a member of the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Center for Economic Policy Research. He has been a co-editor of the Quarterly Journal of Economics for eight years and Associate Editor of many academic journals. He has published columns in many leading newspapers around the world and has visited several institutions including MIT, Tel Aviv University, University of Stockholm, The World Bank, and the IMF.

“One of the eight best economists under the age of forty in the world and most likely to win a Nobel Prize in the future” The Economist (1990)

[expand title=”In detail”] Alberto Alesina obtained his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1986 and served as Chairman of the Department of Economics from 2003 – 2006 and was the Taussig Research Professor of Economics from 2006 – 2007. He is a member of the Econometric Society and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Alberto Alesina’s offers a unique perspective on a variety of topics. He expertly points out how Europe should handle labour productivity, labour market regulation, globalization, support for higher education and research, fiscal policy, and its multiethnic societies. His wake-up call will ring loud and clear for anyone concerned about the future of Europe and the global economy.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Alberto Alesina is a highly respected, knowledgeable and provocative speaker with the ability to engage audiences worldwide. He has an informative presenting style – he is clear, direct and thought provoking.[/expand]
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Business Visionary and Serial Innovator

Don Strickland is a former Senior Executive at Apple, CEO of PictureWorks and CEO of IPIX. Currently Don is the President and CEO of Strickland Associates and serves as Advising Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Imperial College London. Don Strickland has successfully built businesses internationally for both large public companies and private start ups. As a CEO he has consistently combined new technologies and business models to reinvent companies and grow stockholder value.

Expect to come away with a unique perspective on innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship.

[expand title=”In detail”] Don Strickland was the visionary behind the world’s first consumer digital camera, which he developed as Kodak’s VP of Digital Imaging and launched into the market after joining Apple. As Apple’s VP of Imaging and Publishing he led the re-architecture of Apple’s computer platform for the publishing market from traditional print media to “new media” including the Internet, music and video. He left Apple to become CEO of Silicon Valley startup, PictureWorks Technology, and was a pioneer of the Web 2.0 business model. He took the company public through a merger with IPIX, and built the market value to US$1.6 billion. He currently advises technology companies on business model innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship and serves as Advising Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Imperial College London.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you as a keynote speaker”]Don speaks on the key topics facing C-Level management and Boards of large companies. He works with the client beforehand to understand their business challenges, venue and goals. He tunes his presentation to the audience, and allows ample time for follow on Q&A and discussions.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents as a keynote speaker”]He adapts to the forum of the client, delivering high added value as a speaker, advisor or moderator. His unique insights into how business really works “from the inside” are fascinating and memorable. He is also part of our Top Leadership speakers.[/expand]
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Author and Leading Authority on Innovation, Creativity and Leadership

Nigel Barlow has a reputation as one of the world’s most dynamic business speakers. He is also a strategic coach, consultant and author, working with large organisations in over 20 countries. Nigel is founding director of an international consultancy company and was also a founding director of the Tom Peters Group consulting business in the UK.

The master of applying creative thinking to customer service.

[expand title=”In detail”] Nigel’s skill is to convey a serious message in a highly entertaining and interactive way. His latest book is ‘Re-think: How to think differently’ and in his speeches he helps his audience to “Open their mind to creative re-thinking”. Creative re-thinking can be applied to topics as diverse as Leadership, People Development, Individual and Corporate Innovation, Strategic Development and the Customer Experience.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Nigel Barlow improves organisational focus by stimulating attitudes and developing leadership capabilities. Concentrating on continuous development, he works with organisations around the world as a speaker, coach, mentor and consultant.[/expand]
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Swiss Adventurer & Global Warming speaker, Humanitarian & Inventor & Creator of the Solartaxi

Louis Palmer, a Swiss school teacher, made world history as the first man who has ever circumnavigated the world with a car powered by renewable energy. His message has reached more than 700 million people all over the world. The tour’s mission was to spread knowledge about the dangers of global warming and to demonstrate to the world that solutions are available to combat global warming. He is definitely a man with a mission.

Around the world using solar power: 53451 km through 38 countries (2007 – 2008)

[expand title=”In detail”] Among his other projects that see Hungarian born Louis Palmer regularly give up his ordinary life and finish his job as a teacher he wanted to fill the the gap between a car and a motorcycle with the solar taxi. He set off on a world tour in his solar powered vehicle in July 2007 and after 17 gruelling months his around-the-world trip was completed, having travelled 32,000 miles and across 40 countries. In 1996 he started a journey across the US with an ultralight airplane, in 1999 he was a tour observer at the World Solar Challenge in Australia, in 2001 he crossed Asia by car and in 2003 he led a tourist group across Afghanistan to raise money for the reconstruction of the Arkandi School.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Louis Palmer talks openly and freely to worldwide audiences about his historical journey. The ultimate goal was quite simple: to show the world that renewable energy is a viable solution to global warming. Hearing the stories of how the project came together and how it evolved, audiences are amazed at how the efforts of a single man could bring someone so far and deliver the message to hundreds of millions of spectators. With a truly inspiring speech, Louis speaks of his adventures and describes the numerous obstacles he came across, most of which seemed quite amusing in retrospect.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Louis Palmer stimulates the interest of his audiences and is recognised for his innovative vision, sense of humour and conviction.[/expand]
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IMD Professor & Founding Director of the Evian Group

Prof. Jean-Pierre Lehmann has been Professor of International Political Economy at IMD since 1997. In 1995, he launched the Evian Group, which has developed as a leading global voice on global trade and investment issues and acts as a forum for dialogue and a birth place of ideas. He was also Associate Professor of International Business at INSEAD. He is the author of several books and articles primarily dealing with globalization, modern East Asian history and East Asia and the international political economy.

“Advisor to WTO Director General, Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi”

[expand title=”In detail”] Prof. Lehmann studied in Japan, Switzerland, the United States (Georgetown) and received his doctorate from Oxford. Prior to joining IMD, his academic and business careers encompassed activities in virtually all Asian and Western European countries, as well as North America. He was founding director of the European Institute of Japanese Studies (EIJS) at the Stockholm School of Economics and Professor of East Asian Political Economy and Business. He established and directed the East Asian operations of InterMatrix, a London-based business strategy research and consulting organization (1986-1992). During this time he was concurrently Affiliated Professor of International Business at the London Business School.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Jean-Pierre Lehmann offers vast and highly respected experience in areas including globalization, global governance, trade and development, the role of business in reduction of poverty and inequality and the socio-economic, cultural, and business dynamics of Asia. Acting in various leading capacities in a number of public policy institutes and organizations, as an adviser to governments and corporations, and as a frequent commentator in the international media he is uniquely positioned to provide answers to questions on a variety of current issues.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]World famous thinkers in management, Jean-Pierre Lehmann’s highly sought-after presentations are thought provoking and captivating, enjoyed by audiences worldwide.[/expand]
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Expert on Obama & the U.S., Award – Winning Journalist

Christoph von Marschall is arguably the best German speaking expert on the US president, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle. As bureau chief of the Berlin Tagesspiegel in Washington, he followed Obama’s two year campaign, closely observing the presidential couple even after their entry into the White House. He writes for major internal magazine including Die Zeit, Cicero and the Atlantic Times. Marschall appears frequently as a commentator in the international media.

“An expert on the intricacies of the US election system and on the changing mood of the electorate”

[expand title=”In detail”] Christoph von Marschall holds a Ph.D. in Eastern European History from Freiburg University. His journalistic career began in 1989 at the Süddeutsche Zeitung and he has won several awards: In 2002 he received the German-American Prize for a commentary post related to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 and its consequences for American foreign policy. In 2005 he was honoured with the German-Polish journalism award for a report on Skierbieszów, the birthplace of the Federal President Horst Köhler. In the same year he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland for his contribution to the German-Polish reconciliation.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Christoph von Marschall openly talks about his unique experience following the President-Elect during the 2008 elections. He expertly analyzes how the questions of race, religion and the economic crisis dominate America’s policy. The award winning journalist offers insights into the political landscape of the United States of America and the role of Europe.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]In his highly sought-after presentations, Christoph von Marschall provides his audiences with a vivid and insightful analysis of power relations and the political climate.[/expand]
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Renowned Authority on Customer Centered Growth, Entrepreneur and Award-winning Author

Richard Whiteley is the Principal of The Whiteley Group, dedicated to helping indiviuals and organisations realize and expand their potential by designing and presenting customized, exciting and provocative speeches and workshops. Most recently, he held the position of Vice Chairman of The Forum Corporation, an industry-leading, 700 man-strong, global training and consulting firm. His award-winning best seller, ‘The Customer-Driven Company’, was named one of the top four business books of 1991 by Fortune Magazine. ‘Customer-Centered Growth’, was selected as a Business Week best-seller, and named one of the top five business books by Selling Magazine.

“Increases expectations”

[expand title=”In detail”] Richard has appeared on national and local television and radio, was featured in Flightline, an American Airlines publication, and is a frequent commentator in the business press. He was formerly a columnist for Sales and Marketing Magazine, and has created two video programs, Customer-Driven Quality with Fortune Magazine, and Solving the Leadership Puzzle, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs pro football team. In 1978 Richard founded and later served as president of The Instructional Systems Association, a group of leading national training companies.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Richard’s personal experience in building his own successful companies, ensure that the ideas and principles offered are practical and based on the most pressing and contemporary issues facing business. An entrepreneur and practitioner first, his extensive knowledge of current business challenges and dynamic presentation style have brought him acclaim as a powerful speaker. His presentations are known for their practicality and usefulness because of his first hand company building experience and his work with over 300 organizations and 350,000 executives in 26 countries over the past thirty years. First and foremost Richard considers the audience members to be his primary customers and tailors each presentation to create high impact, take-home value for every participant. [/expand]
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