The Leading Speakers Bureau

Expert on the Future of Payments

Ollie Purdue is CEO & Co-founder of Loot Bank, a new start-up in the banking sector which is building the next generation banking services. Loot Bank will help students have more disposable income through better money management. In 2015 Loot Bank, who is a member of Level39, the largest Fintech accelerator, is launching a pre-paid product with a current account launch due in early 2016.

“Ollie gives fresh insights into money management and payment issues”

[expand title=”In detail”] Ollie’s role as Chief Entrepreneurial Officer and Co-founder has led to the entire organisation of the business. Starting as an initial idea he had while at university, he has grown the company to a point where they have successfully closed their first seed-funding round as well as being accepted into two accelerator programmes. The company is now looking forward to the development of the current account which will begin soon. Ollie graduated from the University of West of England in 2014 with a Law degree.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]In his presentations Ollie analyses the future of payments and particularly the issues affecting today’s youth, the unbanked, emerging markets. He also focuses on the issues of privacy and the use of personal data. His presentations are well received by decision makers from a wide range of global businesses. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Ollie brings fresh and different perspectives on what the next 10 years holds for the payment industry. His education, his young age and wide knowledge of technology make him highly sought after at conferences around the globe.
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Vice President, Search Products & User Experience, Google

Marissa Mayer has been featured in numerous publications, including Newsweek (“10 Tech Leaders of the Future”), Red Herring (“15 Women to Watch”), Business 2.0 (“Silicon Valley Dream Team”), BusinessWeek, and Fast Company. In 2008, at 33, Marissa became the youngest woman ever to be included on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list (#50). She leads Google’s product management efforts on search products – web search, images, news, books, products, maps, Google Earth, Google Toolbar, Google Desktop, Google Health, Google Labs and more.

“A powerful force inside the high-flying company”

[expand title=”In detail”] Graduating with honours, Marissa received her bachelor’s degree in symbolic systems and her master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University. She joined Google in 1999 as Google’s first female engineer and led the user interface and web server teams at that time. Her efforts have included designing and developing Google’s search interface, internationalizing the site to more than 100 languages, defining Google News, Gmail, and Orkut, and launching more than 100 features and products on Google.com. Several patents have been filed on her work in artificial intelligence and interface design. Concurrently with her full-time work at Google, Marissa has taught introductory computer programming classes at Stanford.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Marissa Mayer lives by the old adage that if at first you don’t succeed, try again. In her insightful presentations she pushes aspiring business thinkers to breathe new life into failed ventures, as opposed to cutting the cord. Repackage, rejuvenate, re-market, and re-examine those products or practices you thought would fly, and craft them a new set of wings.

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[expand title=”How she presents”]Keen to uphold her reputation for being highly receptive, Marissa is a great listener and communicator, recognised for her teaching skills at Stanford. [/expand]

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International Fashion Designer

Patrick Cox is one of the UK’s most respected and successful fashion designers. Originally concentrating on shoes and accessories he has built up a multi-million pound business and has become one of the world’s most influential designers. Drawing upon his experiences Patrick talks candidly about his success and the drive which allowed him to become a very successful designer and businessman. Audiences will be inspired by his story and budding entrepreneurs can learn from his remarkable story.

[expand title=”In detail”] Patrick Cox was born in 1963 in Edmonton, Alberta. He moved to Toronto and began to develop connections in the fashion community. After Cox customized a pair of shoes for a Loucas Kleanthous show, Loucas urged him to study footwear design. In September 1983, he moved to London to attend Cordwainers Technical College. He graduated in July 1988 with merit. While at school, he produced footwear for Vivienne Westwood and Body Map. These influential designers and their shows were pivotal to his visibility and future success. In August 1985, Cox set up his own company to design, produce, and wholesale footwear. In 1987 he launched his own private label collection. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]In 1993 he launched Patrick Cox Wannabe, a lower priced line of loafers for men and women in materials ranging from patent leather to leopard print. For spring ’95, he followed with Wannabe clothing, a diffusion line called PC’s, and Patrick Cox bags, filofaxes, and wallets. In September 1991, he opened his first retail shop on Symons Street in London. Four years later, he added a shop in Paris and in 1995, a showroom and concession at the Galleries Lafayette. In addition, Cox opened the first Wannabe shop in 1995 and the Patrick Cox International Headquarters, both on Sloane Street. In January 2003 Patrick was appointed Head of Design at Charles Jourdan.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Patrick Cox is an articulate speaker and he offers great insight into the world of design, innovation and brand creation. [/expand]

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Investor / Director & Former BBC Ventures Chief Executive

Roger Flynn is a worldwide expert in transformational change. His experience is unique having been the CEO/Director leading transformational change in five global companies. He has run businesses with turnovers of up to £2bn, with millions of customers and thousands of staff. He is currently investor in and Chairman of Biofuels Media Ltd (bioenergy exhibitions and publishing), bigrock Ltd (people performance software) and Vector Group Ltd (global strategy implementation). His observations, vision, solutions and stories have proven invaluable to organisations around the world.

“Roger achieved a remarkable turnaround and created real value in the Ventures businesses”
– Greg Dyke

[expand title=”In detail”] Following a successful MBO with Warburg Pincus, Roger ran the European and Asian businesses of SDI Media Group, a global Film and Television business. Prior to SDI, Roger was Chief Executive of BBC Ventures Group and BBC main board member and created over £1bn of value; Managing Director of Prudential Retail, with £2bn sales, 6m customers and 6,000 staff; General Manager World Sales & Distribution at British Airways and transformed distribution; Director of Virgin working directly for Sir Richard Branson on deals and new business ideas.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Roger seeks to understand the business challenges facing your organisation and tailor his presentation to have maximum impact on the audience.

He is uniquely placed to talk on the business methodologies adopted by Virgin, drawing parallels from their successes, and showing how organisations can compete using their values to develop and create their own leading brand in the world.

His insights into the people and cultural aspects of transformational change in the highly charged environment of the BBC provide valuable lessons for any organisation undertaking a period of significant change. Roger brings real and practical solutions to current challenges, and helps organisations discover how doing things differently can lead to incredible innovation, momentum and results.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Roger is very engaging and inspiring when he talks. He connects with audiences at a business and personal level in a down to earth and practical way that enables them to see how the ideas and experiences can apply to them in their own situation.[/expand]

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American Pianist, Keyboardist, Bandleader and Composer

Herbie Hancock is a true icon of modern music. Throughout his explorations, he has transcended limitations and genres while maintaining his unmistakable voice. With an illustrious career spanning five decades and 14 Grammy® Awards, including Album of the Year for River: The Joni Letters, he continues to amaze audiences across the globe. Now in the fifth decade of his professional life, Herbie Hancock remains where he has always been: in the forefront of world culture, technology, business and music. Though one can’t track exactly where he will go next, he is sure to leave his inimitable imprint wherever he lands.

“A legendary jazz musician”

[expand title=”In detail”] There are few artists in the music industry who have had more influence on acoustic and electronic jazz and R&B than Herbie Hancock. As the immortal Miles Davis said in his autobiography, “Herbie was the step after Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, and I haven’t heard anybody yet who has come after him.” Born in Chicago, Herbie was a child piano prodigy who performed a Mozart piano concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age 11. He began playing jazz in high school, initially influenced by Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. He also developed a passion for electronics and science, and double-majored in music and electrical engineering at Grinnell College.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]A talented musician with an extensive career behind him, Herbie Hancock provides engaging presentations to audiences at events throughout the country. He offers audiences an insight and anecdotes from his career in the music business. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Herbie is a passionate and creative artist who is popular with a variety of audiences at events throughout the world.[/expand]

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Entrepreneur & Self Taught Programmer

Jordan Casey is a 15 year old entrepreneur and self-taught programmer from Waterford City in Ireland. Jordan became known publicly; when in February 2012 he was became one of Europe’s youngest iOS app developers by releasing a mobile game onto the iTunes store. The game called Alien Ball Vs Humans subsequently went to the number 1 on the iTunes charts. He is the Ambassador for Bizworld (An entrepreneurial programme for schools to encourage students to think about entrepreneurship in a more creative way).

“Start listening to the innovators of tomorrow”

[expand title=”In detail”] Jordan began programming at the age of 9yr through watching YouTube videos, internet and reading books on programming.
In 2012, Jordan also founded 2 companies, Casey Games, a mobile games company along with TeachWare, a Cloud BasedStudent Management. He announced his application Eventzy at the Web summit in Dublinin October 2014.Jordan is also an Advisory member for Mind Candy – The Company behind the hugely successful ‘Moshi Monsters’.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Jordan is a speaker and advisor on various forums in Ireland and the EU on youth technology and youth entrepreneurship. Jordan offers audiences an insight on how his company came to be and the secrets of his success at such an early age.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Jordan Casey is an enthusiastic speaker, full of energy and positivitywhoinspires and motivates audiences around the globe offering an added-value experience to each event.[/expand]

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Fintech Expert & Serial Tech Entrepreneur

Luis Carranza is a serial entrepreneur and key player in the global tech scene. He is the Founder of Fintech Ltd., a London based innovation consultancy that runs several events, including London’s largest Fintech festival, Fintech Week. In 2015 Fintech Ltd. is planning a series of Fintech events to continue to raise awareness of the financial services Technology renaissance. Luis also runs one of London’s largest technology / entrepreneur communities and led digital and innovation strategy across some of the best agencies and working on some of the world’s best known brands including Mazda, Dyson, FIFA, Adidas, and HSBC among others.

“Luis Carranza has the ability to think outside the box”

[expand title=”In detail”] Luis started his work in the financial services sector as a strategist and quickly made a name for himself running innovation days for clients like Western Union. Then he noticed that the Fintech sector was gaining momentum and created London Fintech Week to unite the ecosystem into a community in order to fast track innovation and investment in the sector. Following that he helped launch Innovate Finance, a new trade organisation tasked to champion London’s Fintech sector and unite large enterprises with growing Fintech companies. Luis holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Masters in Brand Management. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Luis has a great business instinct and is a seasoned problem solver with a clear understanding of brands, technology and human behaviour. He delivers strategic thinking to decision makers at the highest level and works alongside creative and technical teams in order to bring promises to life.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]An entrepreneur at heart, Luis’ presentations are creative, innovative and highly inspiring. He is in great demand to speak at prestigious conferences around the globe. [/expand]

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Leading Authority on the Luxury Goods Industry

Marie-France Pochna is a luxury industry watcher and authority on the power of innovation that drives this multi-billion dollar industry. An award winning author, Marie-France has also written biographies on several of the fashion industry’s key players. She teaches an MBA course in luxury brands at ESSEC, the leading French business school in Paris and at the London College of Fashion as well as Cass University.

“Ms. Pochna brings to her subject a reporter’s doggedness and a mechanic’s knack for assembling a whole from parts” New York Times

[expand title=”In detail”] Born and educated in France, Marie-France obtained a law degree from Paris University and became a member of the Paris Bar. She subsequently joined the international law firm, Coudert Brothers, working both in Paris and New York.
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[expand title=”What she offers you”]She has become an acclaimed guest lecturer analysing creative methods that have established the luxury industry as the forerunner of our global consumer culture. Her speeches investigate the power and the prestige of the global luxury industry and its impact on society and the economy.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]An enchanting and eloquent speaker, Marie–France always captivates audiences with her in-depth knowledge and well-informed opinions.[/expand]

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Humorist, Web Artist, One of the Most Influential Online Entertainers

Ze Frank rose to Internet fame in 2001 with his viral video How to Dance Properly. Over 50 million people have visited his website which has won a Webby and was in Time magazine’s Top 50 websites of 2005. He is now one of the most influential on-line entertainers and helps organisations understand how to create contagious and viral media, how to leverage social media and how to think about creative development in general. He is currently creating a series of video commentaries for Time entitled That Makes Me Think of…

“The internet is not just a technology revolution; it’s a social revolution”

[expand title=”In detail”] At the age of 34, Ze Frank (pronounced “Zay”) seized upon that hot-and-up-and-coming phenomenon known as video-blogging or “Vlogging”. The Show with ZeFrank was a short video programme produced weekdays for one year. He was Artist in Residence at MSN helping them develop strategies for creating and maintaining online community spaces. Ze has worked as a consultant for a number of large organisations on issues surrounding online community building. He has lectured at several universities and art colleges including the New York University and the Royal College of Art in London. Currently he serves on the advisory board of Bazaarvoice.com and Buzzfeed.com. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]As a designer, performer, and consultant, Ze Frank explores the ways that technology shapes the human experience. He brings audiences an experience they will never forget, a truly entertaining and yet insightful look at how technology and creativity intersect, especially in web design, marketing and new forms of media. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]He describes himself as a mastermind of online entertainment and very few speakers so effectively combine style with content, humour with ideas and insight. Ze is also an extremely entertaining and highly accomplished moderator who is able to inject plenty of energy into any event. [/expand]

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CEO at Ortiz Industry Inc and Former Global Creative Director at Nike

Claire Ortiz is CEO and cofounder of “intelligent fashion” company Ortiz Industry, Inc. For more than 25 years, Claire has built infrastructure and led teams in startup environments and global corporations like Nike, Wilson and UnderArmour. She has garnered a reputation for her entrepreneurial edge and ability to transform brands into major revenue generators. As Global Creative Director at Nike, Claire was hired by basketball legend Michael Jordan to turn Brand Jordan Apparel into a success. She carved out distribution channels and partnerships across the U.S., Asia and Europe.

“A respected apparel-industry executive”

[expand title=”In detail”] Claire’s design background matches her entrepreneurial expertise. She is a self-taught designer who created and sold her own successful label, Smoke Street Couture, in her early 20s. At 26, she was hired by the founder of Esprit Des Corps to be Director of Design, heading the design of all women’s products in the U.S. She also led creative and product development at Eddie Bauer and AirWalk, as well as brands like VH1 and MTV. Claire is a highly sought after speaker and consultant, with clients like MagicSourcing, SPG, Babolat, Tennis Warehouse, Men Chuen Fibre, numerous schools and universities and several others.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Claire Ortiz shares with audiences around the world her ability to transform brands into major revenue generators. Her expertise is based in building infrastructures, creating in depth Idea to Consumer roadmaps, execution strategies for large and small brands, as well as reorganizing teams, building marketing and marketing strategies. She is also known in her industry as ‘the fixer’. [/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Claire is a persuasive and charismatic speaker who has a tremendous knack for making ideas come to life in an easily digestible way. Her presentations are delivered in her natural ‘real talk’ style and a bit of comedy to make audiences feel at ease, especially on complex topics.[/expand]

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