The Leading Speakers Bureau

Former Wimbledon Star

John McEnroe first made Grand Slam headlines in 1977 while still in his teens by capturing the French Open mixed doubles title and reaching the singles semi-finals at Wimbledon. He achieved further prominence in 1978 when he won the NCAA singles title during an All-American freshman season at Stanford University.

He then turned professional and began asserting his mastery with three successive US Open Championships in 1979, 1980 and 1981. He ended Borg’s five-year reign at Wimbledon with a commanding victory in 1981 that landed him as the men’s top ranked player (and youngest to achieve it), a position he held for four years. He took another Wimbledon title in 1983. But John McEnroe’s most memorable year was 1984 with Wimbledon and US Open titles and the highest annual winning percentage in Open history.

[expand title=”In detail”] In addition to his singles achievements, John has dominated the field as a doubles player, earning four Wimbledon titles and three US Open titles. John was the world’s top-ranked doubles player, as well as the leading men’s singles player. His 1992 Wimbledon doubles victory with Michael Stich raised him to the top-ten pantheon of Grand Slam winners.

John McEnroe’s most notable tennis accomplishments, however, are in his Davis Cup history, a tournament in which John has represented the USA for many years. He led the US team to the title several times while establishing the record for the most US Davis Cup wins.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Currently, John McEnroe excels as a network television commentator for the CBS, NBC and USA Networks at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. He also competes in a select number of tournaments and several special events and has recently opened the John McEnroe Gallery in New York, featuring the works of some of his favourite artists. It seems fitting that the world’s greatest tennis artist is helping contemporary artists achieve prominence and fame.[/expand]
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Branding & Marketing Pioneer and World-class Photographer

Oliviero Toscani’s internationally recognised work includes corporate images and advertising campaigns and was the creative force behind some of the most successful brands including Benetton, Esprit, Valentino, Chanel, Fiorucci. Most of the Benetton advertising campaigns were institutionals for the brand, always composed of rather controversial photography, usually with only the company logo “United Colors of Benetton” as caption. He is creating with La Regione Toscana a new research facility for modern communication called ‘La Sterpia’.

“The man behind some of the most memorable and controversial ads in history”

[expand title=”In detail”] Oliviero Toscani has worked as fashion photographer in the pages of magazines such as Elle, Vogue, GQ, Harper’s, Esquire and Stern among others. In 2005, five years after his resignation from Benetton, he sparked controversy again with his photographs for an advertising campaign for the men’s clothing brand ‘Ra-Re’. In 1993, he invented, founded, and directed Fabrica, the international center for research in the arts of modern communication. In 1990 he conceived, created and directed Colors, the world’s first global magazine, making of it a cult magazine, which set a trend for a lot of new editorial and communications projects. For his work he has won numerous awards.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]No stranger to controversy Oliviero Toscani has gained a reputation as a unique, masterful and highly creative individual. Being able to communicate in ways unthinkable to a traditional multinational corporation his presentations provide fascinating insights into the mindset of a true pioneer. Toscani’s work may be a form of cynicism, or it may be a vehicle for stirring up debate around social issues. Or it may be both.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Oliviero Toscani is a frank and passionate speaker and a truly colourful character, very comfortable with the seeming contradictions in his nature.[/expand]
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Former World No. 1 Tennis Player

Bjorn Borg is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden and is regarded by some observers and tennis players as the greatest player in the sport’s history. During a 9-year career, he won 41 percent of the Grand Slam singles tournaments he entered and 89.8 percent of the Grand Slam singles matches he played. Both are male open era records. In addition, Borg’s six French Open and five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles are an all-time record. He is also the only player to have won in three consecutive years both Wimbledon and the French Open.

“A Tennis Icon”

[expand title=”In detail”] Nowadays the company, Worldwide Brand Management AB, licenses his name under the Bjorn Borg Sport collection in seven European markets. The upscale line, created in 1997, includes clothes, footwear, bags, eyewear and fragrances. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]As a former tennis superstar with universal appeal, Bjorn speaks candidly about the ups and downs of his career and inspires audiences with his motivational messages.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Bjorn holds audiences attention around the world with his absorbing presentations.[/expand]
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Academy Award-winning Director of Avatar, Titanic, Terminator, The Abyss and many other blockbusters

James Cameron is a Canadian film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, and inventor. His writing and directing work includes The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, True Lies, Titanic and Avatar. In total, Cameron’s directorial efforts have grossed approximately US$1.75 billion in North America and US$4.91 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing directors of all time. Titanic and Avatar are currently the top two highest-grossing films of all time.

“James Cameron has made motion picture history and touched the lives of millions”

[expand title=”In detail”] Described by a biographer as part-scientist and part-artist, James Cameron has also contributed to underwater filming and remote vehicle technologies. After seeing the original Star Wars film in 1977, he quit his job as a truck driver to enter the film industry. So important is technology in Cameron’s films that he waited years for the technical tools of the craft to advance sufficiently to realize his vision for Avatar, for which he had special 3-D cameras developed. For a time he even sat on NASA’s Advisory Council.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]James Cameron has major clout in Hollywood. He has always cared about making sure the facts are right and in his fascinating presentations he shares this attention to detail, as well as other facets of his groundbreaking work. His reputation as a driven perfectionist has become part of Hollywood legend. With his experience, a James Cameron speaker appearance engages and touches on many topics.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Having blazed new trails in visual effects and set numerous performance records, James Cameron is truly unique. While his outsize films push the bounds of technology, they’re always anchored in human stories with heart and soul and James easily conveys these feelings in his insightful talks.[/expand]
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The Most In-demand Designer in the World

Bruce Mau is the Principle of Bruce Mau Design and founder of Massive Change, a true optimist with a practical streak a mile long. An expert on innovation and creativity, he shows us how design is improving the quality of life for millions of people around the world, and how we can, and must, extend this revolution to the entire human race. He has worked on numerous high profile projects, and is currently working on a project to build better learning environments around the world.

“The brilliance of a sustainable idea is that it also makes sense for business”

[expand title=”In detail”] Bruce Mau is internationally applauded for his ambition, his humour, his close collaboration with clients (Knoll, Roots, architect Rem Koolhaas), and most significantly, his unerring optimism. For over twenty years, at Bruce Mau Design in Toronto (and now in Chicago) he’s designed everything from exquisite books to bookstores; and from signage systems to a museum of biodiversity with Frank Gehry. In his recent exhibit Massive Change, about the potential of design to solve the world’s most pressing problems, he expanded design into intellectual territory it rarely dares to tread.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]In his talks, Bruce Mau gives us a glimpse at the future of human civilization. Drawing on new developments in urban planning, social philanthropy, material science, radical economics, architecture and social networking, to name just a few, he provides an inspiring, big picture look that offers countless examples of positive changes, massive changes, that are reshaping the world for the better. He has lectured widely across North America and Europe.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]One of the world’s most sought-after designers, Bruce Mau urges us to do more of what we love with less of what we need in his inspirational and thought-provoking presentations, often with playful statements about the visual and cultural trends that influence today’s design culture.[/expand]
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International Management Consultant, Specialist in Strategic, Cultural & Behavioural Change

Phil Atkinson has been driving management and organisational change in ‘blue chip’ multinationals for more than 20 years. He is the director of Philip Atkinson Consultants and an associate of Woburn Consulting Group Ltd providing services to many blue-chip companies. He also designs learning strategies and business simulations and games to enable organisations to develop tailor-made strategies for accelerating and sustaining the implementation of change.

“One of those rare individuals who can significantly influence a company’s profitability and future”

[expand title=”In detail”] Phil Atkinson has partnered with a variety of blue chip companies in the UK, Europe and North America in industries ranging from Pharmaceuticals to Genetics and the Automotive Industry to Finance & Banking. His articles are regularly published in a number of management journals. He is the author of seven books on change management and regularly presents at conferences and workshops.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]As a specialist in change management, Phil Atkinson presents his view on helping people to transform themselves in order to make strategic leaps in improving their businesses. He facilitates a strong business culture focused entirely on the customer or your client. He helps people discover new tools for driving personal branding, showing us all how personal branding and influencing can enhance business performance, productivity and international competitiveness.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]A leading thinker, writer and practitioner in change, Phil’s master classes are geared to be highly interactive, candid and pragmatic in approach.[/expand]
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Former Dutch Professional Tennis Player, 1996 Wimbledon Men’s Singles Champion and Sport star speaker

Richard Krajicek is a Dutch Tennis legend. Since 2004 he has been the tournament director of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam. In 2009 he made a surprise appearance on the professional golf circuit as a caddie for Wil Besseling, having managed him for two seasons. Since leaving the top-level of the game, Krajicek has featured alongside other retired professionals on the Tour of Champions and run The Richard Krajicek Foundation which builds sports facilities for children in the Netherlands’ inner-city areas.

“The ’96 Wimbledon champion was nicknamed ‘Crackerjack’ for his awesomely powerful serve”

[expand title=”In detail”] Richard Krajicek began playing tennis at the age of four, and after several successful years on the junior circuit, he turned professional in 1989. He retired from the professional tour in 2003. During his career, he won 17 singles and 3 doubles titles. His career-high singles ranking was world number 4 in 1999 and was named ATP Comeback Player of the Year in 2002. In 2000 he earned ATP’s Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of Year award, and in 1999 the Dutch Postal system released a stamp featuring the ’96 Wimbledon champion. He was awarded The Dutch Sportsman of the Year 1996, organized by the Dutch Olympic Committee.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Having been through some tough times in his career and overcome them to become the only Dutch player to have won a Grand Slam, Richard Krajicek’s story is one with many ups and downs. In his motivating presentations he explains how he dealt with setbacks and gives insights into his ambitions on his way to the summit.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Best remembered for winning the 1996 Wimbledon Championships and ending the dominance of Pete Sampras at the All England Club, the 6′ 5″ Dutchman, Richard Krajicek is a powerful and emotive speaker. He speaks about his experiences in professional athletics and the lessons he drew from them.[/expand]
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Lecturer & Researcher Carlos III University, Madrid

Irene Tinagli’s work focuses on policies for innovation, creativity and regional development. She has worked as a consultant for the Department of Social and Economic Affairs of the United Nations, for the European Commission, and for regional governments and development agencies in various European countries.

Irene Tinagli works on two levels: macro and micro”

[expand title=”In detail”] Irene Tinagli holds a Master of Science in Innovation Management and Policies and a PhD in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. She has authored and co-authored international publications including ‘Europe in the Creative Age’ (with R. Florida) and ‘Understanding Knowledge Societies’ (with J. Szeremeta) and is an editorialist for the Italian newspaper La Stampa… Her research focuses on the social and economic conditions that lead to creativity and innovation. At the macro level she explores the geographic distribution of human capital and innovative activities and investigates the sources of regional growth, innovation and competitiveness. At the micro level, she explores the psychological mechanisms that attract and retain people in one place and that stimulate them to undertake more creative / innovative activities.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Irene Tinagli’s research is focused on the concept of innovation in social contexts, cities and regions, comparing global trends and local systems. Her invaluable presentations examine how countries and cities are adapting to the 21st century global economy, probing the opportunities and challenges that Europe faces in the global competition for creative and talented people. Her professional activities range from consulting, research projects, to training, executive education and speaking engagements, as well as participation to advisory boards and scientific committees.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Irene Tinagli’s expertly delivered presentations are high in content, clear and informative.[/expand]
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American Novelist, Author of New York Times Bestsellers Committed & Eat, Pray, Love and Spiritual speaker

Elizabeth Gilbert is most famous for her book ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, the story of the year she spent travelling around the world in search of personal restoration after a difficult divorce. The result is a book which has exploded in popularity with women across the planet. She was a staff writer for five years at GQ, where her stories earned her three National Magazine Award nominations. She has also written for such varied publications as The New York Times Magazine (Yoga Y’all!), Allure, Real Simple and Travel and Leisure. She has been a contributor to the public radio show This American Life. Her editor calls her the “Queen of Quirk”.

One of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, 2008

[expand title=”In detail”] After graduating from New York University, Elizabeth Gilbert used money earned at a Philadelphia diner to travel. Coming from an educated, ascetic rural Connecticut upbringing, she came to her writing career with fearless reporting skills, an abiding appreciation for working-class values with an attendant scepticism of politically correct liberalism. Much of her writing has been optioned by Hollywood for potential films; one GQ story, a memoir about Gilbert’s career as a bartender in a lowdown East Village dive (“The Muse of the Coyote Ugly Saloon”) became the basis for the Disney movie Coyote Ugly.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Brilliant and personal, rich in spiritual insight, filled with sorrow and a great sense of humour, Elizabeth Gilbert is everything you would love in a tour guide, of magical places she has travelled to both deep inside and across the oceans: she’s wise, jaunty, human, ethereal, hilarious, heartbreaking, and pays great attention to the things that really matter. She muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses – and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person “being” a genius, all of us “have” a genius.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Expansive, exploratory, playful, bright and armed with a comic’s sense of timing, Elizabeth Gilbert has an awful lot of humour and charm. She also talks the way she writes – with intelligence, wit and not just a shade of the performer behind her expressive and insightful presentations. She delivers funny, personal and surprisingly moving talks.[/expand]
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One of the Leading Web Futurists

Jeff Jarvis is the creator of the popular weblog BuzzMachine, which tracks developments in new media, and is now co-host on This Week in Google, a TWiT.tv show about cloud computing and social networking. He gained national notoriety when he wrote about his negative experiences in dealing with Dell Computer’s customer support system on his website.

Named one of 100 worldwide media leaders by the World Economic Forum at Davos in 2007 & 2008

[expand title=”In detail”] Jeff Jarvis was one of the first to report on the aftermath at the World Trade Center attacks, having just arrived on the last train from New Jersey as the first plane struck. The experience was what spurred him on to his new “career” as a blogger. He is the former television critic for TV Guide and People magazine, creator of Entertainment Weekly, Sunday editor and associate publisher of the New York Daily News, and a columnist on the San Francisco Examiner. He has appeared frequently on TV and radio, including ABC’s 20/20 and World News Tonight, CNN’s Reliable Sources, MSNBC (where he was a regular blog contributor), Fox News, Oprah, PBS’ News Hour, CNBC’s Kudlow & Company and The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, the BBC, Sky News (where he is a regular contributor), and public radio’s Marketwatch and Morning Edition.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]One of the few new-media consultant types who came over from old media, highly respected blogger, media commentator and thought leader, Jeff Jarvis has been a consultant and guru to companies that range from The New York Times Company to General Motors, and is a frequent keynote speaker and business leadership speaker for companies and at conferences around the globe, most notably at the World Economic Forum at Davos. In talks, he provides an indispensable manual for survival and success and asks the most important question today’s leaders, in any industry, can ask themselves: What would Google do?[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Jeff Jarvis’ style is personal and immediate. He’s has a natural charisma, with an ability to entwine his life and those of the rest of us in his musings. He expertly presents his ideas for surviving and prospering in the Internet age, with its new set of rules for emerging technologies as well as industries such as retail, manufacturing, and service.[/expand]
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