The Leading Speakers Bureau

Chairman of ASOS & Former CEO of Amazon.co.uk

Brian McBride is Chairman of ASOS, the leading on-line fashion retailer, and Wiggle, the on-line cycling retailer. He is also Senior Non Executive Director at AO.com and is Senior Adviser with Scottish Equity Partners. He is a member of the UK Government’s Digital Advisory Board, which steers the digital delivery of Government services to citizens, and a member of the Court (Governing Body) of the University of Glasgow.

“An expert on retail and data driven companies”

[expand title=”In detail”] He was CEO of Amazon.co.uk from 2006 to 2011 having led it through its high growth period. He began his career with Xerox and subsequently worked in senior roles at IBM, Dell Computers and as Managing Director of T-Mobile (UK). He has been a Non Executive Director of Celtic Football Club PLC, SThree PLC, and Computacenter PLC and has served as a Non Executive Director on the Board of the BBC and the Advisory Board of Huawei UK.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]An experienced speaker at international events, Brian shares his learning and insights on being data driven, the device’s usage and social media implications and how to transform traditional business culture into an environment ready to compete intelligently in the e-commerce world. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Brian is a highly motivating and articulate speaker. His enlightening presentations are always well received. He not only inspires but also presents his clients with actionable solutions that can be implemented immediately.[/expand]

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Triple Dakar Rally Champion

Cyril Despres is the three times Dakar Rally Champion in the bike category. After 14 stages and almost 10,000km he hailed his 3rd win as particularly satisfying, perhaps because rather than being the result of circumstances it was the fruit of many months of preparation and hard work. Cyril’s 2nd Dakar victory in 2007 was one of the proudest of his career, after overcoming a catalogue of problems to emerge victorious. Cyril lay only 24th after three stages of the event following an oil leak, engine problems and a broken clutch, and got lost for 15 minutes during the second week.

“Three times winner of the world’s toughest motorcycling challenge”

[expand title=”In detail”] Cyril Despres started his career riding trial bikes. In 1998 Cyril took part in the Tunisian rally and shortly afterwards in his first Dakar Cyril surprised everyone by finishing 16th. After his first ride in the Dakar, Cyril took part in the Tuquet Endurance rally followed by rallies in Morocco, Rumania, Tunisia, Spain and Egypt before winning his first Dakar in 2005. In the 2009 Argentina – Chile Dakar, when after three days, Cyril found himself in 22nd position, he was forced to dig deep and find the determination, not just to continue riding but to continue racing. Pushing all the way to the end Cyril finished overall second.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Cyril is an expert on self-motivation, teamwork and crisis management. He offers audiences a first hand look at what it takes to win the toughest motorcycle race in the world and how we can use his winning formula to achieve our goals.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]An experienced media personality, Cyril is able to tailor his presentations for any event and his inspiring talks are backed up with some dramatic footage from his winning Dakar races.[/expand]

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Professional Racing Driver, The Stig, TV Presenter, World Record Breaker & Hollywood Stunt Driver

Ben Collins is one of Britain’s most renowned and unusual sportsmen. He is most famous for his role as the Stig, but he is respected as a focussed and successful businessman. Ben has put every known supercar to the test, racing the world’s greatest cars, from the Bugatti Veyron and Ferrari 430 Scuderia to a London Routemaster. From the anonymity of his white helmet he taught some of the world’s most famous stars how to lay down a fast racing lap, managed to catch a parachutist in his moving car and coached a blind man how to take on a chicane.

Ben’s career has been touched by the unusual, the extreme and the unknown

[expand title=”In detail”] As a journalist, Ben writes for Autosport and The Sunday Times and is currently a presenter for Channel Five’s Fifth Gear program. Ben has commanded James Bond’s Aston Martin in the last James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, and performed as Nic Cage’s driving stunt double. He has presented a TV show for the BBC called Extreme Teens and has carried out some daring stunts on numerous car shows such as Driven, Top Gear and Pulling Power. He was hired by Hornby plc for several years as the Brand Manager for Scalextric, during which time sales of the model cars rebounded under his direction. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Ben is an expert on cars and above all on driving and the mental aptitude required to be a professional. He is able to get across what it really feels like to go racing and relate his knowledge of personal development to everyday life. The concept of winning was etched into his ethos from a young age and the determination to succeed has remained a constant in his life. Ben understands the corporate world well and spends a great deal of time hosting corporate events and track days and is astute to the relationships between companies.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Ben’s boundless enthusiasm, interest in all things and never say die attitude makes him an endearing guest and a captivating speaker. His unique and ongoing career exemplifies making the most of every opportunity and his story relates how personal development and great commitment will overcome all the odds.[/expand]

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Acclaimed Political Satirist

Bassem Youssef is an Egyptian satirist, a columnist and a former cardiac surgeon. He hosted the most popular political satire TV show Al-Bernameg, which was the first of its kind political satire show in the Middle East region. Originally an online 5-minute show, Al-Bernameg became the most watched show in the history of Egyptian TV with an average of 40 million viewers every week, in addition to over 2 million subscribers on YouTube and 700 million views on his own channel and other channels.

Named in 2013 one of the “100 most influential people in the world” by Time magazine

[expand title=”In detail”] Al-Bernameg received wide acclaim around the world with coverage in some of the biggest media outlets. The second season, aired on CBC network, was the first live audience show in the Middle East. In June 2014, Bassim announced the termination of the show due to pressure on both the show and the airing channel. Foreign Policy magazine named Bassem one of the 100 Leading Global Thinkers. In 2013 he received the International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists. Bassem is a spring fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Bassem is an accomplished speaker, host and interviewer. His bold, intelligent and humorous critiques of the political situation in the Middle East make him a sought after commentator at prestigious conference around the globe. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Highly charismatic and thought provoking, Bassem Youssef engages audiences with his sharp political analysis and fine humour. [/expand]

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Chief Foreign Affairs Columnist for the Financial Times

Gideon Rachman became chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times in 2006. Currently he writes their blog on international affairs and is also an associate editor. He joined the FT after a 15-year career at The Economist, which included spells as a foreign correspondent in Brussels, Washington and Bangkok. He also edited The Economist’s business and Asia sections.

“Gideon is an elegant and provocative commentator with very wide experience overseas and in the UK”

[expand title=”In detail”] Gideon Rachman obtained a first class honours degree in History from Cambridge University. He started his career with the BBC World Service (1984-1987). He was a visiting fellow and Fulbright scholar, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University. He later became a reporter for The Sunday Correspondent, stationed in Washington DC. He also wrote the Charlemagne column from Brussels in his role as EU Correspondent. He has also been writing articles for Prospect Magazine and was a contributing editor to The Washington Quarterly from 1996-2006.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Gideon Rachman’s particular interests include American foreign policy, the European Union and globalisation. He has also made regular appearances on TV and radio. He draws on his extensive knowledge to offer audiences fascinating forecasts and insights into the current foreign affairs and economic landscape.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Gideon Rachman’s presentations are insightful and thought provoking. In a light and relaxed way, he conveys complex issues with great clarity.
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Editor-in-Chief of The Economist

Zanny Minton Beddoes is the Editor-in-Chief of The Economist and the first female to hold the position in the prestigious publications 170+ year history. Prior to her current role she was The Economist’s Economic editor. She travelled extensively in Latin America and Eastern Europe, writing editorials and country analyses. She has written extensively about international financial issues, the future of the IMF, economic reforms in emerging economies, the world economy, Latin American and global finance and Central Asia. Ms Minton Beddoes is a regular TV and radio commentator on PBS, NPR, CNN and CNBC.

“A renowned authority on the world economy and global financial issues”

[expand title=”In detail”] Ms Minton Beddoes holds an undergraduate degree from Oxford University and a master’s degree from Harvard University.
She joined The Economist in 1994 after spending two years as an economist at the IMF where she worked on macroeconomic adjustment programmes in Africa and the transition economies of Eastern Europe. Before joining the IMF, she worked as an adviser to the Minister of Finance in Poland as part of a small group of experts. She is a trustee of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a member of the Research Advisory Board of the Committee for Economic Development.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]As a prestigious expert on economic and financial topics and being a pioneer in economic journalism, Zanny Minton Beddoes analyses how financial and economic trends will impact businesses and industries. She is in great demand to advise global decision makers from all fields. [/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Ms Minton Beddoes offers extensive experience and unique perspectives that engage and inspire audiences around the globe.[/expand]

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CEO & Founder of GDR Creative Intelligence

Kate Ancketillis the CEO and Founder of GDR Creative Intelligence, a globally recognised consultancy focused on innovation and emerging trends in retail, leisure and hospitality around the world.Kate won the Jennifer d’Abo Memorial Scholarship for female entrepreneurs in 2007 and was selected as one of the UK’s top 100 in the Courvoisier Future 500 in 2009.As CEO of GDR, Kate is retained by an impressive roster of major global brands.

“Meaningful innovation often starts with inspiration from unexpected places”

[expand title=”In detail”] Founded in 1992, GDR Creative Intelligence is an independent consultancy that provides the world’s leading consumer brands with brand marketing and retail futures insight. The team researches, analyses and showcases key innovation trends to help clients compete. GDR is retained by brands and retailers for its personalized digital innovation platform, interactive presentations and workshops, custom research projects and real-world learning experiences where they can see innovation working in the field. The company also does creative matchmaking, thanks to its relationships with a diverse network of the best agencies worldwide.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Kate’s highly curated content illustrates how new technologies and consumer behaviours will impact physical and digital commerce globally.Her trademark wow-factor multi-media narratives explore the fast-moving impact of technological, human and spatial innovations that will change the face of retail and hospitality over the next two to five years. [/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Kate specialises in making complex and fast-moving tech simple for the non IT audience. Her audiences take away concrete action points for future-proofing their business and a broad perspective on priorities for investment; as well as a mind fizzing with new, stimulating and challenging concepts and possibilities.[/expand]

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Entrepreneur& Lead Founder of the Alibaba Group

Jack Ma is the lead founder of Alibaba Group. After the company’s debut in 1999, he served as Group chairman and chief executive officer for more than a decade, with responsibility for overall strategy and focus. On May 10, 2013, he stepped down as Chief Executive Officer but remains executive chairman and continues to shape the Group’s business strategy and management development.

“One of the most successful Chinese Internet entrepreneurs”

[expand title=”In detail”] Jack Ma graduated from Hangzhou Teacher’s Institute with a major in English. He currently serves on the board of SoftBank Corp., a leading digital information company that is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. He is also a director of Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, a company listed on The Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Jack became a trustee of The Nature Conservancy’s China program in 2009; joined the global board of directors of the organization in 2010; and has served as chair of The Nature Conservancy’s China board of directors since May 11, 2013. In September 2013, he joined the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Foundation as a director.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Jack Ma draws on his considerable expertise as a successful business leader, offering audiences a wealth of useful insights into creating successful businesses and generating wealth based on his first hand experiences.
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[expand title=”How he presents”]Jack Ma is as an enthralling speaker with a penchant for puns and slogans who is renowned for speaking at conferences around the globe.[/expand]

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Educational Consultant & Author of The Wonder Approach

Catherine L’Ecuyer, a Canadian lawyer with an MBA,currently works as researcher, writer and speaker on The Wonder Approach, a new learning theory that she recently published in the prestigious academic journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Her book, The Wonder Approach, has been published in Italy, Corea and Spain (2012), where it is considered as a bestseller (10th edition)

“In education, more is not necessarily better”

[expand title=”In detail”] For the last 20 years, our children have lived in an environment that is more and more frenetic, competitive and demanding. During these years parents have met with a new challenge in education. They have come to believe that “more and earlier is better”. As a result, children are encouraged to play with educational toys, are pressured to excel in one activity after another and are exposed to hours of fast paced screen viewing. Do children need so much input? It is time to unveil a series of educational myths. Updates in neuroscience tell us that more and earlier is not the better. On the contrary, constant noise and stimulus consume our children’s attention, and interrupt their natural learning process, making it increasingly difficult for them to observe, to question and to wonder[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]According to Aristotle, all men by nature desire to learn, or “wonder”. The wonder approach consists in creating a favorable environment, so that the natural desire to learn can flourish in our children and later teenagers. The wonder approach is about respecting our children’s own pace, their need for silence, nature and mystery, giving them opportunities for beauty and giving them back the love of learning they were born with.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Catherine has a unique talent of understanding, energising and motivating her audience through a blend of storytelling, humour and knowledge. Her warmth and empathy connects her to audiences and her understanding and experience of children’s education is unique. [/expand]

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Management Consultant and one of today‘s savviest business authorities on reinventing the logic of how business gets done

Anja Förster is a bestselling author, management consultant and one of today‘s savviest business authorities on reinventing the logic of how business gets done.. She is a member of the Top 100 Jury, an initiative that awards the Best Innovator prize in Germany. Anja also lectures at the ZfU International Business School in Switzerland. Living in Germany, Anja writes her books in the US and picks up unusual business solutions on her extensive travels through North America and Asia.

“Crazy is who always does the same but hopes for a different result”

[expand title=”In detail”] Anja Förster studied Business Administration in Germany, before being awarded a scholarship to continue her studies at a renowned American Graduate School of International Management and lived and worked in the US for several years. She was a senior manager at one of the world’s leading consulting companies before deciding to branch out and found her own management consultancy. Travelling all over Europe, she applies her theories in practice. Her clients include BMW, Deutsche Bank, Swisscom Mobile, Siemens etc.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Anja is a provocative and inspiring voice on management and innovation. She shares her unique insights into what it takes to succeed in today’s rapidly changing business world and highlights growth opportunities. Additionally she challenges people to turn long-held industry conventions on their head, fearlessly challenges the old guard and amazes her audience with new and unique products and services.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Entertaining, thought-provoking and passionate, her presentations don’t just talk about being different they inspire people to be different. Her dynamic and entertaining approach leaves a lasting impression on her audience, leaving them energised. [/expand]

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