The Leading Speakers Bureau

Polar Adventurer

In 2000 Alan Chambers led the first successful unassisted British Expedition to the North Pole from Canada. Walking 500 miles and enduring remarkable challenges, he was subsequently awarded the MBE for ‘Outstanding leadership in the face of extreme adversity.’ Alan is an Honorary Director of the Johnnie Walker Fund, a panel of experienced businessmen and adventurers, who sponsor global expeditions emphasising key values such as leadership and personal progress.

“Alan is a truly unique and inspirational individual”

[expand title=”In detail”] Alan Chambers joined the Royal Marine Commandos in 1985 and continued to serve in the Royal Marines for the next sixteen years, qualifying as a diver, parachutist, paramedic and ski survival instructor. Whilst in the Marines, he travelled the world, working in the Arctic, desert, jungle and mountains. He spent four winters in the mountains of North Norway spending extensive time teaching and instructing and leading various size teams of Marines, until Christmas 2000, when he left the service.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Alan’s vision is to help leaders in business achieve new heights, drawing on his inspiration from his own personal experiences. He has been engaged by business leaders the world over to present his core messages about how to achieve the impossible and the importance of strong leadership.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]With a backdrop of dramatic photos from his polar trek, Alan gives an engaging account of his expedition and explains the essential messages for leaders of the future. [/expand]

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Innovator & Serial Entrepreneur & Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum

Sanjiv Rai is an innovator and a serial entrepreneur. His initiatives BillionInnovators and AceWP Innovation Labs promote out of box designs and innovation for the technology-deprived 3 billion. He has been the founder and chief architect of CHANDRA project for NASA, aimed towards setting up a communication infrastructure on the moon for permanent human inhabitancy, of D5 Chip, AceWP, HOBO, Wi-Diplomat, PlasmaPHI, innovate2Learn, gniie devices, ChazeMe, coolATM and Rosenbridges Future Cities/Smart Buildings. He has authored several intellectual properties including industry standards, copyrights, articles, books and patents.

“A renowned global expert on innovation”

[expand title=”In detail”] Sanjiv has received several awards and honours, including Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Who’s Who in the World by Marquis, Top 100 Disruptive Innovators by Red Herring, Top 10 Asian Techno visionaries by ZDNet and Top 10 Emerging Stars by NASSCOM. Sanjiv graduated from University of Calcutta and shelved aside Engineering Doctorate (EE) at UCL in the pursuit of innovation. He is an alumnus of the Harvard University. Sanjiv has chaired several tech committees and is active in creating global standards /leading initiatives at IEEE/ Computer Society/ Nanotechnology Council/GEOSS, ASQ-Electronics and Communications / Nanotechnology committee and WEF.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Sanjiv Rai is frequently invited to speak about innovation, design thinking, frugal innovation and culture of Innovation; he takes an active interest in learning about diversity of talent across geographies. He promotes innovation and new venture creation as a way of life. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]His enlightening and well researched presentations are full of examples and success stories. He encourages interactive simulations, team games and role playing in classes. Sanjiv is in great demand at events around the globe.[/expand]
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Former World Nº1 Tennis Player

Ivan Lendl is a former world nº1 professional tennis player who spent 17 years on the ATP Tour during which he was ranked as the world’s top player and competed in a total of 19 Grand Slam singles finals. His trophy cabinet includes eight Grand Slam titles (two Australian, three French and three US Opens). More recently, he has begun coaching professional Andy Murray and has launched the Ivan Lendl International Junior Tennis Academy providing full-time tennis training and academics for players looking to reach their ultimate potential or the professional ranks.

“He was one of the game’s dominant players in the 1980s and early 1990s”

[expand title=”In detail”] Since retiring from tennis in 1994, Ivan turned his competitive interests to golf where, after a developmental period on the Moonlightgolf.com Tour, he captured four wins on the Celebrity Players Tour. He has played several exhibitions throughout the world including the 2011 BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden against his long time rival John McEnroe and has also played in the inaugural Montreal Rendezvous against Pat Cash in March 2012.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Ivan addresses Q&A sessions and thrills and motivates his audience with his great success story. He explains how he managed to reach the top of the professional tennis circuit and how we can achieve our own personal and professional goals.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Throughout his remarkable tennis career, Ivan has headlined motivational speeches, clinics, media functions, meet and greets and autograph sessions for companies worldwide.[/expand]
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International Telecommunications Expert & Entrepreneur

Candace Johnson is an international telecommunications expert and entrepreneur. She is co-initiator of the Astra satellite system and SES Global, the world’s largest satellite systems. She is also founding President of Europe Online, the world’s first and largest independent Satellite Broadband Network, and founder of Loral Cyberstar-Teleport Europe, Europe’s first independent private trans-border satellite communications network. She is also founding President of the VATM, the Association of Private Telecom Operators in Germany and founding President of the Global Telecom Women’s Network (GTWN).

“One of the 50 most powerful Businesswomen in Europe”
CNN

[expand title=”In detail”] Candace is President of Johnson Paradigm Ventures (JPV), and a Founding Member of the Board of Directors of Sophia Euro Lab. In her personal capacity, she is a minority owner of FMN, a German telephone manufacturing company, and a member of their Supervisory Council. She is a minority owner of Alpha Com, a wireless data manufacturing company. She is also a member of the Advisory Board of numerous European and US ventures.

She has been featured in articles in Time Magazine, the Financial Times, the Economist, Le Monde, and Manager Magazin, to name a few. In 2002 she received the World Communications Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her contribution to the telecommunications industry over the past 25 years.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Candace shows decision makers how to set up and build companies with real value. She also demonstrates how affordable and excellent communication tools can make a major difference to bottom line profits.

She is a thought-provoking and authoritative speaker on entrepreneurship, e-business and telecommunications.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Candace is a charismatic speaker; her presentations are enlightening, stimulating and highly beneficial to all audiences.[/expand]
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Prolific Author & the Most Widely Cited Sociologist in the World Today

Lord Anthony Giddens popularised the notion of the “Third Way” in political thinking, and his advice has been sought by political leaders from Asia, Latin America and Australia, as well as from the US and Europe. Frequently referred to as Tony Blair’s guru, he has made a strong impact on the evolution of New Labour. He currently serves as Emeritus Professor at the London School of Economics

Anthony Giddens is “the fifth most-referenced author of books in the humanities”

[expand title=”In detail”] Anthony Giddens served as Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) from 1997 to 2003. He was previously a Fellow and Professor of Sociology at King’s College, Cambridge. He was the 1999 BBC Reith Lecturer. His first work, ‘Capitalism and Modern Social Theory’, has been continuously in print for more than three decades. He was given a life peerage in 2004, as Baron Giddens of Southgate. In 2002 he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize for the social sciences, known as ‘the Spanish Nobel Prize’.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Anthony Giddens is the most widely-read and cited social theorist of his generation. His ideas have profoundly influenced the writing and teaching of sociology and social theory around the world. In particular, he developed the theory of “Structuration”, which is the understanding of the relationship between individuals and the conditions around them. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Anthony Giddens is renowned for his clear and fluent speaking style and continues to be in great demand by corporate clients the world over.[/expand]
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IT-Visionary, Co-founder and CEO of Udacity

Sebastian Thrun is a celebrated IT-Visionary, researcher and entrepreneur. He is Co-Founder and CEO of the online education startup Udacity, a Google Fellow and a Research Professor at Stanford University working through robotics to change the way we understand the world. At Google he founded Google X where he oversaw the development of self-driving cars and the Google Glass.

“One of the 50 smartest people in tech” Fortune Magazine

[expand title=”In detail”] Sebastian has published over 370 scientific papers and 11 books. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering in the US and the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina. He led the development of the robotic vehicle Stanley which won the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge, organised by the US Government. Wired Magazine awarded one of his robots the Best Robot Ever, Popular Science included him into their Brilliant Ten and Forbes magazine in their annual Egang. In 2011 he received the Max-Planck-Research Award and the inaugural AAAI Ed Feigenbaum Prize[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]An outstanding visionary, Sebastian Thrun gives fascinating insights into the world of technology and the way we work and live.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Sebastian tailors each presentation to precisely fit each event and his engaging speeches make him a sought-after speaker at conferences around the globe. [/expand]
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Executive Director / Director of Football Operations Chelsea Football Club

Mike Forde is one of the UK’s leading Sports Executives, having worked in the English Premier League for the past 13 years. He is widely recognised as a leading figure in the EPL and European Soccer for driving innovation and cutting edge methods to create a sustained business model for Elite Player Performance. He is Director of Football Operations and Executive Club Director for Chelsea Football Club, dealing with all areas of performance and team operations relating to the 1st team, including player recruitment, medical, sport science, psychology and performance analysis.

“Mike has an amazing sense of what motivation is about”

[expand title=”In detail”] From 1999 to 2007 Mike was Performance Director for Bolton Wanderers Football Club. He has a BSc Sport Science from Liverpool John Moores University and an MSc Psychology & Sport from San Diego State University / Leeds Met University. He also serves as a Non Executive Director with Lawn Tennis Association / Wimbledon and has advised on High Performance Cultures and Talent Management across a variety of Global Sports including NFL, NBA, MLB, International Rugby Union; International Cricket and F1.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Mike is sought for his elite experience to impart and develop wide ranging learning, integration and best practice in high performance and its practical applications for the world of business.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Mike is an inspiring and natural speaker who delivers a vibrant message on how to channel a team towards peak performance. [/expand]
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Renowned Big Data Expert

Kenneth Neil Cukier is the Data Editor of The Economist. From 2007 to 2012 he was the Japan business and finance correspondent, and before that, the paper’s global technology correspondent based in London, where his work focused on innovation, intellectual property and Internet governance. Mr. Cukier serves on the board of directors of International Bridges to Justice, a Geneva-based NGO promoting legal rights in developing countries and on the board of advisors to the Daniel Pearl Foundation.

“A renowned global expert on Big Data, society and the future of Business”

[expand title=”In detail”] Previously, he was the technology editor of The Asian Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong and a regular commentator on CNBC Asia. He also was the European Editor of Red Herring and worked at The International Herald Tribune in Paris. Kenneth was a research fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, working on the internet and international relations. His writings have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Prospect, The Financial Times and Foreign Affairs, among others. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]In his presentations Kenneth reveals the hottest trends in technology and the dramatic impact they will have on the economy, science and society at large. He also gives important insights and information in the world of Big Data and analyses the key trends which define the future of business. Kenneth regularly serves as a conference chairman, speaker, panel moderator and presents on-stage interviews or after-dinner remarks at public and private events.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]His enlightening and well researched presentations are full of examples and success stories. Kenneth Neil Cukier is in great demand at business events around the globe.[/expand]
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Leading Authority on the Economics of IT

Erik Brynjolfsson is the Schussel Family Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Director of the MIT Center for Digital Business, Chair of the MIT Sloan Management Review, and the Editor of the Information Systems Network. He has made important contributions to the world of IT Productivity research and his research has been recognized with nine “best paper” awards by fellow academics and five U.S. patents.

“Erik Brynjolfsson provides an important roadmap for future technology innovation ”

[expand title=”In detail”] Erik Brynjolfsson earned his A.B., Magna cum laude, and S.M. in Applied Mathematics and Decision Sciences at Harvard University. He received a Ph.D. in Managerial Economics from the MIT Sloan School of Management and has served on the faculties of MIT, Harvard and Stanford Business School. At MIT, he teaches a class on The Economics of Information: Strategy, Structure and Pricing and hosts a related blog Economics of Information. He currently serves as a director or advisor for several firms and non-profit organizations.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Prof. Brynjolfsson’s research and teaching focuses on how businesses can effectively use information technology (IT) in general and the Internet in particular. His recent research examines intangible assets, information worker productivity, the Long Tail in digital goods, and business process replication. He lectures and consults worldwide on Internet strategy, pricing models and intangible assets to audiences interested in the business and economics of information technology.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]In his concise, valuable presentations, Erik Brynjolfsson skilfully provides a wealth of evidence about the effects of business investments in information technology on companies and the overall economy.[/expand]
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Neuropsychologist, brain imaging researcher & assistant professor of neurosurgery

Rex Jung is a leading scientist in the emerging field of positive neuroscience — the study of what the brain does well. As an Assistant Professor at the UNM Health Sciences Center Department of Neurosurgery, his groundbreaking research led to the first model describing a network of brain regions critically linked together in service of intellectual pursuits. His research is designed to relate behavioral measures, including intelligence, personality, and creativity, to brain function and structure in healthy, neurological, and psychiatric subjects.

Imagine if your creativity had no limits. The possibilities of what you could conceive would be endless.

[expand title=”In detail”] He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of New Mexico in 2001, and completed an internship in the Departments of Neurosurgery and Behavioral Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston, Texas. His research has been widely featured in popular media outlets including CNN, BBC, Psychology Today, New Scientist, The New York Times, and Newsweek. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Rex translates neuroscience and psychological insights to business leaders. With his research he helps his audience to gain a whole new view on the differences between intelligence, creativity, and personality. Rex unsettles some old assumptions — and suggests some new connections between creativity and family life, creativity and aging, and creativity and purpose.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]In his open and engaging presentations, Rex uses humour to make even the most complex ideas easy to understand and highly informative and fascinating.[/expand]
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