David Rowan
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Creativity & Innovation
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Future & Society
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Growth
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Host & Moderator
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New Technology
David Rowan explains compellingly how emerging technologies will impact business — and how leaders should prepare now. As founding Editor-in-Chief of WIRED magazine’s UK edition, David came to know the founders of WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Google, Didi, Spotify, Xiaomi, Nest, Twitter and countless other ambitious startups from Tel Aviv to Shenzhen. He has since invested in more than 150 early-stage tech companies, including two that became billion-dollar “unicorns”, and is an adviser to venture-capital funds, the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, and numerous tech businesses.
David’s most sought-after keynotes:
WHY THIS IS AI’s “NETSCAPE MOMENT”
How to understand the impact of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools. What they mean for business resilience, the job market, process automation.
FINDING OPPORTUNITY AMID THE CRISIS
Technology offers hope for optimism as we enter an era of uncertainty and financial fragility. Here are the growth opportunities — from reinventing supply chains to building new brand heroes.
WHY BUSINESS INNOVATION HAS NEVER MATTERED MORE
COVID forced business leaders to move insanely fast to adapt. But how do you build a culture of effective innovation? Here are the lessons from David’s 20-nation quest for non-bullshit innovation.
TEN LESSONS FROM THE NON-BULLSHIT INNOVATORS
David Rowan travelled across the world to understand what it takes for businesses and governments to leverage digital transformation in exciting ways. He shares ten lessons from his new book Non-Bullshit Innovation that can be applied to all sorts of organisations.
WHAT TECHNOLOGY MEANS FOR THE FUTURE OF YOUR INDUSTRY
David delivers bespoke presentations for client meetings. Recent subjects have included the future of food and drink (clients including Unilever, Coca-Cola, Barilla); the future of aviation (IATA); the future of real estate (CBRE, Leading Real Estate, Cushman & Wakefield); the future of media (Sky, Schibsted, BBC); the future of healthcare (BUPA, Vitality, Kaiser Permanente); the future of financial services (Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan).
THE FUTURE OF THE WORKPLACE
How to attract talent, and motivate your team to perform its best work, in a fast-changing world when the “workplace” is more fluid than ever before.
THE TEN NEW RULES OF BUSINESS
HOW TO OPTIMISE CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
WHY PURPOSE PLUS PROFIT IS THE NEW MANTRA
David’s Amazon #1 business bestseller Non-Bullshit Innovation: 17 Proven Ways to Transform How You Work (Penguin) has been published in Japan, Korea, Russia, Ukraine and beyond. The book, a 20-country quest for bold corporate innovation in the face of technology-led disruption, sets out 17 proven strategies for future-proofing a successful business — helping leaders build resilience in an uncertain world.
“The team was blown away and they are a hard group to impress.” -Google
David has been a technology columnist for The Times, GQ, Condé Nast Traveller and The Sunday Times. He has been asked to give more than 600 keynotes in recent years, and has received repeat requests to present for clients such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Google, KPMG, McKinsey, Chanel and Unilever. David has moderated events for the World Economic Forum, WIRED and the UK and French governments, and is increasingly in demand to host virtual conferences.
“Your contribution at the event was terrific. The content was highly relevant & extremely interesting. Your talk received the highest audience review on the feedback application. The level of your professionalism is unrivalled.” -Mercer, Hong Kong
David deconstructs tech trends in real time, unpacking how major innovations like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, autonomous vehicles, and more, are changing businesses and consumers. He focuses on how technology-led innovation can build prosperity even in economic downturns and amid market crises. He delivers fascinating and knowledgeable presentations full of insight into the future of technology together with lively examples and engaging video clips which reveal that, in some cases, the future is already here.
He’s typically asked to speak about how innovation and technology are likely to impact a particular sector (from manufacturing to motoring), and what incumbent companies can do to protect themselves. He customises every talk, and in recent months has addressed audiences in finance, fashion, utilities, television, insurance, shipping, travel, real estate and business software. He also speaks a lot about changing business models, and how companies can develop a culture of innovation.
And he is still searching for the future.
Testimonials:
“The team was blown away and they are a hard group to impress.” -Google
“A stellar moderator – insightful and challenging to the speakers, witty and engaging for the audience, and very positive to work with.” -World Economic Forum
“Your contribution at the event was terrific. The content was highly relevant & extremely interesting. Your talk received the highest audience review on the feedback application. The level of your professionalism is unrivalled.” -Mercer, Hong Kong
“Thank you so much for an excellent session. You left the team in no doubt about the risks of disruptive factors and how they can impact any industry. Ours more than any is wide open here. Totally the right way to end the conference.” -JP Morgan
Popular topics:
Why this is AI’s “netscape moment” | Opportunity in Crisis | Why business innovation has never mattered more | Ten lessons from the non-bullshit innovators | The future of technology in your industry | Ten new rules of business
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