The Leading Speakers Bureau

Best-Selling Author and Expert on HR, Management Issues

During his 17 years with The Gallup Organization, Marcus Buckingham has helped lead their research into the world’s best managers, leaders and workplaces. He has continued to gain experience in management practices and employee retention and has spent the last decade helping clients find and motivate their most talented employees.

“Marcus is the most engaging and useful business speaker working today. His advice is grounded in research and at the same time appeals to common sense.”

Marcus Buckingham has been ranked among the top 50 most influential business thinkers. In 2009 Thinkers 50, the global ranking of management gurus, placed him among the list of most influential thinkers.
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The World’s Greatest Chess Player and Sport star speaker

Garry Kasparov has been the highest-rated chess player in the world and is widely considered the greatest chess player that ever lived. He is also a writer and political activist. He is the founder and inspiration behind the Kasparov Chess Foundation whose mission is to introduce chess into the educational system worldwide. He is a regular contributor to the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal and remains the highest-rated player in the history of chess and the only icon in the game of over 100 million players. In 2005, Garry announced his retirement from competitive chess after 21 years as the #1 ranked player in the world to devote his time to politics and writing. He was a candidate for the 2008 Russian presidential race, but later withdrew.

“Chess is mental torture”

[expand title=”In detail”] Garry became the world junior champion at the age of 16, and in 1985, became the youngest ever World Champion at age 22. He was the undefeated world champion for 15 years, defending his title more than any other world champion in modern times. He has played several high-profile matches against supercomputer chess programs. His battles with IBM’s “Deep Blue” were worldwide headline news and he has been at the forefront of innovation in chess for over twenty years. He has been at the cutting edge of research and the battles between humans and computers from as far back as 1990. He won the Chess Oscar a record eleven times.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]As a master of strategy, he applies the insights and unique perspective from his extraordinary chess career to the issues of leadership, strategy and success in business. Known as an extremely intuitive chess player, he also emphasizes intuition’s role in achieving an individual’s full potential and achieving superior performance as the leader of an organization.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]His global reach is fed by a steady stream of keynote speaking engagements predominantly in Europe and the United States. His speech topics vary from country to country but he is never far from what he knows best – strategy and logical thinking. He takes his listeners into the world of calculus, deep thought, the analytical mind and what constitutes intelligence without reducing the answer to plain black and white. He is also part of our Top Leadership speakers.[/expand]
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Leading Authority on Leadership & Leadership Development

John Adair is one of the world’s leading authorities on leadership and leadership development. In 2009, John was appointed Chair of Leadership Studies United Nations System Staff College in Turin. Recently the People’s Republic of China awarded him the title of Honorary Professor in recognition of his ‘outstanding research and contribution in the field of Leadership’.

“John Adair is without doubt one of the foremost thinkers on leadership in the world” Sir John Harvey-Jones

[expand title=”In detail”] Between 1981 and 1986 John worked at ICI introducing a leadership development strategy that helped to change the loss-making, bureaucratic giant into the first British company to make a billion pounds profit. After being senior lecturer in military history and adviser in leadership training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and Associate Director of The Industrial Society, in 1979 John became the world’s first Professor of Leadership Studies at the University of Surrey.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]John Adair will assist companies to re-energise their approach to leadership. Whether you want to introduce a consistent approach to leadership training in your company or you want to promote a culture of growing future leaders within your organisation, John will use his expertise to help clients achieve their potential.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]John is an experienced speaker and seminar leader on platforms around the globe, an effective performer with a clear and valuable message. He speaks authoritatively on all aspects of leadership – great leaders, leadership development and strategic [/expand]
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The First Female Anchor of the Prime Time Italian Rai News & Author

Lilli Gruber is a journalist and writer. She is a highly respected journalist for foreign affairs, specialised in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and gulf wars. Lilli is a member of the European Parliament and is chairman of the delegation for the relationships with the states of the Gulf; member of the commission for the civil rights, the justice and the internal affairs and member of the delegation for the relationships with Iran.

“An Italian Media Pioneer”

[expand title=”In detail”] In 1987 Lilli Gruber became the first female anchor to present the TG1, Italy’s most popular television news. In 1988, she became international political correspondent for RAI, covering events such as the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the war in the former Yugoslavia, the situation in the United States after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the Iraqi war. Lilli has worked for the Italian daily newspaper La Stampa, and for Io Donna, the women’s magazine of Italy’s leading newspaper Corriere della Sera, and for magazines Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni and Anna.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Lilli uses her considerable experience to entertain and educate decision makers from all fields with her insight into world events, many of which she has witnessed firsthand.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Lilli is a well known face to television viewers. She is an experienced speaker and continues to be in great demand at a variety of prestigious events.[/expand]
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Former Chairman and Chief Executive of GE

John Francis “Jack” Welch Jr.’s twenty years as CEO of General Electric created history. He is now recognized as one of the greatest business leaders. During his leadership the company’s market value increased an incredible $387 billion, with his innovations and ideas making him their most influential CEO. Jack retired from General Electric in 2001 and now serves as a consultant to a small group of Fortune 500 business CEOs.

“Manager of the Century”
– Fortune magazine (1999)

[expand title=”In detail”] After 10 years with GE Jack was elected the company’s youngest Vice President and was named Vice Chairman in 1979. He became the eighth Chairman and CEO in 1981. Upon publication in 2001 his autobiography lead the bestseller lists from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Amazon.com, USA Today Non-Fiction and the Association of Independent Booksellers. In 2006 Jack Welch gave his name to Sacred Heart University’s College of Business.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Jack’s genius is his natural capacity to communicate with people and is acclaimed for his insights on how businesses and people can achieve excellence. His tremendous leadership and inspirational skills made him into one of the most successful business leaders of all time.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]In anecdotal detail and with self-effacing humour, Jack Welch delivers his message in interviews with a fire and pragmatism honed through his vast experience as the leader of the world’s biggest business. His down to earth, direct and powerful style make him highly sought after at events worldwide.[/expand]
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General Counsel and Senior Vice President, Legal and Government Affairs at Apple

Bruce Sewell is highly successful lawyer who specialises in global business development, international competition and intellectual property. He is currently the General Counsel and Senior Vice President, Legal and Government Affairs at Apple. He was previously Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Intel Corporation where he supervised a team of roughly 600 attorneys and policy professionals located in over 30 countries around the world. He was recently profiled in Fortune and is also a regular contributor for the Wall Street Journal.

“One of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers” California Lawyer magazine and the legal Daily Journal (2006)

[expand title=”In detail”] Mr Sewell joined Intel in 1995 as a senior attorney assigned to counsel various business groups in areas such as antitrust compliance, licensing, and intellectual property. In 2001, he was promoted to vice president and deputy general counsel. In that role he managed Intel’s litigation portfolio, and handled corporate transactions, including M&A activities. He took over as only the third general counsel in Intel’s history in November 2004 and was appointed Senior Vice President in 2005.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Dynamic and focused Bruce Sewell offers audiences valuable insights into the intricate world of corporate responsibility. He also uses his considerable expertise to explain in plain English the legal complexities of intellectual property rights and the ins and outs of international competition issues. He shows organisations how to create and retain wealth in today’s innovation economies.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Mr Sewell enjoys using new media (audio and video) in his engaging presentations and dots the landscape with interesting visual aids.[/expand]
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The Former Chairman of Granada, Allied Domecq

Sir Gerry Robinson is a British businessman and is the former (non-executive) Chairman of Allied Domecq and the ex-Chairman/Chief Executive of Granada. He also served as chairman of the Arts Council England for several years. In January 2007 he presented a three part series Can Gerry Robinson Fix the NHS? following on from the acclaimed BBC series I’ll Show Them Who’s Boss.

“Top Management Guru” The Telegraph

[expand title=”In detail”] Sir Gerry began a career in accounting aged 17 in 1965, and climbed the ranks to become the head of Granada. He steered the company through various mergers, and hostile takeovers including London Weekend Television (1993), the Forte Hotels chain (1996) and an unsuccessful attempt at acquiring Rentokil Initial in 2005.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Gerry Robinson is a subtle psychologist with a sharp eye for the necessities of successful business building. In his engaging presentations he highlights key leadership and managing skills in a clear and concise way and offers audiences the tools necessary to create and implement successful strategies.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Sir Gerry exudes warmth and good humour, but there is no doubt that this is allied to a fierce sense of discipline and resolve that forms the core of his management technique.[/expand]

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Professor of Information Management & Strategy , IMD, Switzerland

Dr. Donald Marchand is a world authority on demonstrating the business value of using information technology. His special research and teaching interests include how organizations and leaders use information and knowledge to collaborate and compete, how companies develop business models to leverage standardization and flexibility in processes and information systems locally, regionally and globally, and how leaders create organizations where people can fully share and act on what they know and discover what they do not know to learn and change closer to real time.

Champion of the formula for competitive advantage and superior business performance.

[expand title=”In detail”] A former Dean and Professor of Information Management at the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University; before that, he founded and directed the Institute for Information Management, Technology and Policy in the College of Business Administration at the University of South Carolina. From 1997 – 2000, while Director of the IMD / Accenture Navigating Business Success research project, the largest externally funded Partnership Research Project at IMD, a new business performance predictor was discovered namely, ‘Information Orientation’, IO. He is Founder, Chairman and President of enterpriseIQ®, a leading business analytics company.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Donald Marchand is an international expert and popular speaker on the centrality of information management and technology to the competitive strategies of industries, companies and managers. He has been in the unique position of taking his ideas from research directly to management practice. He is a frequent and acclaimed speaker on a variety of compelling business topics at corporate seminars and conferences worldwide. Over the years, he has been an advisor and consultant to over 100 companies as well as public and not-for- profit organizations globally.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]With over 30 years experience gained in research, teaching and executive program development at IMD, he speaks in a clear and concise manner using real case studies to demonstrate the business value of using IT. [/expand]
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Founder and President, Foundation on Economic Trends

Jeremy Rifkin is a Professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he lectures to CEOs and senior-management from around the world in the famed Advanced Management Program. Currently, Mr. Rifkin is advising the European Union and other governments as well as Fortune 500 companies, on actions that should be taken immediately to address the triple threat of the global financial crisis, energy crisis, and climate change. He also is an advisor to heads of state including Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Prime Minister Zapatero of Spain, Prime Minister George Papandreou of Greece, and Prince Albert II of Monaco.

One of the leading big-picture thinkers of our day

[expand title=”In detail”] Mr. Rifkin is the Chairman of the Third Industrial Revolution Global CEO Business Roundtable, made up of 100 of the world’s leading corporations and trade associations that are creating the infrastructure for a new low-carbon energy era and accompanying economic paradigm. As the founder and president of The Foundation on Economic Trends he examines the economic, environmental, social and cultural impacts of new technologies introduced into the global economy.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Mr. Rifkin remains one of the most highly sought-after and highest rated speakers on the topic of globalization, sustainability and shifting to a new energy era and low-carbon economy. Mr. Rifkin believes that it is imperative to begin pursuing a bold long-term Third Industrial Revolution economic game plan that can establish a new framework and architecture for remaking the globalization process along more sustainable lines. A master of speech, he addresses the impact of scientific and technological changes on the economy, workforce, society and the environment. Unprecedented consequences are emerging out of the shift from industrial to cultural production, and his informed insight on this is unparalleled. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Highly engaging and fluid, his style is nonetheless very well punctuated allowing time to absorb his powerful messages.[/expand]
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