The Leading Speakers Bureau

South American IT Entrepreneur, Founder of patagon.com

Wenceslao Casares is co-CEO of Bling Nation, a mobile payments company he founded in 2007 and a partner of ‘MECK Ltd’, a private investment partnership. As part of his philanthropic and not-for-profit activities he served on the board of the Viva Trust and currently serves on the Board of Endeavor. He established the Fundacion Sintesis with the goal of inspiring the next generation of social and political leaders in Latin America. He is an elected member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Leaders for Tomorrow and has attended Davos since 2001.

“A leading business figure in South America”

[expand title=”In detail”] He is also the founder of Wanako Games, a US based developer of console videogames. The company won the “Game of the Year” award for Xbox Live in 2006. Wanako Games was sold to Vivendi Universal (Euronext: VIV) and in 1997, Casares founded Patagon, an Online Brokerage. The company also expanded into online banking in Spain and Germany. Patagon was the first Latin American online broker and online bank. In 1994 Casares launched Internet Argentina S.A., the first internet service provider in the country. He then sold that company in order to establish Patagon.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Drawing from his own business experiences Wenceslao offers audiences a wealth of useful advice and business know-how based on his own life story. His presentations are filled with the secrets of his success and he offers an unparalleled insight into the business acumen which has made him one of South America’s renowned business men.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]A charismatic and charming speaker, Wenceslao talks candidly about his life, motivating and inspiring audiences in the process.[/expand]

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Former Head of Global Brand and Global Corporate Social Responsibility at BT

John founded ‘Sustainable Marketing’ after leaving BT. John specializes in helping business; government bodies and NGO’s identify and communicate their CSR credentials. He has been Communications Coach to the Young Manager Programme for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and he has recently been appointed to the Associate Faculty of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

‘It really was quite inspirational. and such great feedback at the end! That was quite the best presentation ever’
Young Professional’s Association

[expand title=”In detail”] John is skilled at combating the misconceptions between the specialists in Brand Marketing and those involved with Corporate Social Responsibility. The key to John’s approach is finding creative ways of bringing together Marketing and CSR specialists so that myths are debunked and communication is re-established.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]John is able to draw on his extensive experience that spans managing the BT Global Challenge to being an advisor on brand to the fashion industry. John excels at explaining marketing to the non-specialists.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]John’s experience, creativity, professionalism and world-view ensure an entertaining and thought-provoking presentation.[/expand]

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President & CEO of Streetline Inc.

Zia Yusuf, a top technical expert with a proven track record of leading companies to success, is currently CEO of a venture-funded start-up called Streetline. The company is a global leader in smart city solution who deploys sensor-based networks in cities. Over 30% of traffic in a city is caused by people looking for parking. Streetline puts a sensor in each parking spot and then provides a range of web and mobile applications to cities and consumers. Zia is also a consulting associate professor at Stanford University.

“Streetline was named the world’s smartest start-up”

[expand title=”In detail”] Prior to Streetline, Zia was the Executive Vice President and member of the Executive Leadership Team at the global business software leader SAP AG. Having spent ten years at SAP in December 2009, he joined Sutter Hill Ventures and Norwest Venture Partners as entrepreneur in residence, looking at a range of start-ups to find his next role. Streetline is a Sutter Hill portfolio company and that is how he was invited to join as CEO. Prior to SAP AP, Zia was with Goldman Sachs for a couple of years and before that with the World Bank Group. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Zia Yusuf provides audiences with ideas and insights into how people can shape their careers, explaining how each individual plays a role in their own success, stretching them into areas and tasks they did not think they could do.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]A highly motivating and experienced speaker, Zia Yusuf shares his business background and experiences with audiences worldwide.[/expand]

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Leading Space Scientist and BBC Presenter

Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a space scientist whose passion is presenting science to a general audience to make them participate in and enjoy science. Her programme Do We Really Need the Moon? on BBC 2, which explored our intimate relationship with the moon, showed just that. The programme earned Maggie the talkback Thames new talent award at the prestigious Women in Film and TV Awards in 2011. Maggie is currently presenting the new series of Sky At Night on BBC 4 and Mini Stargazing for Cbeebies.

“One of the UK’s top 100 most influential scientists”

[expand title=”In detail”] Maggie obtained her degree in Physics and her PhD in Mechanical Engineering. To further share her love of science, Maggie has set up her own company Science Innovation Ltd. Through this she conducts “Tours of the Universe” and other public engagement activities, showing school children and adults the wonders of space. Maggie has just produced a film called Space in the UK, which features her on a “Big Brother” spaceship on a journey to Mars. Maggie has a Science in Society Fellowship from the STFC.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]In her illuminating and inspiring presentations Maggie Aderin-Pocock shares invaluable insights on how science and technology affects our lives. Her remarks are of great interest for decision makers from all businesses.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]A passionate scientist and outstanding communicator, Maggie Aderin-Pocock brings tremendous enthusiasm about science to each event.[/expand]

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Chief Investment Officer, Yale University

David F. Swensen is the Chief Investment Officer at Yale University and globally considered one of the most successful money-managers. He oversees $22 billion in Endowment assets and several hundreds of millions of dollars of other investment funds. Under his stewardship during the past 28 years the Yale Endowment generated returns of 13.8 percent per annum, a record unequalled among institutional investors.

“One of the most important investment gurus”

[expand title=”In detail”] Prior to joining Yale in 1985, Mr. Swensen spent six years on Wall Street – three years at Lehman Brothers and three years at Salomon Brothers –where his work focused on developing new financial technologies. Mr. Swensen advised the President of the United States as a member of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board and served as trustee or advisor to the Brookings Institution, Cambridge University, the Carnegie Corporation, the Carnegie Institution of Washington, the Hopkins School and the New York Stock Exchange amongst others. For his outstanding achievements he won numerous prestigious awards. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]One of the most high-profile experts on the investment industry, David F. Swensen has a wealth of experience overseeing large budgets and turning around an institution like Yale University. His thoughtful analysis is of great interest for managers from all businesses. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]His revolutionary ideas and expertise in the fields of investment and finance make David F. Swensen a highly sought-after speaker at conferences around the globe.[/expand]

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German journalist and transparency advocate, Hacker & Technology Activist, One of the Founders of OpenLeaks

Daniel Domscheit-Berg (formerly aka Daniel Schmidt) is a German journalist and transparency advocate. One of the founders of OpenLeaks, he worked with WikiLeaks for three years, acting as spokesperson and editor. He left the organization after a highly-publicized falling-out with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, and vowed to create a Wikileaks alternative, Openleaks.

“Daniel Domscheit-Berg is a former spokesperson and “number two guy” at WikiLeaks”

[expand title=”In detail”] A former network engineer for information technology giant EDS and a sometimes member of Berlin’s Chaos Computer Club, Daniel Domscheit-Berg (previously known under the pseudonym Daniel Schmitt) first discovered WikiLeaks in 2007 via another document repository site called Cryptome. In his life before WikiLeaks, he worked in the IT industry specializing in network design and security. An explosive book about his experience and separation from WikiLeaks was released in Germany in February 2011, entitled ‘Inside WikiLeaks: Meine Zeit bei der gefährlichsten Website der Welt’. An English translation followed some days later.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Daniel Domscheit-Berg has spoken on numerous occasions about whistle blowing and transparency, as well as its implications on democracy. He explains his unique perspective on growing number of sites that allow anonymous informants to provide sensitive information to the media, ensuring their complete safety throughout the whole process.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Daniel Domscheit-Berg is a wide-eyed and soft-spoken speaker, in great demand at worldwide events.[/expand]

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Swiss Astronaut

Claude Nicollier is Switzerland’s first astronaut and is currently Head of Test Flight Operations with the Solar Impulse Flight Project, and a key advisor at CERN and NASA. A veteran of four space flights, Claude has logged more than 1000 hours in space. His NASA technical assignments have included flight software verification, development of retrieval techniques for the Tethered Satellite System (TSS), Remote Manipulator Systems (RMS), International Space Station (ISS) robotics support and European Space Agency (ESA) Branch support.

In 1998, Claude was awarded the Einstein Medal by the Einstein Society of Bern

[expand title=”In detail”] Claude retired at the end of 2004 as a captain in the Swiss Air Force. During his assignment in Houston, he maintained flight proficiency on Hawker Hunter, Northtrop F-5E, and later on Pilatus PC-9 aircraft. He has logged close to 6000 hours flying time, including more than 4500 in jet aircraft. The Solar Impulse is a revolutionary aeroplane that is scheduled to complete a journey with several stops around the world in 2014, relying exclusively on solar energy.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Drawing on his considerable expertise and experiences Claude is ideally qualified to talk not only about new technologies and the future of space exploration but first hand about the dedication and motivation required to become an astronaut.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Claude is an excellent communicator and his highly enjoyable presentations captivate the imagination of audiences around the world.[/expand]

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Expert on Finance and Fiscal Policy

Prof. Dr. Clemens Fuest is one of Germany’s leading experts on finance. He is the President and Director of Science and Research of the Zentrum für Europräische Wirtschafts-forschung GmbH, Germany’s leading economic research institute. He is also Professor of Economics at the University of Mannheim and was Professor for Business Taxation at Oxford University.

“A leading advisor on international fiscal policy”

[expand title=”In detail”] Prof. Dr. Clemens Fuest studied economics at the Universities of Bochum and Mannheim. He has been a member of the Academic Advisory Board of the German Federal Ministry of Finance since 2003 and was head of the board from 2007 to 2010. In 2012 he became a member of the Advisory Board for Sustainable Development of the State Government of Baden-Württemberg. As a member of the Tax Code Commission’s steering committee, he contributed significantly to a simpler tax law for Germany. He was a member of the foundation’s scientific council “Kronberger Kreis” from 2004 to 2008 and is a member of this prestigious advisory body as of March 2013.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Prof. Fuest’s knowledge and experience offer an eye-opening assessment of the issues of fiscal policy, public finance and European tax integration. His sharp analyses are of great interest for decision makers from public and private institutions. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]With his extensive experience as a leading fiscal and finance policy maker, Prof. Fuest is a highly sought-after speaker at conferences around the globe.[/expand]

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Innovator and Start-up Entrepreneur

Ben Milne is an innovator in the payments industry. He is CEO & Founder of Dwolla, a digital payment network based in the heart of the Silicon Prairie that can make it faster, easier, and safer for money to change hands. In 2010 Dwolla introduced the first technology to empower seamless payments leveraging users’ social networks, officially pioneering social payments. A year later the company launched the world’s first geo-location based mobile payments.

“In 2011 Ben was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list”

[expand title=”In detail”] Ben started his first company, Elemental Designs, at the age of 18 when he began leveraging the internet to drop ship custom made speakers. His adventures lead him all over the world, establishing operations in Southern Asia and California. An original 1,200 USD investment would turn into a multi-million dollar company by the age of 22. After heavy research in 2008, Ben and partner, Shane Neuerburg, approached a Midwestern bank with an idea to establish a new payment network that would upend the financial services industries. They called it Dwolla.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]In his presentations Ben discusses the complex world of payments, technology and innovation. He also has extensive leadership, investment and mentorship experience with numerous companies, charities and organizations. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Open, inspirational and engaging, Ben is a sought after speaker in the international start-up community, payments industry and tech circles.[/expand]

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Expert on Disruptive Innovation

Juan Pablo Vázquez Sampere is an expert on Disruptive Innovation. He is an Associate Professor for the Operations & Technology area at IE Business School, his research is focused on using innovation to increase the success rate of both entrepreneurs and corporate ventures. Juan Pablo is the founder of Stratemic, a boutique consulting firm focused on Disruptive Innovation. In 2006 he became a faculty member at IE Business School.

He has been selected for IMD’s “World Competitiveness Yearbook” panel

[expand title=”In detail”] Professor Vázquez holds a BA with highest honors in Business Administration and an MBA with High Distinction from IE Business School. He has a MR title from Harvard University and is a PhD Candidate from Universidad Complutense. His professional experience includes several positions in management consulting firms and in a major media group. He has also worked for governments and NGOs. In strategy consulting he is working for the largest corporations in Europe. His particular interest is in removing the variability in the commercialization process using new technologies that eliminate the factors that introduce randomness.
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[expand title=”What he offers you”]In his presentations Juan Pablo analyses how to build and manage an enduring successful company and how to improve a manager’s professional career using innovation to his advantage. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]His enlightening presentations make Juan Pablo Vázquez Sampere a sought-after speaker at conferences around the globe.
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