The Leading Speakers Bureau

Journalist

James Chau is a journalist who currently anchors the news for China Central Television. He also presents his own current affairs programme, World Insight, which airs internationally every weekend. James has reported on major stories including the 9/11 attacks, China’s entry to the World Trade Organisation, Hu Jintao’s first White House visit and the bird flu outbreak. Through 2003, he covered SARS and later, filed live reports from Indonesia in the immediate aftermath of the Tsunami.

“A leading voice on international issues and current affairs”

[expand title=”In detail”] After a car accident in 1996 that caused a spinal fracture, James after treatment, finished his exams at City of London School where he was a Bakers Company scholar and started writing for newspapers, magazines and, as he describes, “just about anyone who would read me”. This continued when he became the first ‘Varsity’ News Features Editor at Cambridge University. James was an intern at Vogue and the Sunday Mirror, where his double page feature on the plight of women in Eastern Europe and the Middle East was published at the end of his first week. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]James Chau speaks knowledgably about various aspects of worldwide affairs and current affairs. With a wealth of national and international experience in broadcasting and journalism, James is an excellent communicator.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]James Chau is a charismatic speaker, and his content rich speeches are delivered with authority and an engaging sense of humour.[/expand]

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Director of the National Economic Research Institute

FAN Gang is a Professor of Economics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Director of the National Economic Research Institute, China Reform Foundation. He is a highly distinguished economist and an advisor to the Chinese Government and he also works with a number of leading international organisations.

Prof. Gang is renowned as one of China’s leading experts on Chinese economics

[expand title=”In detail”] Prof. Gang is a prolific author and has written over one hundred academic papers on issues connected with the Chinese economy in addition to eight books. Most recently he was invited by Harvard University to be a visiting fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research
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[expand title=”What he offers you”]Prof. Gang shares with his audiences his unique insight into China’s economy and guides decision makers through the intricate processes involved in successfully expanding into the Chinese Market. He also offers a trenchant account of China’s recent performance and an upbeat assessment of its ability to maintain its high growth rate.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]His invaluable presentations are filled with examples and information from his experience in China and he is in great demand as a keynote speaker at leading economic summits the world over.
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Professor of Artificial Intelligence

Raúl Rojas is a Professor of Artificial Intelligence at FreieUniversität Berlin since 1997. Prof. Rojas has been active in the field of Artificial Intelligence since 1986, having been a member of the Prolog Machine team at GMD-First (now FraunhoferGesellschaft).He has published extensively about neural networks, robotics, intelligent systems and the history of computing. Raul received the Technology Transfer Prize 2008 from the Berlin Technology Foundation and the Gold Medal Heberto Castillo from Mexico City for his contributions to robotics.

“A on Artificial Intelligence”

[expand title=”In detail”] Previously, he held professorships at Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, and at the Technical University of Vienna.Raúl Rojas obtained his bachelor and master degrees in Mathematics from the Technical University of Mexico, and attained his master in Economics at the National University of Mexico. He received a PhD in Economics from FU Berlin in 1989, where he also obtained his Habilitation degree in Computer Science in 1994.Rojas is a Member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]In his presentations Professor Rojas offers audiences an in depth vision of the future of autonomous and self-driving cars. With a wealth of information from over 10 years of research and development including a fully working autonomous car he shows us a glimpse of the future and what we can expect to see on the roads in the next 5, 10, 15 and 20 years.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Raul is a passionate and dynamic speaker who provides worldwide audiences with innovative ideas backed up with videos and slides from his current projects.[/expand]

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Vice President, Creative Inc. Walt Disney

Duncan Wardle has worked for the Walt Disney Company for over 25 years, most recently as Vice President of Innovation & Creativity. The innovation catalysts are engaged by Disney Parks, ESPN, ABC, Pixar, Marvel and the Disney Studios, leveraging a unique design thinking process to increase the capacity for innovative and creative thinking, capturing unlikely connections that deliver unique insights, sparking revolutionary new ideas.

“Its about creating better ideas faster and enjoying the process along the way”

[expand title=”In detail”] Duncan graduated from Edinburgh Napier University in 1986 and began his career with Disney. Prior to heading up the Innovation & Creativity team, Duncan was Vice President of Global PR and has served Disney in an executive capacity in London, Paris, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Los Angeles and most recently Shanghai.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Thinking Differently – Do you ever wonder why most of your best ideas come to you in the shower? Have you ever wanted to be faster and more nimble to market? Or wondered how Walt Disney came up with the idea of Disneyland or how Pixar comes up with the ideas for so many of their movies? Or perhaps found yourself amazed at how some companies develop killer insights that enable them to break into major new categories. Building on over 25 years of experience with the Walt Disney Co. Duncan creates an immersive, engaging forum that will not only answer these questions but leave you with the tools to take on your challenges in new and different ways that deliver tangible results.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Acknowledging the 3 preferred learning styles: auditory, visual and kinesthetic, Duncan fully immerses the audience in a participatory workshop/forum to ensure they take away real tools they can use. He is also a very engaging, entertaining and motivational speaker.[/expand]

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CEO of Rinspeed & Unconventional Business Visionary

So what kind of car you would like? One that shrinks for easy parking? A four-seater that turns into a pick-up at the touch of a button? Or would you like seats that lean into the curves? Well, they all exist. Swiss inventor Frank Rinderknecht comes up with a different curiosity every year. With his company Rinspeed, he has a habit of unveiling a world’s first and most innovative that is guaranteed not to go unnoticed. In 2010, Rinspeed revealed its quirky BamBoo concept, which is bound to evoke plenty of admiration when it makes its debut at the 2011 Geneva motor show.

“We want to set trends–we don’t want to follow”
Frank M. Rinderknecht

[expand title=”In detail”] In 1979 Frank founded Rinspeed Inc. and appeared for the first time at the Geneva International Motor Show. Today Rinspeed is a successful automotive consulting business which creates special products and conversions and is internationally renowned for extraordinary concept cars. Rinspeed also focuses on the use of new materials and eco-friendly energies and engines. The Swiss are among the world’s pioneers in the area of hydropower – his car creations sQuba is a zero emission car.
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[expand title=”What he offers you”]The pioneering Swiss car designer shows how dreams become reality. Frank analyses the structures of communication and leadership in organisations and employs the model of extraordinary concepts in the corporate life. His presentations also offer insights into his belief that emotions are an important factor of success – they inspire creativity and innovation and generate new ideas.
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[expand title=”How he presents”]Through wit and intelligence Frank will be a thought-provoking, out-of-the-box thinking speaker at your event.
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Editor-at-Large at WIRED

David Rowan is the Editor-at-Large of WIRED UK, the award-winning technology and trends magazine covering innovation and the people and businesses that are building the future. He served as Editor-in-Chief of WIRED for almost eight years, since its launch.

“We are all ‘disrupters’ now!”

[expand title=”In detail”] David studies all the things that are, or soon will be changing business, culture and every aspect of our lives from AI to VR. He investigates the companies and entrepreneurs changing our world and has recently spent time with the founders of WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Google, Spotify, Xiaomi, Nest and countless other disruptive start-ups from Tel Aviv to Shenzhen. He speaks and moderates, at international conferences and has also addressed the TEDs, he frequently contributes on Newsnight and the Today programme. He also writes a monthly column for GQ magazine. David has curated an exhibition of British creative talent at the Government’s Cabinet Forum conference. David’s most recent awards include Techmark Technology Journalist of the Year, DMA Editor of the Year and BSME Editor of the Year in 2012.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]David demonstrates innovative concepts and ideas for commercial success. In his presentations he considers how technology is disrupting every industry and market, how apps change consumer behaviour and why ‘social commerce’ is killing traditional marketing. He also looks at how technology has evolved and reveals the ten trends that will change your sector in the next decade – and what you should be doing now to prepare. He also explains how organisations have to adapt, and how they can foster a culture of innovation.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]David is renowned for his insightful, inspirational and thought-provoking speaking style. His presentations are lively and quick-paced. He is in great demand by corporate clients the world over.[/expand]

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Steven Roth Professor of Management; Faculty Director, Tuck Center for Leadership

Sydney Finkelstein is the Steven Roth Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Leadership at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, where he teaches courses on Leadership and Strategy. He is also the Faculty Director of the flagship Tuck Executive Program.

“One of the world’s top ranking management gurus”

[expand title=”In detail”] Professor Finkelstein is a Consultant and Speaker to senior executives around the globe, as well as an Executive Coach, focusing on leadership, talent development, corporate governance, learning from mistakes, and strategies for growth. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Management and listed on the “Thinkers 50”, the world’s most prestigious ranking of leadership gurus. He has been featured in the FinancialTimes, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, Business Week, the London Times, Toronto Globe and Mail, Inc, Fast Company, and CNBC, and is a regular columnist for the BBC.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Professor Finkelstein is a recognised thought leader on leadership, strategy, and corporate governance, and is listed in the “World’s Top 25 Leadership Gurus.” He regularly consults with firms on strategy and leadership.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Professor Finkelstein tailors each presentation to the needs of his audience. [/expand]

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Leading Authority on Management Development, named “The Management Pope”

Reinhard Sprenger is the “The Management Pope” – a renowned European management expert and advisor on shaping future management and guiding culture in enterprises. A lecturer at the Universities of Berlin, Bochum, Essen and Cologne, his ideas of self-accountability have shaken up the management world both in Europe and the US.

“Germany’s most read author on Management” – Der Spiegel

[expand title=”In detail”] Reinhard Sprenger studied philosophy, psychology, economics, history and sports at the Ruhr University Bochum, receiving his PhD in 1985 from the Free University Berlin. His books have sold more than half a million copies in Germany alone. The continued success of his books has made him one of the most-read management authors. His previous positions include being Executive of Human resource development and Training at 3M in Germany and scientific advisor for the Ministry of Culture in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. His expertise has been sought from numerous national and international firms such as Coca-Cola, 3M, Mobil Oil, Philip Morris, Daimler Benz, Hewlett Packard and Siemens.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Reinhard Sprenger embraces the vision of an individualised company, which places people as the main focus. “Leading” according to Reinhard, means above all encouraging, finding the right task for the individual to provoke superior achievement. He squarely confronts the notion that trust is a necessary foundation for individuals and organisations to maximise their potential over time[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]His high-powered verbal style includes trailblazing formulas such as “guidance cannot be ordered, guidance is selected”. His forward-thinking approach to change in international management structures leaves his international audiences inspired.[/expand]

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Co-founder, President and Chief Strategy Officer, DigitalGenius

Mikhail Naumov is an entrepreneurial leader with an international background, who develops solutions in artificial intelligence and natural language processing and is passionate about growing value-driven companies with scalable and disruptive business models.

““Forbes 30 Under 30” list for Enterprise Technology”

[expand title=”In detail”] Mikhail is President and Chief Strategy Officer of DigitalGenius, a global supplier of artificial intelligence technologies to Fortune 500 companies, governments and banks.At DigitalGenius, his team enables companies to automate repetitive intelligent labour by creating conversational automation solutions in customer service and experience, and then expanding to other key areas.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Mikhail brings emerging technologies to life and is passionate about building and growing values-driven companies with scalable and socially responsible business models.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Mikhail’s highly informative presentations are insightful and eloquently delivered.[/expand]

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Economist&Professor, Wharton School, University Of Pennsylvania

Michael Useem helps leaders develop the capabilities required for making good and timely decisions in unpredictable and stressful environments, in moments when leadership really matters. He is the author and co-author of many books on leadership and management.

“We can all become strategic leaders if we stay on the right path.”

[expand title=”In detail”] Michael’s university teaching includes MBA and executive-MBA courses on management and leadership, and he offers programmes on leadership and governance for managers in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. He works on leadership development with many companies and organisations in the private, public and non-profit sectors. Michael’s programmes are extremely effective at developing deeper decision-making resources in leaders. Heis co-anchor for a weekly programmeLeadership in Action on SiriusXM Radio. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Michael presents true stories of management and leadership challenges—from the White House to the boardroom, from the trading floor to fire fighting to mountaineering. He brings the audience right up to the crucial leadership moment in the story, and then engages the audience interactively to propose possible solutions. Finally, he compares the participants’ ideas to the real decisions and outcomes of the moment and analyses the resulting themes. The result: lessons that managers can apply to their own situations in a practical way.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Michael is an excellent speaker with a trademark interactive approach based on the stories of real crisis events. He truly engages his audiences, drawing them more deeply into their own leadership potential. [/expand]

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