In 1980, the New Republic called Ben Heineman the possessor of the best resume in America. Years later, its still hard to argue with the assessment. Heineman graduated from Harvard College where he served as the Editorial Chairman of the Crimson, was a Rhodes Scholar, served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law Journal, clerked for Supreme Court Justice Potter... read full bio
Douglas R. Conant has over 40 years of experience leading elite international firms. He is a well-known business leader, keynote speaker, New York Times bestselling author, and social media influencer. He is the only former CEO of a Fortune 500 company to be listed as a Top 15 Leadership Guru, a Top 100 Leadership Speaker, and a Top 100... read full bio
In a world that is marked by rapid change, Jim Carroll, a renowned futurist and trends and innovation specialist, is at the fore of forming visionary thinking. Jim's expertise aids people and organizations in finding opportunities in the face of rapid change. He has a deep dedication to sparking revolutionary ideas. He is now one of the most renowned futurists in... read full bio
Johnny Earle is the CEO of Johnny Cupcakes, and is an award-winning entrepreneur. Growing up, Earle knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur and had started over 16 businesses before he was 16. After high school, Earle joined a band and started working at a local comic store where he earned the name Johnny Cupcakes. From there, he started his... read full bio
Ichak Adizes is one of the world's leading experts on improving the performance of business and government by making fundamental changes without chaos and destructive conflict. Over the past 35 years, Dr. Adizes has worked with some of the largest commercial organizations in the world and consulted with many heads of state. The Adizes Program for leading organizations to... read full bio
Mark Jeffries also provides a distinctive voice (and accent) to the moderator's arena. As a former British television host, economist and stockbroker, Mark brings a broad spectrum of knowledge and experience to the events he facilitates. It's also his ability to quickly master the intricacies of business within any industry coupled with a sharp wit and television presence that... read full bio
Unable to find natural personal-care products for themselves and their five children, Tom and Kate Chappell decided to make their own. They borrowed $5,000 from a friend to start Tom's of Maine and began making Clearlake, the country's first phosphate-free laundry detergent, in 1970. Five years later, Tom's of Maine premiered the country's first natural toothpaste to hit the fledgling... read full bio
Sinclair Beecham graduated from the Polytechnic of Central London in 1983 after studying Urban Estate Management, where he met Julian Metcalfe. He then joined Crest Estates, a property developer as development and marketing executive. In 2002 McDonald's reached an agreement to acquire a minority interest in Pret A Manger. Founders Julian Metcalfe and Sinclair Beecham said. In 2009 Sinclair Beecham... read full bio
The world expert on competitiveness, Stephane Garelli, is credited with developing the theory and research in this area. In addition to being Professor Emeritus of World Competitiveness at the University of Lausanne, he founded the World Competitiveness Center at the IMD (Institute of Management Development) in Lausanne. Professor Garelli has strong ties to the business community. He was also... read full bio
During his five years as the US-based Chairman/CEO of Burger King, Barry Gibbons received international acclaim for his work. Having retired from big business, he is now a successful author, speaker and is co-founder of the UK publishing business Infinite Ideas. He has written six business books, one on public speaking and one novel. He has given over 250 speeches,... read full bio
One of the longest serving and most successful leaders of a blue-chip company and a highly regarded businessman, Sir Stuart Hampson was chairman of the John Lewis Partnership for 14 years until his retirement in March 2007. A popular and likeable businessman, Sir Stuart joined the partnership in February 1982 following a twelve year career in the Civil Service. After... read full bio
Mike Harris is co-founder and Executive Chairman of online identity experts Garlik, who develop software and services to help control and protect your personal information and identity online. Mike has created three major consumer businesses: Egg plc, the UK's first online bank; Firstdirect, the world's first telephone banking operation; and Mercury Communications, the UK's second largest telecommunications operator. He turned... read full bio
Ken Hughes is one of the world’s foremost thought leaders on consumer behavior, customer experience, and the psychology behind brand connection. His mission is simple but powerful: to help brands evolve from transactional models to emotionally resonant, human-centered experiences. Over the past two decades, Ken has worked with global organizations across industries—from retail and technology to healthcare and finance—blending behavioral science,... read full bio
Nobuyuki Idei was a former Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer of Sony Corporation until the 7th March 2005. He is also a director of General Motors, Accenture, Baidu, Yoshimoto Kogyo and Nestle. After a stroke sidelined former chairman Akio Morita, Sony CEO and new chairman Norio Ohga selected Idei to be the next president, a choice that raised eyebrows... read full bio
Mats Jansson is a Swedish businessperson. He was Chief Executive Officer of SAS Group from 2007 to 2010. Jansson was educated in economics and sociology at the University College of _rebro, before he started a career in ICA, where he held a range of senior positions from 1973 to 1994. He then worked as CEO of Catena until 1999 when... read full bio
Luke Oliver Johnson, is a British serial entrepreneur, best known for his involvement with Pizza Express. He is a former chairman of the Royal Society of Arts and Channel 4. He writes regular columns for the Financial Times newspaper and Management Today magazine. Johnson calls himself a projector", in line with the 17th century term for a man involved in... read full bio
The birthplace of Carol Bartz is Winona, Minnesota. She and her brother relocated to her grandparents' farm in Alma, Wisconsin, following the death of her mother when they were young. She received a scholarship at William Woods, a famous all-girls college in Missouri, thanks to her strong high school scores. She went to UW-Madison and worked as a waitress to... read full bio
Josh Altman is a real estate agent that gained popularity after he had starred on Bravos Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles. Altman has also written the best-selling book Its Your Move. Altman started his career investing and flipping houses and running a real estate financing company before joining his brother at Hilton and Hyland. He has worked mostly with celebrities,... read full bio
Tan Le is a Vietnamese-Australian telecommunications entrepreneur, and co-Founder of Emotiv, a bio-informatics company which strives to discover biomarkers in the brain for mental and other neurological conditions using EEG. Le champions efforts to cure and treat various neurological disorders. Her family fled war-torn Vietnam when she was four years old- an experience she shares with audiences in one of... read full bio
Walter Robb is the former Co-CEO of the nationally well-known natural and organic supermarkets, Whole Foods. Robb has been with the Whole Foods Market for over twenty years. Alongside partner John Mackey, Walter Robb was able to turn the grocery store in a billion dollar company. Robb’s passion for organic, all-natural products helped the company become one of Forbes Fortune... read full bio
