David Rowan is today’s leading speaker on how emerging technologies will impact business — and how leaders should prepare now. He’s given more than 600 keynotes around the world, and has moderated events for the World EconomicForum, the biggest global companies, and governments.
As founding Editor-in-Chief of WIRED magazine in the UK, David came to know the founders of WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Google, Didi, Spotify, Twitter and countless other ambitious startups from Tel Aviv to Shenzhen.
His best-selling book, “Non-Bullshit Innovation: 17 Proven Ways To Transform How You Work” (Penguin), is a 20-country quest to identify genuine innovation in the face of technology-led disruption. The book sets out 17 proven strategies for future-proofing a successful business — from “Turn products into services” to “Build an ecosystem”. David spends his time at tech’s cutting edge: visiting university research labs and startup clusters to meet the people building the future.
He’s invested in more than 150 early-stage tech companies, and runs venture funds that invest in health-tech and climate-tech. David has been a technology columnist for The Times, GQ, Condé Nast Traveller and The Sunday Times, and at WIRED he built a conference and a consulting business. And he is still searching for the future.
David will customise a talk for your meeting, or will moderate your event in his accessible journalistic style.
His recent themes include:
• Why this is AI's "Netscape moment" — and what that means for your business
• How to understand the impact of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools
• What exponential technologies mean for the next five years in retail/real estate/finance/media/healthcare, etc
• What a 20-country quest taught me about building an authentic culture of innovation
• What carbon accounting will mean for every business
• Where AI, data analytics and blockchain should fit into your strategy planning
• What talent wants in the new world of work
• Why purpose plus profit is the new business mantra
TESTIMONIALS
“You set the tone for the day perfectly, engaging the audience and steering the presenters through a very full agenda. The feedback from the day has been overwhelmingly positive, which is largely due to your dynamism, good humour and professionalism.”
--David Cameron, G8 Innovation Conference
“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
“It went brilliantly: an excellent presentation. A great success!”
--Sky Betting
“Insightful, thought-provoking and energizing.”
--Marubeni Corporation
“We had brilliant feedback.”
-- Small Luxury Hotels
“Your opening talk was just fabulous. The feedback on your talk has been extremely positive.”
--PopTech
“A HUUUUGE thank you as always for being the one we trust to make any conversation bright, enlightening, energetic,thoughtful and insightful — always so, so grateful.”
--Founders Forum NY
“David was fantastic. The content was perfect. The talk was fast paced, interesting, relevant and accessible. It set up the innovation session of our agenda really well and I was delighted with the result.
--Sky
“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