One of the brightest minds in economics, Matthew Slaughter addresses the near-term challenges facing the economy with an eye on the future. He is a member of the Congressional Budget Office’s Panel of Economic Advisors and was a member on the White House Council of Economic Advisors. Approachable and enthusiastic, he makes practical sense of economic data and shares insights on opportunities, emerging markets, trade, investments, and policy – offering organizations the numbers they need to put the economic situation in the right perspective.

Trevor Williams served as Chief Economist at Lloyds Bank for over a decade. Now an author, academic and consultant, he analyses the key trends and policies that shape the economy and markets. From energy and climate to how companies use their data to understand the wider economy, he brings clarity and relevance to an often complex and abstract field.

Steven Van Belleghem is a thought leader on the transformation of customer relations and the future of marketing. In 2012, Steven founded the inspiration company B-Conversational. He gives strategic advice to companies around the globe, helping them better understand the world of conversations, social media and digital marketing. In addition, he also helps clients set up long-term inspirational programs to change the mindset and enrich the knowledge of their teams. Steven started his professional career in 2000 as a research assistant at the Vlerick Business School, where he remains a guest marketing professor to this day. He is an expert in guiding companies through the smart usage of technology in the customer relationship, without forgetting the human side of business. In 2001, Steven became one of the first employees to join InSites Consulting, an innovative start-up in the online research industry. Over the next eleven years, he worked his way up to become one of the company’s managing partners and shareholders. During this period, the company grew from just 8 staff to 130 with branches in 5 countries. Steven is a best-selling author of business books. His latest, titled “When Digital becomes Human” (2014), describes the need to digitise the customer relationship without forgetting the human aspect. He believes that today’s world not only needs a digital transformation; the human side of business is also in need of a makeover. His two previous books, “The Conversation Manager” (2010) and “The Conversation Company” (2012), are award-winning best-sellers with more than 50,000 copies sold.

Alongside Sunday Times responsibilities and columns in Professional Investor and Industrial Review, David is a prolific book-writer. In speeches David likens low oil prices to a major tax cut, and distinguishes between good (UK) and possibly bad (Eurozone) deflation. He might also reveal the latest findings of his own Skip Index, a reliable indicator of the state of the domestic economy.

Philippe Legrain is a critically acclaimed thinker and communicator with high-level policy experience. He is a senior visiting fellow at the London School of Economics’ European Institute, the founder of Open Political Economy Network (OPEN), an international think-tank, and a columnist for Project Syndicate, Foreign Policy and other international media outlets. Previously, he was economic adviser and the head of the team providing strategic policy advice to European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, special adviser to World Trade Organisation Director-General Mike Moore and trade and economist correspondent for The Economist. His four best-selling books include European Spring: Why Our Economies and Politics are in a Mess – and How to Put Them Right, which was among the Financial Times’ Best Books of 2014.

Julian is a sound and communication expert. He travels the world training people to listen better and create healthier sound. He is author of the books How to be Heard and Sound Business. Julian’s five TED talks have been watched more than 40 million times. His latest, How to speak so that people want to listen, is in the top 10 TED talks of all time. Julian is regularly featured in the world’s media, including TIME Magazine, The Times, The Economist and the BBC. Julian is also founder of The Sound Agency. The audio-branding company asks and answers the question “How does your brand sound?”. The Sound Agency work with some of the world’s biggest brands to improve their sound. Their award-winning work has made headlines internationally. Julian’s love of sound stems from his early experience as a musician. He was a drummer for British brand The Transmitters, amongst many others, and played on their second Peel Session in 1981. Before The Sound Agency, Julian spent 30 years working in advertising and publishing. He founded, grew and sold contract magazine publishing agency TPD. Nowadays, Julian splits his time between London and Orkney, where he lives with his fiancee and youngest daughter

Jonathon Porritt, Co-Founder of Forum for the Future, is an eminent writer, broadcaster and commentator on sustainable development. Established in 1996, Forum for the Future is now the UK’s leading sustainable development charity. The Forum has a growing presence in the United States, India, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. In addition he is a Non-Executive Director of Willmott Dixon Holdings, a Trustee of Ashden, and a Director of Collectively (an online platform celebrating sustainable innovation). He was formerly Director of Friends of the Earth, co-chair of the Green Party and as Chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission until 2009, he spent nine years providing high-level advice to Government Ministers. Jonathon was installed as the Chancellor of Keele University in February 2012. He is also Visiting Professor at Loughborough University and UCL. Recent books are ‘Capitalism As If The World Matters’ (2007) and ‘The World We Made’ (2013) - which seeks to inspire people about the prospects of a sustainable world in 2050.