With more than a decade working at the heart of the technology industry, Dex Hunter-Torricke has managed communications for some of the most-influential and admired Silicon Valley leaders and corporations of our day. In his daily work, Dex plays a critical role in writing the next chapter on science, tech, the economy, and society across the globe, and spearheads efforts to bring the stories of how the world is being moved forward to light. From 2012-2016, he led the executive communications team at Facebook and served as personal speechwriter for Mark Zuckerberg. He then went on to join SpaceX as senior director of communications. He later served as the VP Global Communications & Public Engagement for the Oversight Board for Meta, the independent body that makes decisions on Facebook and Instagram’s most challenging content issues. Dex takes audiences into Facebook’s boardroom, Musk’s open-concept cubicle, the famed Googleplex, and finally to the UN itself to share lessons on what it takes in today’s environment to build highly effective internal teams, how to use storytelling in modern communications, and what to make of the steady transition from local to global that’s unfolded over the past decade.

When organisations and individuals want to better their understanding of the latest technology trends and their impact on business and society, Greg Williams is among the first names they seek out for thought leadership. As the deputy global editor for WIRED magazine and a widely respected strategic forecaster, Williams has exclusive lines of communication to the innovators, thinkers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and creatives who are changing the world and draws upon his conversations with them to publish insightful and influential pieces on innovation, technology, and the ideas that are reshaping our world in real time.

Recognised as “the man who fixes businesses” Kevin Gaskell has an impressive track record in building and leading successful companies. As CEO of Porsche, Lamborghini, and BMW, Gaskell led hugely successful turnarounds that are pointed to as examples of how to successfully transform companies and position them for long-term success. His energy and leadership have helped companies to achieve world-class levels of customer service and financial performance, and he speaks with electricity about using inspired leadership to achieve incredible results.

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.

Bill has served as CEO at Wickes, Focus and Iceland. He has now produced The Grimsey Review, looking at what can be done to reinvigorate the high street. He argues that town centres should be reinvented as community hubs, with housing and public services at the centre. Bill talks about changing customer habits and the growth of ‘mall culture.’ These out-of-town arenas will become the showrooms of the future, in which we choose what to order online.

Alex is a technology expert, specialising in the practical application of the latest innovations and tech trends to solve retail’s biggest challenges, from machine learning to post-channel retail. Prior to GDR, he spent seven years at technology firm Red Ant, designing and delivering award-winning applications, innovation and strategy from boardroom to stockroom for some of the UK's largest and most forward-thinking retailers. In his spare time, he enjoys running and an ongoing quest to connect everything in his house to the internet.

Jeremy is the Senior Innovation Editor of Wired, the influential technology and trends magazine that covers innovation and the businesses that are building the future. He is in charge of analysing and identifying emerging trends and technological shifts that will impact consumers and businesses alike. He is an expert on a broad range of technology trends including artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IOT), quantum computing, FinTech, retail disruption, health tech, autonomous cars and transport, cyber security, 3D printing and maker culture, industrial design, and more.

James Williams’ work sits at the intersection of philosophy, ethics, and technology. A research associate at Oxford’s Internet Institute, he worked for 10 years at Google, where he received the company’s highest honor, the Founder’s Award, for his work on search advertising. He is particularly interested in advancing freedom of thought and wellbeing in environments of highly persuasive design, and authored a new book on this topic, Stand Out of Our Light: Freedom and Resistance in the Attention Economy.

Will Higham is a worldwide authority on future and evolving consumer behaviours. He writes consumer strategy reports, runs management planning and innovation workshops, and speaks on trends. He founded strategic consultancy Next Big Thing in 2002. The company has worked with a wide range of blue chip clients: from BBC to HSBC, Sainsbury’s to Siemens.

Joe Studwell is an expert on China and the emerging Asian marketplace and the best-selling author of ten books, including The China Dream, Asian Godfathers, and How Asia Works. He has worked as a writer, journalist, and broadcaster around the world, and his expertise has been featured in publications including The Economist, titles of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), The Financial Times, the Asian Wall Street Journal, the Far Eastern Economic Review, the Observer Magazine, Asia Inc., and the Evening Standard as well as on television and radio. Joe's talks are always lively and positive, filled with anecdotes and humour, and thought-provoking for policy-makers, management strategists, and portfolio investors alike.

Daniel is the CEO of Satalia, a London-based company that provides Artificial Intelligence (AI) and also the Director of UCL’s Business Analytics MSc, applying AI to solve business and social problems. Daniel is a popular public speaker specialising in the topics of Philosophy, Technology, Innovation and Organisational Design. He is a serial speaker for Google and TEDx, and is a faculty member of Singularity University. Daniel has a Masters and Doctorate in AI from UCL, lecturing in Computer Science and Business, and is passionate about how technology can be used to govern organisations and bring positive social impact.

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.