David Rowan

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 Economic Forum, 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 start-up 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.