A skilled innovation speaker brings fresh perspectives and cutting-edge strategies that challenge conventional thinking, inspiring teams to embrace new ideas and adapt quickly to change, they can offer insights on emerging trends, technological advancements, and creative problem-solving, all of which are vital for maintaining a competitive edge. By fostering a culture of innovation, businesses can equip their leadership teams with the tools needed to drive growth, enhance productivity, and navigate challenges in a rapidly changing landscape.
At Great Business Speakers, we understand that an innovative keynote speaker can be instrumental in helping organisations identify opportunities for improvement and growth. We take the time to understand your organisation’s unique needs—whether it’s fostering creativity, building resilience, or improving leadership skills – and only work with leading innovators who possess the expertise to tailor their message to specific team dynamics, leadership goals, or industry challenges, making their impact long-lasting. We will help you find the right match – an innovative leader that can inspire action, boost employee engagement, and cultivate an environment that encourages continuous learning and progress.
Discover our Innovation Speakers below, or contact the team at Great Business Speakers to enquire or book. +44 1753 439 289
Wayne Hemingway MBE is a fashion designer, author, and co-founder of Red or Dead. Since 2006, he has been a regular columnist for Sublime Magazine, the world’s first international sustainable lifestyle magazine.
He is also on the Design Council Trustee Board and having been with its Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) for a decade since its inception (as Chair of Building For Life) is now on the Design Council CABE Committee.
Wayne is a professor in The Built Environment Department of Northumbria University, a Doctor of Design at Wolverhampton, Lancaster, and Stafford, a Fellow of Blackburn College, and a Senior Fellow of Regent’s University London.
Zoltan Vardy is a revenue growth keynote speaker, advisor and author who helps corporate teams restore commercial momentum when markets shift and organisations change by applying a founder-style mindset and behaviours.
A former corporate CEO and global sales leader involved in more than $2 billion in B2B revenue, he combines over 20 years of multinational leadership with a decade advising, investing in and building founder-led growth companies.
Drawing on both worlds, his keynotes show established organisations how to stay close to customers, respond faster, strengthen ownership and sustain growth — whether sales momentum has stalled, teams are navigating organisational change, or the business is launching new products and entering new markets — without abandoning the structure, governance or discipline their scale requires.
His work on stage was recognised at The Speaker Awards 2026, where he was named runner-up for “Best Thought Leadership Speaker”.
Born and raised in the United States, Zoltan is based in London and Budapest.
Jake Humphrey is a broadcaster, author, entrepreneur, and host of the popular podcast High Performance. He has spent more than 20 years working at the highest levels of elite sport and business, shaping conversations around what it truly means to perform at your best.
Jake is the bestselling author of multiple books, including the Sunday Times bestseller High Performance: Lessons From the Best on Becoming Your Best. His books explore the behaviours, character, and habits that underpin sustainable success and happiness.
Jake is one of the UK’s most trusted and respected voices on performance, leadership, resilience, and modern mindset. He is also Chair of the Norwich City Community Sports Foundation and is a Deputy Lieutenant of Norfolk.
“The people who’ll thrive in the age of AI are those who understand themselves the most. The clearer you are on your own mind, the more precise you can be at directing a machine.”
Georgia Lewis Anderson is an award-winning AI implementation expert with a track record encompassing groundbreaking work for Google, Meta, and Microsoft.
Working in AI since 2016, George now speaks, consults, and builds at the intersection of human intelligence and machine behaviour, teaching us how to use this technology whilst exploring what I can teach us about ourselves.
Georgia is a sought-after keynote speaker, workshop creator and consultant, as well as podcast host and highly accomplished event host and moderator.
Adrian Webster is widely regarded as one of the most engaging motivational speakers on organisational transformation, with a reputation built on delivering high impact keynotes that drive change.
A bestselling author and authority on change, culture, leadership, and high-performing teams, Adrian partners with some of the world’s most respected organisations to help them unlock potential and sustain competitive advantage.
With a dynamic, engaging presence, Adrian blends real-world insight and engaging storytelling to challenge conventional thinking and inspire decisive action. For organisations looking to accelerate change, build resilient, future-ready teams, and elevate performance, Adrian is a highly experienced world-class motivational speaker.
Dr James Luke is one of the UK’s most authentic voices on Artificial Intelligence and Innovation – a speaker who has actually built the systems others only talk about.
With over 35 years’ experience delivering high-integrity AI across government, defence, national security and major industry, James blends deep technical authority with humour, clarity and storytelling that lights up the room. He doesn’t do hype. Every insight, every anecdote, comes from real projects that changed the way organisations think and perform.
James’s talks have inspired audiences from the MoD to the NHS, from international conferences to TEDx. He’s described by clients as “the rare technologist who makes you laugh, think and change your mind.” His sessions combine academic rigour with real-world pragmatism, helping executives cut through confusion and discover how AI and Innovation create measurable value in a secure, ethical and profitable manner.
As founder of Doability.ai, James now helps organisations bridge the gap between what’s possible and what’s practical. He delivers keynotes, panels and workshops that leave audiences informed, entertained and equipped to act.
Zannah Ryabchuk is a sought-after keynote speaker, CEO of Breakthrough Global, and a 2023 winner of the 35 Women in Leadership Under 35 award. She is known for energising business audiences with interactive talks on culture, transformation, and navigating uncertainty in a VUCA world, blending personal stories with simple, powerful ideas that are practical and actionable.
Zannah has worked with global organisations including Commercial Metals Company, Coty, Ferrero, JDE Peet’s, Kellanova, and Ricoh. She is the host of the 3 Lessons From Breakthrough Leaders podcast and is currently co-authoring a book on energy-driven transformation, due for publication in late 2026.
Based in London, Zannah works internationally and brings a passion for health and wellbeing, history, relationships, nature, and feminism into her perspective on culture, leadership, and human performance.
Erik Vermeulen is a behavioural strategist, leadership consultant, keynote speaker, and adjunct faculty member in Behavioural Economics and Leadership at three business schools. For over 20 years, he has helped organisations understand how people think, decide, and behave under pressure, and how leaders can turn that insight into stronger cultures, better decisions, and more consistent performance.
An accomplished adventurer and expedition leader, Erik uses adventure not as a motivational gimmick, but as a powerful metaphor for modern business. His belief is that adventure is just uncertainty with better branding, and that the same forces that shape behaviour in extreme environment also show up in organisational cultures.
Erik’s keynotes blend behavioural science, business consulting, humour, and adventure-tested insight. He helps audiences move beyond motivation into behavioural confidence: the ability to stay calm, connected, and effective when the landscape changes. He is ideal for organisations navigating change, leadership pressure, cultural transformation, customer behaviour, team performance, and uncertainty.
Yannis Konstantinidis is a director, creative director, and co-founder of NOMINT, the Emmy-winning creative studio now celebrating its 20th year. From its beginning as an experimental architecture studio, NOMINT has evolved into one of the world’s leading names in advertising, known for its moonshot ideas.
His keynote talk – Outrageous Effort – argues that AI has made quality free, and therefore worthless as a signal, and that visible, unfakeable human effort is becoming the last real marker of value. It is a talk delivered from inside the practice rather than the sidelines, built for corporate, brand, leadership and creative audiences navigating what AI means for the worth of their work.
He was recently presented with the Art Directors Club’s Paul Manship Medal, a lifetime honour given to people whose work points the advertising and design industries forward.
Clare Bailey is one of the UK’s leading retail strategists, helping businesses navigate change, improve performance, and build customer loyalty in an increasingly competitive market.
With more than 25 years’ experience working across retails, ecommerce, and consumer behaviour, Clare has advised everyone from independent retailers to national brands, shopping destinations, and local authorities. As founder of The Retail Champion, she is known for translating complex commercial challenges into practical and actionable strategies that businesses can implement immediately.
A respected keynote speaker, moderator, and facilitator, Clare regularly shares her expertise at trade shows, conferences, and industry events. She is also a trusted media commentator, appearing across the BBC, Sky News, Bloomberg and national newspapers to discuss retail trends, consumer spending, and the future of the high street. Whether she’s delivering a keynote, hosting a panel or interviewing industry leaders, Clare combines commercial insight, humour and real-world experience to create engaging sessions that leave audiences informed, inspired and ready to take action.
Rory Sutherland is an advertising executive, Vice Chairman of the Ogilvy & Mather group of companies, The Spectator columnist, and writer of three bestselling books.
He joined Ogilvy in 1988 as a graduate, going on to work as copywriter, Creative Director, and now Vice Chairman. He has also been President of the IPA, Chair of the Judges for the Direct Jury at Cannes, and has given several TED talks. He is also a trustee of the Benjamin Franklin House in London and a Patron of Rochester Cathedral.
Rory is a globally sought-after keynote speaker. His inimitable flair and curiosity have made him a TED talk superstar, with his talks gaining over 6.5 million views. He is also a regular voice on Radio 4.
Shazam founder Dhiraj Mukherjee is an international keynote speaker on AI, leadership, and adapting to emerging technologies.
He helped grow Shazam from the original idea to over 100 billion uses, and was also named one of Europe’s Top 50 technology entrepreneurs by The Financial Times. Since Shazma’s sale to Apple, he has invested in over 250 leading AI and technology startups, including OpenAI (creators of ChatGPT).
He has also held senior roles in financial services, technology, media, and entertainment. Dhiraj’s expertise is in helping leaders to build adaptable organisations, combining practical experiences building and iconic company with first-hand foresight of a technology-driven future.
Dhiraj has a degree in Mathematical Economics from Dartmouth College, USA and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He advises corporate leaders to build organisations that embrace adaptability as a core competency. He guides executives to systematically create companies that learn, evolve, and reinvent themselves, rather than reacting to disruption after it occurs.
“Transformation requires leaders skilled in operating far beyond the familiar, and an organisation that can trust, take ownership and adapt.”
Jim Lawless is a pioneering thought leader and world-class C-suite advisor on strategy execution and high-stakes transformation.
A record-breaking freediver, Jim stands as a global top 10 keynote speaker who has transformed the mindsets of over one million people in 400 countries on five continents.
Daniel Traça is a Professor of Economics at Nova School of Business and Economics (Nova SBE) in London. He is also a Visiting Professor at INSEAD in France and Singapore.
He has previously been an Assistant Professor at INSEAD, and held the Marie et Alain Philippson Chair in Managing for Sustainable Human Development at the Solvay Business School in Brussels, where he was also Vice-President and Director of the MBA program.
Daniel was a Visiting Professor in the KDI School of Management and Policy in Seoul, and in the Graduate Institute of International Economics in Geneva. He worked as a consultant for the World Bank and the European Commission and has published his scientific research in several leading international academic journals in the field of globalisation and economic development.
Professor John Amaechi OBE is a renowned organisational psychologist, bestselling author, and Professor of Leadership at the University of Exeter Business School. He is the founder of APS Intelligence, a consultancy firm that merges behavioural science with psychological insight to help transform business cultures and develop high-performing leaders.
Beyond his academic and business career, John is a former professional basketball player. Growing up near Manchester, he made history as the first Brit to have a sustained career in the NBA. He played for seven years in the league for teams like Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic.
In 2007, four years after retiring from professional sport, he publicly came out as gay, making him the first former NBA player to do so.
Donato Masi is a Professor of Supply Chain Management at the UK Supply Chain and Logistics Excellence (SCALE) Centre. SCALE is a research institute established in 2024 by Loughborough University in partnership with the MIT Center for Transportations and Logistics.
His work sits at the intersection of supply chain management and technology, with a strong emphasis on turning advanced research into practical solutions for organisations operating in complex, high-pressure environments.
Rohit Bhargava is an expert in marketing, innovation, trends, and the future. He believes the world needs more non-obvious thinking and his mission is to help people see what others miss.
For more than a decade, Rohit has been inspiring audiences at Coca-Cola, Disney, Microsoft, NASA, Schwab, SXSW and hundreds of other clients with his signature keynote presentations. He is a master at weaving stories into his talks in a way that helps audiences better understand the world today, while also preparing for the future.
He is a three-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author of 10 books on marketing, innovation, and trends; has been invited to be a non-boring speaker to events across 32 countries; and is a frequent contributor to publications including Entrepreneur and GQ magazines.
Wolfgang Lehmacher is a global thought leader and supply chain and logistics practitioner, business angel, advisor, board member, and keynote speaker, with over 25 years of hands-on experience in leading technology-enabled transformation in companies of all sizes.
Wolfgang helps companies and leaders to bridge the gap between technology and people, and believes the genuine transformation can only happen when we combine cutting-edge tools with human experience.
He is also the author and contributor to a number of articles, white papers, and business books, and has featured in the Financial Times, Fortune, and Forbes.
Martin Gutmann is a globally in-demand keynote speaker who helps leaders to navigate uncertainty with fresh, story-driven insights. Combining history, sociology, and organisational psychology, he challenges conventional thinking and equips audiences with practical tools to rethink leadership, decision-making, and strategy.
A professor at the Lucerne School of Business and senior lecturer at ETH Zurich, Martin’s work has reached over 60 million people through pieces in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Forbes, Fast Company, and more.
His TED talk, Are We Celebrating the Wrong Leaders, has over 2 million views, and his bestselling book, The Unseen Leader, earned high praise from organisational psychologist Adam Grant.
With a career spanning six countries and a Ph.D. in history, Martin has led major leadership programs, including his role as the founding managing director of the Swiss School of Public Governance. Martin’s global perspective and academic depth make him a trusted guide for leaders in a rapidly changing world.
Alex Liberman is the co-founder, ex-CEO, and current Executive Chairman of Morning Brew. He scaled and sold the business for $75 million
Alex is dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs with insights on building and scaling successful businesses, and runs a number of successful startups.
Alex shares valuable lessons and frameworks for navigating the challenges of start-up life. Passionate about the future of AI, Alex advocates for business to embrace AI-native strategies to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Rachel Botsman is a lecturer, designer, artist, and author renowned for her work on trust and societal change. A leading expert, she has been recognised as one of the world’s top 30 most influential management thinkers, and was once honoured as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
She has written two bestselling books – What’s Mine is Yours (2010), and Who Can You Trust (2017) – that have been translated into 14 languages.
As a former Trust Fellow at Oxford University, she teaches entrepreneurs and leaders how to navigate trust in technology, society, and work culture. She has produced several TED talks that have been viewed over five million times.
Her expertise is in high demand, and she regularly appears in the media, contributing to The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, WIRED, and The Financial Times.
“I help CEOs, senior executives, and association leaders achieve their strategic objectives by aligning them with a disruptive, accelerating future. It’s actionable, powerful leadership insight based on detailed, specific industry trends.”
Jim Carroll is a futurist, author, trends and innovation expert, and keynote speaker, who aims to help organisations understand how to align to tomorrow, today. As the world’s leading global futurist, Jim is recognised worldwide for his compelling motivational style. In a career lasting over 30 years, he has shared his insights with over 2 million people around the world, guiding many of the world’s biggest organisations into the future over 2,000+ keynote sessions.
His clients have included everyone from Disney to NASA, Mercedez Benz to the PGA, the World Bank to Pfizer, Microsoft and Cisco, plus CEOs, senior executives, and government leaders.
Simon Morris is arguably one of the most successful creative entrepreneurs in the UK. For over a decade, Simon has worked at Amazon, first as a Director of Advertising, then Global Creative Director, and now Chief Creative Officer, with his leadership elevating the brand to new heights.
He is the current Chairman of the award-winning producers Object Studios, the AI-driven creative optimization business DiO, and for Novel, the UK’s leading podcast-to-streaming creator. In 2023 he was named as a Governor of the Museum of London. He is the mastermind behind several projects, including the iconic Alexa Super Bowl campaign which captured global acclaim.
Simon’s experience includes launching Sega in his territory, making Sonic the Hedgehog a household name, managing the largest software sales for Sonic 2, and generating over £1 billion in revenue thanks to his campaigns – an achievement which saw him inducted into the UK Marketing Hall of Fame.
Tim Harford is a data detective, writer, and ‘geek storyteller’.
A BBC presenter, behavioural economist, and award-winning Financial Times columnist, Tim offers a distinctive blend of humour, intelligence, and narrative He has published a range of bestselling books, including The Undercover Economist, which has sold nearly two million copies, and the Sunday Times number one business book How to Make the World Add Up. He has several BBC radio series, including More or Less, Things That Made the Modern Economy, and How to Vaccinate the World.
He is an honorary fellow of the Royal Statistical Society and in 2019 he was awarded an OBE “for services to improving economic understanding”.
He is a highly sought-after business speaker and has presented for companies including Google and PopTech, as well as three times for TED which have been viewed more than 10 million times.
