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
James “JP” Poulter is a leading AI strategist, keynote speaker, and founder of ThreePoint Labs, an AI transformation consultancy helping organisations navigate the shift to intelligent working with clarity, ethics and purpose.
Former CEO of Vixen Labs – a voice AI company he founded and sold to House 337 in 2023 – and previously Head of Emerging Platforms at The LEGO Group, JP brings rare depth across both start-up and enterprise scale. He has advised organisations including Amazon, Verizon, Bosch and Universal Music, delivered more than 250 keynotes worldwide, and is a committed advocate for ethical AI implementation, serving on the board of Christian Aid.
James is a popular speaker on technology and innovation. From the future of work and emerging technologies to creating innovation culture within organisations and how they can adapt to new ways of working – especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March 2025, James delivered his first TEDx talk for TedX Tamworth, entitled Double Edged – Learning to Live With AI; in the walk, he unpacked the consequences of the coming AI age for each of us to ensure our communities thrive and survive.
James Peach is a leader, brand director, adventurer and keynote speaker, specialising in inspiring your employees, leaders, students and communities to be the best version of themselves.
Over the past 15 years James has built some of the most successful brands in the tech and consumer goods industries, from Innocent Drinks, to Uber and Vinted. He’s also supported start-ups from seed to sale, and mentored young leaders in honing and developing their skills.
James will soon launch his first book Mattering To People: How to Build an Interesting Business and a Powerful Brand.
Jacques Villeneuve is one of the most widely renowned Formula 1 stars, a World Champion who achieved meteoric success and founded the team which is today the all-conquering Mercedes Benz F1 team.
Canadian-born Jacques won the 1997 Formula One World Championship for the Williams-Renault team, a remarkable feat given that he achieved it in only his second full season of Formula One motor racing, and against arch-rival Michael Schumacher.
In his first season in Formula One, he finished 2nd in the World Championship, an astonishing achievement in only first season at the pinnacle of world motorsport.
He is the last driver to have won a World Championship for the Williams Formula 1 team, adding his name to an impressive list of champions including Alan Jones, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost and Damon Hill.
Holly Tucker MBE is a vibrant and empowering entrepreneur, best known as the co‑founder and Executive Chairman of notonthehighstreet.com, the UK’s leading online marketplace for small, creative businesses.
In 2015 she launched Holly & Co, Holly & Co is a curated online marketplace and platform dedicated to supporting and celebrating small, independent businesses, particularly those founded by women. Over 95% of the businesses featured on the platform are female-founded, highlighting their work and creativity. It also provides advice and inspiration for small business owners.
As the founder of Holly & Co and ‘Not On The High Street’, she has become a leading figure in the world of creative entrepreneurial start-ups.
Holly also serves as the UK Ambassador to Creative Small Businesses, where she passionately advocates for the incredible talent of small business owners worldwide.
With 20 years’ experience, and as the only woman ever to have built two marketplaces to support small businesses, Holly is on a mission to use business to change the world. It is her passion to inspire and empower women, and to show that anyone can build a business doing what they love.
Guy Clapperton is a freelance journalist and speaker, offering top business advice through media training and interview practice, writing and editing publications and facilitating events.
Guy Clapperton has been a technology and business journalist since January 1989, starting in the trade press and making his way into the nationals in 1993. You may have seen his work in the Guardian, Times, Sunday Telegraph, Observer, Independent and most recently the New Statesman (particularly as launch editor of New Statesman Tech).
Gerd Leonhard is a global citizen of the future who spends his life travelling to worldwide meetings, workshops, and conferences on transformational change.
A star speaker on topics of major strategic importance – from digital disruption to business remodelling to specific vertical scenarios across public and private sectors, Gerd Leonhard is a rare hybrid of artist and researcher/scientist, with a pioneering background in digital music ecosystems and a head start in the disruption game. For the last fifteen years, he has been the first choice in business leaders’ minds for inspirational and paradigm-shifting advice.
Listed by Wired Magazine as one of the top 100 most influential people in Europe, Gerd Leonhard’s work focusses on the future of humanity and technology, digital transformation, the mega-shifts, artificial intelligence and robotics, media, content, marketing and advertising, telecommunications, culture and tourism, banking and financial services, government and leadership.
In his keynotes, presentations, workshops and advisory sessions, Gerd Leonhard addresses what it means to be human in a world of machines and algorithms, the coming redefinition of human-machine relationships, the future of work and jobs and many more. His presentations are renowned for a hard-hitting and provocative yet inspiring, humorous and motivating style.
Gary Usher cut his teeth at the Michelin starred Chester Grosvenor, followed by time spent at Chapter One, Chez Bruce, York & Albany and Jamie’s Italian.
Gary opened Sticky Walnut in Hoole, Chester, in 2011 on a budget that meant he had to famously choose between a combi-oven or new tables and chairs.
‘The Rebel Chef’ now has 6 restaurants in the North West including Sticky Walnut, Burnt Truffle, Hispi, Wreckfish, Pinion and Kala.
Fredrik Haren, known as The Creativity Explorer, is a world-renowned conference speaker and author on business, creativity, and change. He has been invited to speak in over 75 countries on 6 continents and has delivered more than 2,000 speeches in a speaking career spanning more than 25 years.
During the past 25 years he has travelled the world to learn about human creativity. As The Creativity Explorer, he aims to discover more about human creativity, be it from innovators in Silicon Valley or nomads in the desert of Mongolia, with the aim of helping more people discover their full creative potential.
He is the author of 10 books – including The Idea Book which was included in The 100 Best Business Books of All Time.
Fredrik is a truly global conference speaker, knowing how to craft a speech so that audiences from all parts of the world will be inspired and laugh at the same time, walking away from the speech with meaningful takeaways relevant to them.
Fehinti Balogun is a British-Nigerian actor, writer, performer and climate advocate whose work blends powerful storytelling with urgent social themes.
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he uses theatre, film and public speaking as platforms to explore issues such as environmental justice, diversity, and identity, with the aim of engaging audiences and prompting meaningful dialogue and change.
On screen, Fehinti has appeared across major global platforms including BBC, HBO, Netflix, ITV and Paramount+, with standout roles in productions like I May Destroy You (2020) and the sci-fi epic Dune: Part One (2021). His range spans television drama, major cinema, and experimental theatre, establishing him as a versatile and compelling talent.
Beyond acting, Fehinti is a leading voice in climate activism and a sought-after public speaker. His groundbreaking multimedia theatre piece Can I Live?, created with Complicité, brought together spoken word, rap and documentary to explore the connections between climate breakdown, race, and inequality.
He has since spoken at major events and institutions including the United Nations COP26 Climate Summit, the Scottish Parliament, Cambridge University, the Greater London Authority, the English National Opera, TED Countdown, NBC Universal, and YouTube’s Creator Summit.
Damian Hughes expertly combines his practical experience and academic background in sports, organisational development, and change psychology to assist organisations and teams in cultivating a culture of high performance.
With eight bestselling business books under his belt – such as Liquid Thinking, Liquid Leadership, How to Change Absolutely Anything, How to Think Like Sir Alex Ferguson, and The Five STEPS to a Winning Mindset – Damian has demonstrated his profound knowledge and insights.
His 2023 books, How Performance: Lessons from the Best on Becoming Your Best, and How to Change Your Life, have both been number one Sunday Times bestsellers. His books have already been translated into a dozen languages.
He is also the co-host with Jake Humphrey of The High-Performance Podcast, which has featured some of the leading figures in business and sports spheres with over 100 million downloads and counting.
Dallas Campbell started his TV presenting career on The Gadget Show (2008) on Channel 5, where his exploits including testing survival gadgets and breaking the Scalextric land speed record, and BBC1’s Bang Goes the Theory (2009-2012), a show he co-presented with Liz Bonnin.
Through his career Dallas Campbell has filmed in some of the most dangerous and extraordinary locations including Dubai, where he abseiled off the world’s tallest building, Mexico City, where he went sewer diving, and alongside space experts at Tim Peake’s rocket launch to the International Space Station.
His relaxed, personable, entertaining and professional style makes him a popular choice for presenting, event hosting, conference facilitating, after-dinner and keynote speeches, as well as all manner of virtual events.
Christopher Howell shows how in change management, innovation and professional development, creativity is one of the most valuable skills we can develop. He delivers his inspirational talks and workshops using magic to show how to think creatively ‘like magicians’.
Christopher entertainingly demonstrates learning concepts to add energy to your conference. This can be backed up by interactive exercises to teach new skills. Your audience will finish the session with a tool kit full of useful and inspiring material to put to work.
A certified coach and member of The Magic Circle with worldwide experience, Christopher’s fun and practical sessions teach how to escape comfort zone behaviour and boldly take steps into fresh creative terrain. Google called his recent appearance “The Event of the Year”.
Christian Howes is a digital, social media, and big data expert, TV presenter, and keynote speaker.
He is a leading expert with over 30 years’ experience driving digital transformation, powering digital marketing, and delivering actionable insights for global brands such as Accenture, HSBC, and Sony PlayStation. His pioneering work in merging digital data with transactional insights has revolutionised customer service and empowered companies to make data-driven decisions.
Christian rose to prominence by analysing reality TV social media trends on Big Brother, and has since become a sought-after presenter, appearing on This Morning, Good Morning Britain, and a range of BT Sport shows.
In the corporate world, he has build innovative analytics platforms and creative testing solutions – including leveraging paid social advertising to accelerate product innovation – for brands including ASOS, Barclays, Lloyds, and The Telegraph.
A dynamic keynote speaker and conference host, Christian captivates audiences with clear, practical insights and engaging storytelling, inspiring leaders to reimagine how they harness data for growth.
Chris Skinner is an award-winning speaker and one of the most influential people in technology, as well as a best-selling author. He is an independent commentator on the financial markets and fintech through his blog, the Finanser.com, which is updated daily.
He helped to found one of the first mobile banks in the world and has advised CEOs and leaders from every continent of the world including the United Nations, the White House, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.
Chris Sanderson is the CEO and co-founder of The Future Laboratory, where he is responsible for delivering the company’s extensive global roster of conferences, media events, in-house briefings, consumer insight, trend forecasting and brand strategy.
Clients include Louis Vuitton, Design Hotels, the Ministry for Tourism, Australia, and Women’s Wear Daily’s CEO Summits.
Chris Roebuck has a unique experience and approach that helps leaders, teams, and organisations understand how they can reach their full potential and be successful in just a few steps.
His innovative and inspiring manner shows everyone that they already know what delivers success, but just don’t recognise it. Once they do, they can quickly transform their performance by using a few simple actions. This adds investor value, serves customers better, builds the brands, boosts the bottom line by 10% at no additional cost, and supports effective risk management and cost-efficiency.
For over 30 years he has led global teams growing C Suite and other leaders as high-performance human leaders to accelerate success by meeting their key objectives and beating challenges. Chris Roebuck has delivered award-winning major transformations and culture change, grown new talent to build entrepreneurial future focussed organisations, and shown how people power can boost profits. His experience, supported by over 250 real-life studies, has helped him develop his successful approach, focussing predominantly on:
Corporate Leadership: How to develop leadership in major global corporations and SMEs to enable both personal and organisational success.
Governmental Leader: Talks around his own experience working with the UK Government and public sectors on major change and leadership projects.
“We’re on a mission to make Silicon Valley’s innovation strategies accessible worldwide”.
Drawing from over a decade of experience at leading technology firms, including Google and Apple, Chris Heemskerk showcases his vision on corporate innovation by heading The Innovation Alliance, a global network of tech executives and innovation leaders.
As former Head of Scaled Acquisitions for Google in North America, Chris Heemskerk transformed his business operation into a global centre for innovation and operational excellence. Hence, he was asked to serve as an advisor to Google’s Innovation Lab and established a partnership with Harvard Business School to document the lab’s endeavours in two HBS Case Studies, in which he features.
In pursuit of providing organisations the necessary resources to innovate consistently, he authored The Innovation Scorecard™️, a comprehensive framework that enables firms to maximize their innovation capabilities and discover new growth opportunities.
Chris Griffiths is a high-profile keynote speaker on creativity, innovation, and mind mapping and a bestselling author published in over 20 languages worldwide.
In 2006, he founded OpenGenius, a company focussed on helping transform creativity, learning, and thinking. His passion for creativity links to his strong support of neurodiversity. Through his work with The Inspire Genius Foundation, he aims to promote the inclusion of neurodivergent thinkers and how that can add value to any business.
Millions have used his technology solutions, and he has personally worked with Nobel laureates, governments, royal families, and business CEOs.
Chris Brindley MBE is a prominent UK Business Leader, Chair AT MCRactive and Zellar Limited, and Non-Executive Director (NED) at companies including Four Recruitment, Her Spirit, Equilibrium Asset Management, and Goodson Thomas. He is also an Elite Sports Business Mentor for The Premier League, Leadership Coach for Metro Bank, and a Trustee of Switch the Play Foundation.
He is the former Chair and NED of the Rugby Lead World Cup 2021 Board, Chair of GreaterSport Manchester and Sporting House, a Non-Executive at Rugby Football League, Super League, Move With Peppa, Rapport, and Manchester Football Association, and former Executive of British Gas, Metro Bank, and NatWest.
A leading authority on sales management, employee engagement and satisfaction, and customer experience, Chris holds Non-Executive Director positions at multiple organisations, and has been awarded UK Non-Executive Director (NED) of the Year, Most Outstanding Employer, and Britain’s Best Boss.
He has studied for a range of topics including strategic retail management at Manchester Business School, performance management, and executive coaching at Hult Ashridge, customer experience at Duke University, managing strategic risk at The Wharton School, managing for value creation at INSEAD, and executive leadership from the prestigious Harvard Business School.
Having originally trained as a carpenter, nobody outside of the sport of cycling would have known who Chris Boardman was until 1992, when he took Great Britain’s opening Gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics astride the infamous Lotus bike. Incredibly it was Britain’s first cycling Gold medal in 72 years.
The iconic image of the Lotus machine and pointy helmet made the name of Chris Boardman synonymous with cutting edge technology. It was a fascination with innovation and performance that has featured in nearly every aspect of his life since.
Chanelle Lady McCoy is one of Ireland’s most successful businesswomen, winning the All-Ireland Business Champion Award and recently ranked no 23 in the ‘50 incredible people shaping modern Ireland.
Having previously been a co-founder of Ireland’s largest indigenous pharmaceutical company and more recently Chanelle McCoy Health, a research and development-led pharmaceutical company, Chanelle is a very motivating speaker on business and leadership.
Chanelle was previously one of the dragons on Ireland’s Dragons’ Den where she enjoyed sharing her experience of growing successful businesses and supporting entrepreneurs on their journey to business growth. She is also a huge supporter of women in business and mentoring young entrepreneurs.
Caspar Berry is a professional motivational and keynote speaker who started his career as the lead in the first series of Byker Grove (1989-1997) on BBC One alongside Ant and Dec. He went on to read Economics and Anthropology at Cambridge and, after aiming to become a professional film writer, he had his first screenplay produced by Film Four in his final year. By the age of 23 he was writing for companies Columbia TriStar and Miramax.
Just two years later, he decided he needed a change in his life, which led him to Las Vegas where he became a professional poker player. He spent three years playing professionally and using his wits against some of the world’s best-known players.
After his time in Vegas, he moved back to the UK in 2002. Here he co-founded Twenty-First Century Media and built it into the fastest-growing audio-visual media company in the North East of England. Whilst here, he began his career as a speaker and catalyst for new thinking within business about risk-taking and decision-making. In 2008, he sold the company to Bob Geldof’s media giant, Ten Alps.
Caspar Berry’s eye-opening comparisons between playing poker and running a business incorporate risk-taking, innovating and communicating. His keynote speeches deliver a unique, insightful and refreshing take on business.
Elizabeth Cowper brings almost 30 years of HR experience to her role as the founder of Ludo, a company that provides innovative technology solutions and HR expertise to the workplace.
As a working mother of three, Elizabeth has established a reputation for her work with renowned brands such as Planet Organic, Harvey Nichols, LVMH, and Tapestry, the parent company of Coach, kate spade, and Stuart Weitzman.
At Tapestry, Elizabeth served as VP HR Europe, Global Head of Wellbeing, and a member of the Global DEI Committee. Known as the ‘Culture Adjuster’ Elizabeth has been recognised in the HR Most Influential Awards for five consecutive years. Her expertise lies in engaging talent, promoting workplace well-being, empowering women’s success, and fostering a culture of inclusion—her speciality.
Elizabeth’s speaking engagements have included facilitating conferences such as The Retail Bulletin and participating in public and private events. She has addressed large corporate audiences and led more niche sessions with smaller businesses.
Brett StClair is a business rebel technologist, digital pioneer, entrepreneur, lecturer, and keynote speaker.
After spending a decade in England, Brett returned to his hometown of Johannesburg in South Africa to launch his own digital marketing and media company. He has worked for some of the world’s leading digital businesses, including Admob, Google, and Barclays Africa.
As well as his own work plus his speaking duties, Brett has served as the co-chair of the South Africa Mobile Marketing association with the aim of establishing mobile marketing as a separate industry.
His expertise, knowledge and passion for the field have impacted thousands of audience members from around the globe.
