Social Media & Networking speakers

Since winning prestigious comedy competition So You Think You’re Funny? in 2012, Aisling Bea has become one of the most in-demand performers in UK and Irish comedy, a status cemented when she won the British Comedy Award for Best Female TV Comic in 2014.

Currently CEO of Digital Brand Services and works with over a dozen clients in the public and private sectors. Senior Consultant Digital Strategy for TEAM AG, UEFA’s exclusive commercial partner for the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Super Cup, the world’s most popular annual sporting event. Alex is also a member of the Digital Advisory Board the the UK Government Digital Service and on the Commission of English Heritage.

UK based Global Futurist and Exponential Thinker Azeem Azhar helps leaders break down the complexity of emerging technologies and understand their impact on economies and society. He is a corporate innovator, serial entrepreneur and technology investor; Founder, Exponential View; Host, “Exponentially” on Bloomberg TV; Visiting Fellow, Oxford Martin School, Oxford University; Co-Chair, Global Futures Council on Complex Risks, World Economic Forum; Award-Winning, Bestselling Author, “The Exponential Age” (2021); Named one of Vox’s 2023 Future Perfect 50 and to the Thinkers50 2022 Radar List.

A mobile and consumer marketing veteran with more than two decades experience working with some of the most innovative brands, Bob Borchers is currently a General Partner at Opus Capital - an early stage venture capital fund. Bob was part of the original iPhone team and has worked for Nokia. His experience in technology leaves Bob with a great deal of experience in marketing, branding, and innovation.

Brent Hoberman shot to fame as one of the bright young faces of the 'dot-com' boom, when he co-founded lastminute.com. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Brent's venture survived after the boom subsided, and he has strengthened and broadened his company since. Operating across multiple markets, lastminute.com has established approximately 13,600 supplier relationships and over 10 million subscribers.

A futurist, journalist, science-fiction author and design critic, Bruce Sterling is best known for his novels and his seminal work on the Mirrorshades anthology, which defined the cyberpunk genre.

Charles Armstrong is CEO of Trampoline Systems, a software developer specialising in large-scale social network analysis. Also founder of The Trampery, a specialist in property for innovation communities.

Chris Hughes is an American entrepreneur who co-founded and served as spokesman for the online social directory and networking site Facebook.

Dumi Oburota is the Nigerian-British entrepreneur credited for engineering Patrick Okogwu AKA Tinie Tempah's rise to stardom. He is also attributed to being behind strong acts like WizKid and asides music, he boasts a clothing label under his "Disturbing London" company. Now he is on a mission to make Disturbing London "a stamp of coolness for millennial, urban culture".

Gary Vaynerchuk is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of VaynerMedia, a full-service digital agency servicing Fortune 500 clients across the company’s 4 locations.

Georgie Barrat writes about tech for a range of publications including The
Mirror, Marie Claire, Huffington Post & Tech City News and has spoken on the subject for the likes of ITV, Channel 4 and the BBC.

Gerd is considered a leading voice on a wide range of topics including digital transformation and the discovery of digitally native business models.

James Caan has been developing and selling businesses for over 20 years, and has become one of the UK's most successful entrepreneurs. His success sparked from the international blooming of recruitment companies including the Alexander Mann Group and Humana International. Recently he has been seen to invest over £1million in his role on Dragon's Den over 4 series.

Jamie Bartlett is the Director of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at the think tank Demos. He specialises in online culture and the dark net.

Jane Young is a technology entrepreneur and the founder of social business company Kanbee, using futurism and change expertise to help organisations redefine what it means to do business in the modern world.

In his 35 years at the German Television Network ARD, he produced over 500 television segments. He served twice as combat correspondent in Iraq. His investigative reports on security policy, espionage activities and weapons technology appear in leading publications in Europe, including Cicero, Focus, Le Point, Stern, Welt and ZEITmagazin. He is author of “High-Tech Espionage”, published in fourteen countries. For his current book, “Evolution Without Us” (Plassen Publishing), he interviewed drone pilots and intelligence sources, futurists and Silicon Valley specialists in a 2 ½ year exclusive research.

A BAFTA Games Awards judge, former marketer and serial entrepreneur, Jude Ower founded her gaming-for-good company Playmob in 2011. The startup works with games studios like Niantic, EA, and Rovio to engage millions of players to take positive social action. The London-based company has raised millions for charities and non-profits like WWF, Oxfam and The Cybersmile Foundation. Jude was Awarded an MBE in 2016 for services to entrepreneurship

Liz Jackson is an inspirational figure with an extraordinary story, as many would have discovered when she was featured in Channel 4’s ‘Secret Millionaire’. Honoured by Her Majesty the Queen, Liz was awarded an MBE in the 2007 for services to business, and in 2012 she was bestowed with an honorary doctorate by Staffordshire University for her business achievements and for inspiring others.Liz is also an accomplished author, having published her book StartUp! which provides invaluable help and advice to entrepreneurs everywhere.

When thinking of Lord Alan Sugar it is difficult not to imagine the dreaded words ‘you’re fired’. However, it’s good to learn that although he doesn’t mince his words and definitely doesn’t suffer fools gladly, Lord Sugar is actually a considerate man and a philanthropist. He says what he means and can come across as abrupt at times, but his sense of humour is evident, as is his genuine desire to improve both the business and life experience of others.

Marcus du Sautoy is the Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. A natural communicator, he is especially passionate when it comes to popularising maths - showing how it affects every aspect of our lives from simple counting to any form of trade and even the homes in which we live. He looks at the maths that underpins the everyday world, from the internet, data analysis and communications to more surprising areas like sport and art.

Hack has turned adversaries into allies throughout the world. Her pioneering work on engagement leadership and her unique framework Strategic Relational Engagement (SRE™) is based on decades of real-life success in bringing together diverse stakeholders to find common ground and achieve great goals. Named one of Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior, Hack works with executives of Fortune 500 companies, heads of state, and leaders of global organizations.

Randi Zuckerberg is an American businesswoman. She is the former Director of Market Development and Spokeswoman for Facebook, and a sister of the company's co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Rita McGrath is regarded as one of the world’s top experts on strategy and innovation with particular emphasis on developing sound strategy in uncertain and volatile environments. Her ideas are widely used by leading organisations throughout the world, who describe her thinking as sometimes provocative, but unfailing stimulating. She fosters a fresh approach to strategy amongst those with whom she works.

Rory now covers technology for BBC television, radio and online. He also blogs regularly on "dot rory", the BBC’s popular technology blog, and is a prolific tweeter – you can follow him at @ruskin147 or @BBCRoryCJ. In 2014, he began presenting a new weekly programme ‘Tech Tent’ on the BBC World Service. He is also the author of "Dot.Bomb ", a critically acclaimed account of Britain’s dot com bubble.

Rory Sutherland stands at the center of an advertising revolution in brand identities, designing cutting-edge, interactive campaigns that blur the line between ad and entertainment.

Sarah Pennells is the founder and editor of the UK's leading finance website for women, ‘SavvyWoman.co.uk’, which gives clear, ‘easy-to-understand’ information and tips on wide range of financial issues and has won, and been shortlisted for, several awards.

Simon Mainwaring is recognised for his thought leadership on the impact that social media is having on brands and consumers, and ultimately how the new dynamics between them will alter the accepted paradigms of marketing, advertising, and even capitalism itself.

Somi is a LinkedIn Top Voice giving talks and workshops internationally on the impact of technology on society, the business landscape, the future of work, developing thought leadership, and digital transformation both in marketing and in HR.

Spencer Kelly is a respected broadcaster and journalist with more than fifteen years experience in radio and television. Spencer is the current presenter of Click, the consumer technology show for BBC World and the BBC News Channel. Prior to this, he worked on Five's The Gadget Show. Spencer's previous experience presented the breakfast radio show for Ocean FM, part of the Capital Radio Group, for six years before joining the BBC. In this capacity, Spencer has interviewed a wide cross-section of celebrities from Sir David Attenborough to Phil Collins

Timo Kiuru is a true global citizen having worked in cities as diverse as Seoul, Istanbul, San Diego, New York, Miami, Barcelona, Paris, Seattle, Tokyo, Helsinki, Abu Dhabi, London, Kazan, Stockholm, Porto, Toronto, Las Vegas, Tallinn, Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Tom served as Britain's youngest ambassador, in the Middle East, then write Naked Diplomacy: Power & Statecraft in the Digital Age. Now on the Global Tech Panel, he sets out three geopolitical trends, five lessons from history and questions that every organisation must urgently address "Two thirds of today's young people are likely to work in jobs that do not yet exist".