Future of Work Speakers

Dr. Ken Goldberg is a Professor at UC Berkeley, a pioneer in robotics and AI, and a highly-regarded filmmaker/artist. He is the Director of the CITRIS People and Robots Initiative. The creator of the first robot on the Internet, his presentations blend his expertise in automation, social information filtering, and creative problem solving. His work has been recognized with the Presidential Faculty Fellowship (Bill Clinton) and the Joseph Engelberger Robotics Award.

Toby Walsh is a world-leading expert on artificial intelligence and the author of 2062: The World that AI Made. As a professor of AI at the University of New South Wales, he is a prominent voice in the ethical and societal implications of AI. As a keynote speaker, Walsh provides a clear and balanced perspective on the future of artificial intelligence. He offers a compelling look at the potential of AI while also raising the critical questions we must answer to ensure it is developed responsibly.

Paul Daugherty is the former CEO of the Accenture Technology Group and former CTIO, leading the firm's transition into a digital leader. He is a Thinkers50 Digital Thinking Award winner and an acclaimed advisor on AI, Cloud, and Quantum technologies. The co-author of the influential book Human + Machine, Daugherty champions the "missing middle"—the crucial pairing of human capability with machine intelligence. His keynotes provide executives with a warm, thoughtful, and practical blueprint for achieving responsible AI deployment and forging a strategic path forward in the age of exponential technology growth.

Deepinder Goyal is the founder and CEO of Zomato, one of the world's largest food aggregators, with over 70 million monthly users and operations in 23 countries. An alumnus of IIT Delhi and a former management consultant at Bain & Company, his talks focus on scaling startups, resilience, and product development in the food-tech industry. He inspires audiences with his vision of "better food for more people" and his commitment to tackling hunger and food wastage.

Tim Urban is the co-founder of the widely popular blog Wait But Why and a renowned speaker known for simplifying complex subjects like AI, technology, and the human experience through his unique long-form writing and illustrations. His TED Talk on procrastination is one of the most-watched of all time. His bestselling book, What’s Our Problem?, introduces a groundbreaking framework for understanding societal challenges by analyzing how we think rather than what we think.

Daniel Susskind is an economist, Fellow in Economics at Oxford University, and a leading expert on AI and the future of work. He is the co-author of The Future of the Professions. His books, including the acclaimed A World Without Work, have been widely recognized, with his most recent work, Growth – A Reckoning, shortlisted for the Financial Times & Schroders Business Book of the Year 2024. His talks provide crucial analysis on automation, the future of the professions, and how to distribute wealth in a world with less work.

Dr. Ajit Ranade is the Chief Economist for the Aditya Birla Group and a leading voice on Indian economic and public policy. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Brown University. He is a frequent contributor to the business press and a co-founder of the Association for Democratic Reforms. His keynotes provide incisive, data-driven insights on Finance & Economy, Politics & Policy, and Management & Leadership strategies for navigating India's dynamic market.

Neelam Dhawan is a distinguished IT executive and former Managing Director for both Microsoft and Hewlett Packard in India. She is a recognized leader in business transformation and technology strategy. Recognized by Fortune and Forbes as one of the Most Powerful Women in Business, she is a current Board member at ICICI Bank and Capita PLC. Her keynotes draw on her experience to discuss the vital role of the CEO, managing complex technology in a matrixed organization, and driving the diversity agenda in the tech sector.

Roman Krznaric is a social philosopher, author of the internationally bestselling book The Good Ancestor, and a Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University. He explores the power of long-term thinking and empathy to drive societal change. The founder of the world’s first Empathy Museum, Krznaric’s talks and workshops, including appearances at TED Global, inspire audiences to question short-termism and leverage historical wisdom. His presentations offer a powerful toolkit for social entrepreneurs and leaders seeking to create fundamental, positive shifts in their organizations and communities.

Sophia the Robot is the world’s first robot to be granted citizenship and serves as the first Robot Innovation Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme. She is Hanson Robotics' most advanced human-like robot and a platform for AI research. Her highly visible appearances and speeches have made her a global symbol of technological innovation. Her talks explore The Future of AI Personified, focusing on her role in medicine and education, and inspiring critical discussions about human-AI collaboration and the journey toward robot autonomy and sentience.

R. Gopalakrishnan is a distinguished business leader and strategist with five decades of experience at Unilever and Tata Sons. He is a bestselling author of 20 books on management. An alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and Harvard Business School (AMP), he advises on and holds independent directorships for major corporations. His keynotes provide practical, anecdote-rich insights on Governance and Strategy, Business in India, and Innovation, sharing the wisdom of a 50-year executive career.

Bhaskar Pramanik is the former Chairman of Microsoft India and a global technology executive with over four decades of experience. He previously served as MD of Oracle Corporation and Sun Microsystems in India. An alumnus of the Executive Committee of NASSCOM, he is an Independent Board member and advisor to companies, focusing on Corporate Governance and Innovation. His keynotes cover Culture and Strategy, Leadership, and the future social and economic impact of Advanced Technologies.

Dr. Anthony Atala is a world-renowned surgeon and the Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. He is a pioneer whose team engineered the first lab-grown organ to be implanted into a human. His research focuses on growing and regenerating tissues and organs and includes breakthroughs in harvesting stem cells from amniotic fluid. As a speaker, he provides invaluable insights into the future of medicine, bioengineering, and the disruptive potential of 3D bioprinting and tissue fabrication technologies.

Philipp Kristian is a leading global expert and speaker on trust issues and digital humanity. He is the author of The Trust Economy and advises Fortune 500s on building trusted digital value propositions. As a former innovation evangelist for Fortune 500s in Asia, he helped scale two technology unicorns. His keynotes, informed by his book RESET, inspire leaders to win with trust, leave behind complexity, and foster a more human-centered and trustworthy digital future.

Carl Pei is a Chinese-Swedish entrepreneur and co-founder of OnePlus. He is the Founder and CEO of the London-based consumer electronics company Nothing, which emphasizes innovative design and a seamless digital future. An expert in global brand scaling, he led the launch of the disruptive OnePlus and has since scaled Nothing to over 2 million product sales worldwide. His keynotes provide firsthand insights on digital transformation, innovative product design, and the strategy required to build a cult-like following in the competitive consumer electronics space.

Hema Ravichandar is a former Group Head and SVP of HR Development at Infosys, and a leading expert in global talent and people management strategy. She is an alumna of IIM Ahmedabad. Recognized as one of India's top 25 young executives (Business Today) and an IT Superwoman (Dataquest), she brings decades of experience from major Indian and multinational corporations. Her keynotes focus on global HR strategy, leadership in people management, and co-anchoring programs for top institutions.

Dr. Duvvuri Subbarao is the former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), a retired IAS officer, and a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the National University of Singapore. He is the author of Who Moved My Interest Rate, a book detailing the policy dilemmas of an emerging economy's central bank during a globalized crisis. His talks provide deep insights into macroeconomic policy, global finance, and inclusive economic strategies for developing nations.

D. Shivakumar is a global business leader, Operating Partner at Advent International, and a former CEO of PepsiCo India. He is renowned for his work in driving digital transformation and brand turnaround in emerging markets. His success at Nokia—where he drove the brand from No. 71 to No. 1 in India—is a Harvard Business case study. His keynotes provide high-level insights on corporate strategy, portfolio transformation, and emerging market expansion for global organizations.