Gerd Leonard, Leading Media Futurist

Media Futurist, and CEO of The Futures Agency. Keynote Speaker, Think-Tank Leader, Futurist, Author & Strategist, Idea Curator, Occasional Heretic, CEO TheFuturesAgency, Visiting Professor FDC Brazil.

The WSJ calls Gerd ‘one of the leading Media Futurists in the World’. He is the Co-author of the influential book ‘The Future of Music’ (Berklee Press, 2005), as well as the author of 'The End of Control’ (2007), ‘Music 2.0’ (2008), and 'Friction is Fiction' (2009, Lulu Publishing). Gerd's background is in the music business; in 1985 he won Berklee College’s 'Quincy Jones Award' and subsequently worked 12 years as a professional guitar player, composer and producer. He then spent a decade as digital media entrepreneur and start-up Internet CEO, based in San Francisco. In 2001, Gerd returned to Europe and started his career as a Futurist and Strategic Advisor. He now travels around the globe and speaks at major conferences and business events, company retreats and think-tanks on the Future of Business, Media, Content and Entertainment, Technology, Marketing, Advertising & Branding, Telecommunications, and Culture.

Gerd is considered a leading expert on topics such as new online commerce models, the tele-media economy, social media and social commerce, TV & Radio 2.0, mobile content, innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship, consumer trends, UGC and peer production, copyright, licensing and IPR issues, next-generation advertising, marketing and branding, digital content strategies, and the development of next-generation business models for the content, communications & technology industries. 

Gerd's keynotes, speeches, presentations and think-tanks are renowned for his hard-hitting and provocative yet inspiring, personal and motivational style. With over 850 engagements in 42 countries during the past eight years, Gerd has addressed over 300,000 executives and professionals, and is considered a key influencer.

Mike Zeederberg, Managing Director & Joint Owner, Zuni

Mike is the Managing Director and joint owner of Zuni, a digital marketing agency specialising in helping businesses use digital channels to achieve business outcomes. Zuni's clients include NRMA Motoring Services, Australian Institute of Management (AIM), Fuji Xerox and the University of New South Wales School of Business (ASB/AGSM). He has over 13 years experience in the interactive marketing industry, in both digital integration and management roles with traditional agencies such as Brann in London, FCB and Euro RSCG Interaction in Sydney, and in digital specialist agencies, whilst MD of Profero Sydney. Mike is extremely active in both the creative and digital communities in Australia; he founded the Australian version of Creative Social, a gathering of creative directors focused around improving digital creativity in Australia. He also established - and is Chair of Judges - for Creative Showcase, the IAB's regular digital creative award. He has co-chaired the judging panel for the IAB Awards in Australia for the last 2 years and has judged the AIMIA, ADMA and AWARD awards, as well. Mike has also developed and run custom training courses for 3M, Readers Digest, Macquarie Bank and a range of other organisations.

Neil Perkin, Founder, Only Dead Fish

Neil is a renowned blogger, writer and the founder of Only Dead Fish, a digital and media consultancy that specialises in applying strategic understanding of social and emerging media technologies to help businesses innovate and optimise their effectiveness within the new, networked communications environment.

Neil is a consultant with Econsultancy, a regular keynote speaker on content strategy, emerging media, digital marketing innovation and social technologies, and writes regularly for FutureLab, Marketing Week, and The Marketing Society amongst others.

Neil curates the quarterly series of Firestarters thought leadership events on behalf of Google UK, and has worked with market-leading global businesses including Warner Bros, HBOS, YouTube, Marks & Spencer, Leo Burnett and Disney, and is an associate of The Futures Agency, a collaboration of some of the world’s leading media thinkers and futurists. For people who like shiny things, he has won more industry awards than just about anyone in UK media, with five awards to his name including a Campaign Award, two Media Week Awards and an Association of Online Publishers award.

He has over 20 years media owner experience and was latterly the Director of Marketing, Strategy and Digital for IPC Media, the largest consumer publisher in the UK and publisher of multimedia brands including Wallpaper, Marie Claire and the NME. In this capacity he ran award-winning strategy, planning and consumer insight functions and was at the centre of defining and implementing the digital strategy for one of the largest media owners in the UK.

Jake Hird, Director of Research and Education, Econsultancy Australia

Jake is Econsultancy Director of Research and Education for Econsultancy in Australia where is he tasked scoping and delivering strategic insight to customers, around a full range of digital marketing topics and capabilties. 

Coming from a background of online commercial research, development and account management, Jake joined Econsultancy initially as a Research Analyst and has authored multiple industry reports, contributing significantly to a body of knowledge that marketers around the world have come to rely on.

Previous to joining Econsultancy, Jake was with one of the UK’s leading digital agencies and their company group. He started his career working as an Online Research Officer at a UK university.

Jake’s international experience spans a wide spectrum of industries across media, entertainment, travel, finance and FMCG. Over the years, he’s worked with some of the world’s best known brands including the likes of Sony Ericsson, 3M, Oxfam, PayPal, the BBC, Universal, AXA, Orange, Coca-Cola, and Samsung. He takes a keen interest in emerging digital trends and technology and welcomes any new industry insights or thoughts.

Louise Au, Managing Director, Mercury Digital Marketing Communications

Louise is the Founder and Managing Director of Mercury Digital Marketing Communications – a consultancy that specializes in strategic planning for brands that are entering the mainland China market. Mercury’s client portfolio includes Harbour City Hong Kong, Hang Seng Bank, ANTEPRIMA, GATSBY, Shanghai Times Square.  Louise works with Econsultancy across a number of both B2B and B2C clients including Baidu, Lenzing Textile Fibres, Triumph, Pentland Asia, and Avery Dennison. She is a frequent speaker at industry events, including Sina Weibo workshops, Social Media Submit Osaka, Harbour City HK Digital Workshops for Retail Tenants.

Louise is also the Co-Founder and Partner of Axis Business Consulting which works with both global communications networks and local independent agencies in Asia, in developing their M&A and expansion strategies in the region, is a Board Member of OMP, a full-serviced digital marketing & advertising agency headquartered in Shanghai,  and Executive Director of NDN Group, which specialize in social media & mobile marketing in Hong Kong and China.

Originally from Hong Kong, Louise is currently based in Shanghai, and prior to starting her own businesses, Louise last held the position of President at DIGITAS Greater China since 2006, and she was also a Board Member of the Publicis Groupe China Board.

Gaurav Mishra, CEO and co-founder 2020 Social, Asia VP of Insights, Innovation & Social, MSLGROUP

Gaurav Mishra helps global brands integrate Purpose and Participation, as Asia VP of Insights, Innovation & Social, MSLGROUP, Publicis Groupe’s strategic communications & engagement network. Gaurav supports 10+ MSLGROUP agencies across India, China, Japan and Southeast Asia as Asia Director for Social Media.

Previously, Gaurav has held senior marketing roles at the Tata Group, taught social media at Georgetown University as the 2008-09 Yahoo! Fellow, launched crowd-sourced election monitoring platform Vote Report India (www.votereport.in) and co-founded social media consulting firm 2020 Social (www.2020social.com).  As CEO and co-founder of 2020 Social, Gaurav built a niche consulting and agency business to help organizations like Intel, Dell, Intuit, Frito Lays and United Spirits build and nurture online communities and convert their employees, partners and customers into evangelists. As the 2008-09 Yahoo! Fellow at Georgetown University, Gaurav led research on social media and mobile use in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and taught a graduate course on "Social Media in Business, Civil Society and Government".

At Tata Group, Gaurav held senior sales and marketing roles, as part of the group's prestigious TAS fast-track program. In his last role as Assistant General Manager (Brand Head Indica) at Tata Motors, Gaurav led national level sales and marketing for Indica, one of India's leading auto brands.Gaurav writes the popular Gauravonomics Blog for Marketers, Entrepreneurs and Activists (www.gauravonomics.com) with a focus on community and cause marketing. Gauravonomics was voted as the best business blog in India as per Indibloggies and is included amongst the top 150 advertising and marketing blogs internationally as per the AdAge Power 150 ranking.

Gaurav is frequently invited to guest lecture at business schools, speak at conferences and lead workshops. Gaurav is also frequently invited by Indian and international media to participate in panel discussions, comment on stories and contribute op-eds.

Steffan Aquarone, CEO, Droplet, and Econsultancy Trainer in the UK

Steffan Aquarone is a leading online marketing expert, technology entrepreneur and digital marketing consultant.

At just 20 years of age Steffan was a founding director of a Top 50 digital agency. As
Managing Director he developed content for Land Rover, Vodafone, Massey Ferguson and American Express as well as leading the business through its first five years.

Steffan is currently working on mobile technology start-up as well as with global brands, helping them develop elements of their digital strategies. He leads digital marketing courses for Econsultancy and writes regularly on the future of the web.

Steffan is also a successful film producer, co-owning feature-film production company Immense Productions with best-selling comedy writer Guy Browning. Tortoise in Love is his latest film.

Steffan is an unflappable operator who can make things happen against the highest odds and speaks regularly to audiences about the highs and lows of business, entrepreneurship and the power of digital marketing. He is represented by JLA, graduated from te University of Warwick with a BA (Hons) in 2006 and became a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2007.

Ranji David, Regional Head of Digital Marketing, Samsung Asia

Ranji David is the Regional Head of Digital Marketing at Samsung Asia and a seasoned Business Professional with a wealth of experience across Marketing Communications, Digital Media and Advertising. In her career to date, she has served as both Consultant and Client, and was most recently the Executive Director of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Singapore.

In her present role, she is responsible for building Digital Competencies across the business, raising the levels of creative excellence, as well leading strategic media partnerships across the region.