Gerd Leonhard

Top-rated European Futurist

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Gerd Leonhard's Biography

I’m a Futurist, Keynote Speaker, Author, Film-Maker and a Humanist. I share foresights and practical wisdoms with my audiences and clients, and focus on actionable observations on the next 5-7 years in technology, business and commerce, society and culture. I can address a wide range of industries and sectors such as Technology, Artificial Intelligence (across all industries), Healthcare and Pharma, Banking and Insurance, Policy and Government, Work / Jobs, Learning and Education, Human Resources, Travel and Tourism, Transportation and Mobility. Over the past two decades, Gerd Leonhard has risen to one of the top 10 futurist keynote speakers worldwide. With over 2,000 engagements in 60+ countries since 2004, and a combined audience of over 2.5 million people, Gerd has been listed by Wired magazine as one of the Top 100 Most-Influential People in Europe, and as ‘one of the leading media futurists in the World’ by The Wall Street Journal. Gerd focuses on the future of humanity and technology, digital ethics, artificial intelligence, future-leadership and foresights. His keynotes, are renowned for their hard-hitting and provocative style - inspiring, humorous, motivational, and always personal. Using cutting-edge creative motion design, Gerd’s performances have become a unique immersive experience on the big screen, reinventing the visual side of the conference industry. Gerd is highly regarded as a global influencer and has advised many business leaders and government officials around the globe. His diverse list of clients include governments, NGOs and Fortune 500 companies such as SAP, Microsoft, Google, Accenture, Deloitte, KPMG, Sony, UBS, Tetrapak, Mastercard, BBC, Unilever, Lloyds Bank, WWF, Sony, The Guardian, Siemens, RTL,The Financial Times, Ogilvy, Omnicom, The EU Commission, VISA, Audi and many others. A true thought leader in the futurist space, Gerd is above all a dedicated humanist who believes that all technological progress should further collective human flourishing. His credo is simple: People, Planet, Purpose and Prosperity. Gerd uses his keynotes, presentations, workshops and advisory sessions to deep-dive on complex topics. Recurring themes include the coming redefinition of human-machine relationships, exploring what it means to be human in a world of machines and algorithms, the future of work and jobs, and the ethics of technology. As Gerd likes to say, humanity will change more in the next 20 years than in the previous 300 years – so let’s maintain and protect what makes us human! Gerd Leonhard has spent his lifetime engaging with change, as a professional artist, internet entrepreneur, and author; now exploring the role of visionary thinker and speaker. Gerd’s background is in the music business; in 1985 he won Berklee College ‘Quincy Jones Award’ and subsequently spent 12 years working as a professional guitarist, composer and producer. He then caught the internet-bug and became a digital music & media entrepreneur. From 1995 to 2002 he served as Founder/CEO of several internet startups, based in San Francisco. In 2002, following the .com meltdown and the 9/11 crisis, Gerd returned to Europe and discovered his new calling as a futurist and as the CEO of The Futures Agency, a global network of over 40 leading futurists, speakers and personalities. The future is already here – we just haven’t paid enough attention! As we rush headlong into a machine-led world where the very essence of human being is being increasingly challenged, Gerd is reminding us to consider what moral values are we prepared to stand up for before “being human” alters its meaning forever. Gerd travels around the globe to speak at leading conferences, events and seminars, helping individuals, enterprises and government organizations to deal with ‘future shock’, and to embrace change. Gerd is also an influential author. He is the co-author of the visionary book ‘The Future of Music’ and the author of five other books including his last best-seller, ‘Technology vs. Humanity’, which is now available in ten languages. Gerd’s films on the future of technology and humanity, digital transformation and artificial intelligence have reached millions of viewers. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA, London) and an advisory board member of the Indian and Canadian Research Institutes. He resides in Zürich, Switzerland and presents both in English and German.

SPEAKING VIDEOS
PHOTOS

Must-watch! The Good Future: Futurist Gerd Leonhard's Riveting 2023 TedX Talk. Technology & Humanity

Humans, Artificial Intelligence & The Future: Riveting Keynote #Futurist Gerd Leonhard NobelFest '23

The next 10 years: Manufacturing & Sustainability. Futurist Gerd Leonhard EIT Vienna PORTUGUESE SUBS

Why, how the Future is better than we think! GTDC 2023 Keynote by Futurist Gerd Leonhard #technology

Future of Virtuality: AR, MR, VR & Metaverse: Futurist Gerd Leonhard Keynote MMA Impact India 2022

10 Essential Future Foresights for a Post Corona World: A Covid-19 Virtual Keynote by Gerd Leonhard

If You Work Like a Robot, A Robot Will Take Your Job. Why our ultimate job is...to be #human!

Towards a world of new skills: excerpt from a keynote by Futurist Gerd Leonhard #techvshuman

SPEAKER TOPICS

Disruptive Innovation Speakers

Artificial Intelligence Speakers

Digital Transformation Speakers

Future of Humanity Speakers

Global Supply Chain Speakers

Virtual Keynotes

Start-Ups & Entrepreneurship Speakers

Future of Work Speakers

Futurist Speakers

Metaverse & Web 3.0 Speakers

Future of Mobility & Smart Cities Speakers

Sustainability Speakers

Global Strategy Speakers

Future Trends Speakers

Disruptive Change Speakers

Conference Speakers

Business Speakers

Health Speakers

Technology Speakers

Gerd Leonhard Keynote Topics

10 Things You Need to Know About the Future

In this fast-paced and thought-provoking talk, Gerd Leonhard distills decades of foresight into ten transformative insights that shape the next decade. From exponential technologies to ethical disruption, from human-centric innovation to the importance of resilience, this keynote offers an essential guide for leaders who want to navigate the future with confidence. Gerd delivers a blend of bold foresight and practical wisdom to help audiences rethink their strategies, leadership and mindset in light of what’s coming.

The Future of Work, Jobs and Education

Gerd Leonhard dives deep into the profound shifts reshaping the world of work, employment and lifelong learning. Automation, AI, and hybrid workplaces are redefining human roles and skills at lightning speed. In this keynote, Gerd explores how to remain human in a tech-driven world, how education must evolve into capability-building, and what it means to thrive in a future where adaptation is the ultimate competitive edge.

How To Get Future-Ready

Being future-ready is no longer optional—it's a mindset and a strategy. In this compelling keynote, Gerd equips leaders and teams with the tools they need to anticipate disruption and respond with clarity and confidence. From embracing agility and foresight to embedding ethical innovation, this session inspires practical action. Gerd’s message is clear: the future belongs to those who can sense it, shape it, and scale it with purpose.

Understanding the Megashifts: Transforming Your Organisation

Every organisation is being swept up in a tidal wave of transformation—what Gerd calls “Megashifts.” In this session, he unpacks 10 powerful forces including digitisation, automation, decarbonisation, and virtualisation. These shifts are not just trends—they are systemic changes reshaping business, culture and society. Gerd guides audiences through how to harness these forces for strategic innovation, sustainable growth and purposeful reinvention.

Practical Wisdom

What kind of thinking do we need in a world dominated by algorithms, acceleration and automation? Gerd Leonhard makes the case for rediscovering “practical wisdom”—the human ability to make ethical, nuanced and context-driven decisions. This keynote empowers leaders to go beyond data and technology, to develop the kind of foresight, empathy and ethical clarity needed to navigate 21st-century challenges.

Happiness in the Digital Age

Is technology making us happier—or just more connected? In this thought-provoking session, Gerd Leonhard challenges audiences to rethink the role of digital tools in our personal and professional lives. He explores how humanity can stay emotionally grounded and purpose-driven in an age of screens, data and digital dependency. This talk blends neuroscience, sociology and technology trends to help audiences redefine what well-being means in the 21st century.

A New Human Renaissance

We are at the cusp of a new human renaissance—one where creativity, purpose and ethics must take center stage. Gerd Leonhard invites audiences to imagine a future where technology amplifies what makes us uniquely human, instead of replacing it. Drawing inspiration from art, science, and philosophy, this powerful keynote calls for a shift from efficiency to essence, from profit to purpose, and from disruption to regeneration.

Disruption to Construction: Futurizing Your Business

This keynote guides business leaders through the shift from being disrupted to becoming future-resilient by design. Gerd Leonhard unpacks how to "futurize" your organisation—embedding foresight, adaptability, and purpose into your DNA. From tech to culture, he outlines how to build strategic readiness that turns volatility into a launchpad for transformation. A must-hear for organisations seeking long-term relevance and sustainable growth in an era of exponential change.

The Future of Education, Learning and Training

In this compelling talk, Gerd explores how education systems, learning cultures, and corporate training must evolve in response to automation, AI and digitisation. He advocates for a future where human skills—creativity, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking—take center stage. This keynote is ideal for educators, HR leaders and innovators aiming to redesign learning for resilience, impact and lifelong relevance.

A Futurist’s Case for Technology Regulation

As AI and exponential technologies redefine power and possibility, Gerd Leonhard makes the urgent case for smart, human-centric regulation. He explores how democratic societies can strike a balance between innovation and responsibility—ensuring technology serves people, not the other way around. This keynote is a wake-up call for policymakers, business leaders and citizens alike to co-create ethical frameworks for tomorrow.

How to Futurize Your Business

What does it take to move from legacy models to future-ready enterprises? In this practical and inspiring keynote, Gerd lays out a roadmap to “futurizing” any business: from embracing exponential thinking to shifting from efficiency to resilience. With tools, case studies and foresight frameworks, this session is perfect for leaders looking to accelerate transformation without losing their human core.

Philosophy Topics

Gerd explores the philosophical dimensions of our fast-changing world—from the essence of consciousness in a machine age to the ethics of human enhancement. This talk provokes deep questions about identity, agency and meaning in an algorithmic world. With clarity and warmth, Gerd invites audiences to reconnect with timeless human values as we co-design the future.

Society Topics

This keynote focuses on how societal norms, governance, culture and ethics are being reshaped by exponential change. Gerd examines trust, truth, democracy and digital citizenship, offering a broad yet insightful perspective on how we must reimagine society in the age of AI and climate urgency. It’s a powerful invitation to lead with foresight and humanism.

Humanity Futures

Gerd Leonhard envisions possible futures for humanity in the face of rapid technological, environmental and societal transformation. Will we rise to a new era of human flourishing, or drift into dehumanisation? Drawing from science, ethics and futurism, he explores what kind of future we truly want—and how to shape it through collective action, empathy and purpose.

Media Topics

As technology transforms media, storytelling and attention itself, Gerd explores what lies ahead for journalism, content creation and digital culture. From synthetic media and deepfakes to immersive experiences and algorithmic curation, this keynote equips media professionals to thrive in the next chapter of communication. The future of media is fast, fragmented and full of opportunity—for those who can adapt.

All Business Topics

Covering a broad spectrum from digital transformation to sustainable innovation, this keynote is designed to be tailored for business audiences across sectors. Gerd addresses leadership, resilience, customer experience, corporate ethics, and the role of technology in strategic decision-making. Perfect for C-level audiences seeking actionable foresight and inspiration to lead their industries into the future.

Gerd Leonhard's Biography

I’m a Futurist, Keynote Speaker, Author, Film-Maker and a Humanist. I share foresights and practical wisdoms with my audiences and clients, and focus on actionable observations on the next 5-7 years in technology, business and commerce, society and culture.

I can address a wide range of industries and sectors such as Technology, Artificial Intelligence (across all industries), Healthcare and Pharma, Banking and Insurance, Policy and Government, Work / Jobs, Learning and Education, Human Resources, Travel and Tourism, Transportation and Mobility.

Over the past two decades, Gerd Leonhard has risen to one of the top 10 futurist keynote speakers worldwide. With over 2,000 engagements in 60+ countries since 2004, and a combined audience of over 2.5 million people, Gerd has been listed by Wired magazine as one of the Top 100 Most-Influential People in Europe, and as ‘one of the leading media futurists in the World’ by The Wall Street Journal.

Gerd focuses on the future of humanity and technology, digital ethics, artificial intelligence, future-leadership and foresights. His keynotes, are renowned for their hard-hitting and provocative style - inspiring, humorous, motivational, and always personal. Using cutting-edge creative motion design, Gerd’s performances have become a unique immersive experience on the big screen, reinventing the visual side of the conference industry.

Gerd is highly regarded as a global influencer and has advised many business leaders and government officials around the globe.

His diverse list of clients include governments, NGOs and Fortune 500 companies such as SAP, Microsoft, Google, Accenture, Deloitte, KPMG, Sony, UBS, Tetrapak, Mastercard, BBC, Unilever, Lloyds Bank, WWF, Sony, The Guardian, Siemens, RTL,The Financial Times, Ogilvy, Omnicom, The EU Commission, VISA, Audi and many others. A true thought leader in the futurist space, Gerd is above all a dedicated humanist who believes that all technological progress should further collective human flourishing. His credo is simple: People, Planet, Purpose and Prosperity.

Gerd uses his keynotes, presentations, workshops and advisory sessions to deep-dive on complex topics. Recurring themes include the coming redefinition of human-machine relationships, exploring what it means to be human in a world of machines and algorithms, the future of work and jobs, and the ethics of technology. As Gerd likes to say, humanity will change more in the next 20 years than in the previous 300 years – so let’s maintain and protect what makes us human!

Gerd Leonhard has spent his lifetime engaging with change, as a professional artist, internet entrepreneur, and author; now exploring the role of visionary thinker and speaker. Gerd’s background is in the music business; in 1985 he won Berklee College ‘Quincy Jones Award’ and subsequently spent 12 years working as a professional guitarist, composer and producer. He then caught the internet-bug and became a digital music & media entrepreneur.

From 1995 to 2002 he served as Founder/CEO of several internet startups, based in San Francisco. In 2002, following the .com meltdown and the 9/11 crisis, Gerd returned to Europe and discovered his new calling as a futurist and as the CEO of The Futures Agency, a global network of over 40 leading futurists, speakers and personalities. The future is already here – we just haven’t paid enough attention!

As we rush headlong into a machine-led world where the very essence of human being is being increasingly challenged, Gerd is reminding us to consider what moral values are we prepared to stand up for before “being human” alters its meaning forever.

Gerd travels around the globe to speak at leading conferences, events and seminars, helping individuals, enterprises and government organizations to deal with ‘future shock’, and to embrace change. Gerd is also an influential author. He is the co-author of the visionary book ‘The Future of Music’ and the author of five other books including his last best-seller, ‘Technology vs. Humanity’, which is now available in ten languages.

Gerd’s films on the future of technology and humanity, digital transformation and artificial intelligence have reached millions of viewers. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA, London) and an advisory board member of the Indian and Canadian Research Institutes. He resides in Zürich, Switzerland and presents both in English and German.