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Dr Wayne Visser is a globally recognized Cambridge pracademic, poet and possibilist. He has been listed as one of the world’s:
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- Top 10 most influential faculty thinkers on issues of responsible business in social media
- Top 100 influencer on CSR and sustainable business
- Top 100 thought-leader in trustworthy business
- Top 100 sustainability leader.
He has delivered more than 570 professional speeches, lectures, workshops and courses all around the world, with his work taking him to 78 countries. His Top 5 Keynote Topics are:
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- Rethinking Change: 12 Powerful Strategies for Achieving System Transformation
- Rethinking Value: 6 Essential Steps for Earning Back Trust
- Rethinking Innovation: 6 Breakthrough Goals for Growing Market Opportunities
- Rethinking Leadership: 6 Vital Habits for Developing Regenerative Leaders
- Rethinking Sustainability: 6 Great Transitions for Creating Thriving Futures
He is author of 43 books, including most recently Thriving: The Breakthrough Movement to Regenerate Nature, Society and the Economy, an Amazon bestseller in 16 countries.
Keynotes, Lectures, Workshops and Training
Rethinking Change:
12 Powerful Strategies for Achieving System Transformation
Alternative title: How Change Really Works in Society and Organisations
In this keynote, Dr Visser shows how all transformational change is systems change, where at an organisational or societal level. Using inspiring examples, he shares the underlying science of thriving systems and how different strategies for change work together to shift the dynamics of any system.
Key audience takeaways
- Insights on the six scientific principles of thriving
- Inspiration on the twelve strategies for creating successful change
Rethinking Value:
6 Essential Steps for Earning Back Trust
Alternative title: How Business is Changing its Core Value Proposition
In this keynote, Dr Visser shows how the conception and practice of value creation by business has evolved over time and is now focused on integrated value. Using inspiring examples, he shares how the world’s most admired companies are following six steps to integrate sustainability into their strategies and operations.
Key audience takeaways
- Insights on the evolution of value creation by business for society
- Inspiration on the six essential steps of integrated value management
Rethinking Innovation:
6 Breakthrough Goals for Growing Market Opportunities
Alternative title: How Innovation is Driving a Much Better Future
In this keynote, Dr Visser shows how six critical areas of breakdown in nature, society and the economy are catalysing breakthrough innovations and market opportunities. Using inspiring examples, he shares what the world’s most innovative companies are doing to make a positive impact.
Key audience takeaways
- Insights into emerging technology trends and innovation frameworks
- Inspiration on six breakthrough strategies and market opportunities
Rethinking Leadership:
6 Vital Habits for Developing Regenerative Leaders
Alternative title: How Leaders Can Regenerate Nature, Society and the Economy
In this keynote, Dr Visser shows how our global challenges are shaping a new kind of leader who can regenerating nature, society and the economy. Using inspiring examples, he shares how regenerative leaders embody a combination of certain vital characteristics that enable them to simultaneously create value for all stakeholders.
Key audience takeaways
- Inspiration on the six essential characteristics of regenerative leaders
- Insights on which of the four types of purpose-inspired leader you might be
Rethinking Sustainability:
6 Great Transitions for Creating Thriving Futures
Alternative title: How Thriving Goes Beyond Responsibility and Sustainability
In this keynote, Dr Visser shows how social responsibility and environmental sustainability are no longer adequate responses to our global challenges. Using inspiring examples, he shares how transitions from breakdown to breakthrough in nature, society and the economy provide us with new pathways to thriving.
Key audience takeaways
- Insights on the differences between responsibility, sustainability and thriving
- Inspiration on the six great transitions reshaping nature, society and economy
Audience Feedback
Dr Visser has been frequently lauded for the quality of his presentations. He is known for his informative and visually engaging slides and extensive use of case studies from around the world. For example, when he was lecturing at Warwick Business School in the UK, he won the Outstanding Teacher Award of the Warwick MBA two years in a row. Here is an indicative sample of the feedback he has received from his audiences:
- “You delivered exactly what we wanted in terms of getting some thought provoking issues out there for the audience to start contemplating as we started off the day.” – International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group, USA
- “Everyone talking about how your session was the best of the week! We want more Wayne (in person)!” –University of Cambridge, UK
- “Very informative and helpful” – Korea Institute for Strategic Social Responsibility, South Korea
- “My favourite [speaker]. He is interactive, uses different mediums, knows subject, is current. I left wanting to go and specialise in sustainability.” – Gordon Institute of Business Science, South Africa
- “Very inspiring and encouraging for the Sri Lankan attendees” – CSR Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
- “One of the greatest courses ever, nothing bad to say.” – Kedge Business School, University of Bordeaux, France
- “Everyone was extremely positive about the event afterwards and very impressed by your comprehensive knowledge, your convincing argument and the great clarity and persuasiveness with which you delivered your message.” – University of Winchester, UK
Sample of Speaking Engagements
ARGENTINA – Beyond CSR to CIV: Creating Integrated Value, Buenos Aires, September 2014.
ARMENIA – CSR, Marketing and Public Relations, British Council, Eurasia Partnership Foundation, UNDP/Global Compact, Yerevan, Armenia, 16-17 November 2009.
AUSTRALIA – Creating Shared Value: Revolution or Clever Con? Deakin Business School Alumni Network, Melbourne, May 2014.
AUSTRIA – Beyond sustainability to thriving: Innovation to regenerate nature, society and the economy, Responsible Management Education Research Conference, Innsbruck, September 2022.
AZERBAIJAN – Sustainable Frontiers: Unlocking Change Through Business, Leadership & Innovation, 1st Azerbaijan Conference on Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility, Baku, October 2015.
BELGIUM – Systems Thinking, Johnson & Johnson, Maastricht, June 2022.
BRAZIL – A European Perspective on Regenerative Agriculture, Roundtable on Responsible Soy, Sao Paulo, 4 October 2023.
CANADA – Closing the Loop: Sustainability Innovation and Change Management, Keynote, National Zero Waste Conference 2018, Vancouver, Canada, 8 November 2018
CHINA – The Future of CSR, China Europe International Business School, Shanghai, June 2010.
COLOMBIA – CSR 2.0: Towards the Age of Responsibility, Fundesmag (EcoPetrol), Barrancabermeja, October 2013.
CROATIA – Transformational Leadership & Becoming a Future-Fit Organisation, IDOP, Zagreb, May 2018.
DENMARK – Thriving: The Breakthrough Movement to Regenerate Nature, Society and the Economy, Global DIY Summit, Copenhagen, June 2022.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – CSR 2.0: The Future of Corporate Social Responsibility, INTRAS Corporate Social Responsibility 2012 Conference, Santa Domingo, September 2012.
ECUADOR – Sustainability Leadership and Social Responsibility, Secretaria de Ambiente del municipio de Quito, Quito, June 2016.
ESTONIA – Creating Shared Value Through CSR, MTÜ Vastutustundliku Ettevõtluse Foorum, Tallinn, December 2012.
FINLAND – Sustainability as a Strategic Choice: Creating Integrated Value through Thriving, Office of the Prime Minister & Aalto University, September 2021.
FRANCE – The Values Dividend: 7 Ways to Create Integrated Value for Business, the Economy and Society, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, January 2019.
GEORGIA – CSR, Marketing and Public Relations, British Council, Eurasia Partnership Foundation, UNDP/Global Compact, Tbilisi, November 2009.
GERMANY – Trust, Sustainability and Thriving, Roundtable on Responsible Soy, Monheim, November 2022.
GUATEMALA – The A to Z of Corporate Social Responsibility, Inter-American Development Bank Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility, Guatemala City, December 2007.
HUNGARY – The Future of CSR: What Is The Relationship Between CSR 2.0 and Web 2.0? CSR Hungary conference, Budapest, November 2011.
INDIA – The Future of CSR: From Corporate Social Responsibility to Creating Integrated Value, International Workshop on ‘Governance of State Owned Enterprises’, New Delhi, December 2015.
ITALY – Scanning the Horizon: The current state of play and what’s next in the global fight for healthy seas, Ocean Race Summit, Genoa, September 2019.
JORDAN – CSR Benchmarking & The Future, Wazayef Masr, Amman, October 2011.
KENYA – CSR in Developing Countries, Ufadhili Trust, Nairobi, January 2010.
KOSOVO – Systems Thinking & Global Trends, Sustainability Leadership Kosovo Champions Program, Prishtina, September 2019.
LATVIA – CSR 2.0: The Future of CSR, Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, Riga, December 2012.
MALAYSIA – The Race Towards a Low Carbon Economy: Implications for Businesses, Panel at the Cooler Earth Summit, Kuala Lumpur, September 2021.
MEXICO – Competencies for Our Global Challenges: Leading Change Through Sustainable Innovation, Monterrey Institute for Technology, Guadalajara, May.
NETHERLANDS – ESG and the world, Act to Impact – Leading ESG Business Transformation, Nyrode Business University, Breukelen, October 2022.
NEW ZEALAND – Purpose-Inspired Leadership, Sustainable Business Network, Auckland, June 2010.
NIGERIA – CSR Challenges in Africa, International CSR Conference, Lagos Business School, Lagos, February 2012.
PHILIPPINES – Are You Fit for the Future? Global Trends Towards Integrated Value, Keynote, League of Corporate Foundations CSR Expo, Manilla, July 2017.
POLAND – Creating Integrated Value: Seven Pathways to Sustainable Transformation and Innovation, UN Global Compact & 3M Poland Sustainability Conference, Wroclaw, October 2019.
PORTUGAL – Sustainable Design, Innovation and Technology, Sustain Azores, São Miguel, February 2020.
RUSSIA – Creating Integrated Value: Transforming Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility, DHL 2015 E-Tailing Summit, Moscow, June 2015.
SINGAPORE – Creating Integrated Value: Beyond CSR and Creating Shared Value, City Developments Limited, Singapore, August 2015.
SLOVENIA – The Ages and Stages of CSR: Towards CSR 2.0, Ekvilib Inštitut, Bohinj, May 2012.
SOUTH AFRICA – The Disruptors: Reinventing Business & Society Through Conscious Capitalism, Serious Social Investment Conference 2016, Tshikululu Social Investments and Gordon Institute of Business Science, Johannesburg, April 2016.
SOUTH KOREA – Beyond CSR: Are You Fit for the Future? Korea Social Responsibility Institute, Seoul, May 2013.
SPAIN – Digitalization and Integrated Value, DELMIA Quintiq World Tour, Barcelona, November 2019.
SRI LANKA – Making CSR Part of Your Company’s DNA, CEO Forum, CSR Sri Lanka, Colombo, April 2015.
SWEDEN – Sustainable Development & CSR, Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm, November 2016.
SWITZERLAND – Five Strategies for Future Fitness, Lorange Institute of Business Zurich, March 2013.
TANZANIA – Corporate Social Responsibility in South Africa in the Ten Years Since Democracy, International Academy for African Business & Development (IAABD) Annual Conference, Dar Es Salaam, April 2004.
THAILAND – Innovation for the Future Fitness, Sasin School of Management, Bangkok, November 2019.
TURKEY – Corporate Governance and Competitiveness, 3rd International Corporate Governance, Istanbul, January 2010.
UAE – Closing the Loop, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, UAE, December 2018.
UK – Future Fit Leadership to Create a Thriving World in 2050, HSBC, London, December 2022.
UKRAINE – The Future of CSR: Beyond ISO 26000 to CSR 2.0, IV International Conference on CSR, Expert Ukraine & UN Global Compact, Kiev, April 2010.
USA – Creating Impact, ONE Doctoral Consortium, Academy of Management (AOM), Boston, August 2019.
VIETNAM – CSR Benchmarking & The Future, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce, Ho Chi Minh, September 2011.
ZIMBABWE – CSR 2.0: Beyond CSV and CSR 1.0, Regional Centre for Social Responsibility, Harare, May 2014.
Speaker Biography and Bookings
Speaker Bio (Pdf)
To book Wayne for a paid speaking engagement, please use the Contact form below.
