David Bodanis

David Bodanis is a futurist, historian, business advisor and prize-winning author, and keynote inspirational speaker.

His talks cover a range of topics, including how to navigate uncertain futures, how fairness can help businesses succeed, and how to boost creativity in the workplace.

Having studied mathematics,, history, and economics at the University of Chicago, David lectured at Oxford University for several years, where he created and ran the university’s “Intellectual Tool Kit” course, a practical survey of the social sciences.

His time at Oxford led to him working with Royal Dutch Shell’s Scenario unit, helping model economic futures as well as working with the future planning unit at the World Economic Forum (Davos). David also worked on an international study for the UK Treasury on the future of High-Frequency Trading and with the British government on developing hi-tech hubs in Lebanon and Dubai. More recently he has worked on Facebook’s virtual reality projects and with TED’s idea curation groups, and continues with his consulting work on scenarios and trends, especially helping firms adjust to the new normal after the pandemic

A highly successful author, his 2000 book E=mc² sold over a million copies and was published in 24 languages and was even turned into a ballet, winning the Southbank award for best dance in the UK. His book Electric Universe was the Royal Society’s Book of the Year, Passionate Minds was BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week and Einstein’s Greatest Mistake (published in 2016) was named ‘Science Book of the Year’ by the Sunday Times.

His latest book The Art of Fairness: The Power of Decency in a World Gone Mean – was published in the UK in November 2020, and received praise in Sunday Times, Financial Times, and The Economist among others.

“Bodanis is clearly one of the good guys, and The Art of Fairness is a cheering, timely, inspirational reminder that we can succeed without losing our souls.” — The Sunday Times, November 2020

SPEAKING TOPICS 

David has always been fascinated by what makes people tick, and delivers engaging presentations around futures, innovation, and creativity. He has a unique skill in drawing out lessons from history or from science that are relevant to our world today.

“How to navigate uncertain futures”

Creating Guidelines that Work

How to get teams to pull together, and aim in the same direction? Mission statements are usually too vague…but Bodanis finds examples ranging from top military units to some of our top tech companies showing how to do better.

Innovation

With examples from Einstein to Google, Bodanis shows how innovation works, and every organisation can use it to find better products, and better ways of working

Resets

The pandemic’s been a great opportunity to reset your company. Based on his series in the Financial Times, Bodanis looks at firms that are succeeding in building on their past skills to reorient themselves in today’s changing world: drawing lessons that can help us all.

The Power of Decency

Bodanis’s latest book – ‘The Art of Fairness: The Power of Decency in a World Turned Mean’ received glowing full page reviews in The Economist, and in the Sunday Times. He’s given many talks on the book’s message, showing how firms can use the gratitude that comes from decent action to thrive – so long as they manage to be street-smart about it.

His speaking clients have included Adobe, Anglo American, General Dynamics, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Mischcon de Reya, Ogilvy, Unilever, and others.