Speakers
Speakers
%20(1)-1.jpg)
Keynote Speaker
Tim Leunig
Economist and Policy Advisor
Thursday 19 November, 09:30 - 10:30
After working in academia, Tim joined the policy world, first at the Centre Forum influencing urban policy, infrastructure, and strategies to promote economic growth in cities across, and then in government. He served as Chief Analyst at the Department for Education, devising policies on school funding, performance measurement, and curriculum reforms. He worked on housing policy and the expansion plans for Heathrow Airport. He was also Economic Adviser to Chancellors Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak. Significantly, and contrary to the existing plans of the Treasury, he conceived the UK’s furlough scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic, protecting millions of jobs.
Having left government, Tim explores the real-world effects of economic policy. He considers how it affects businesses and individuals, and provides insights into decision-making, productivity, and long-term economic growth. He’s a regular commentator to The Financial Times, The Times and The Guardian, and has contributed to programmes on many Radio stations. Tim has also served as Chief Economist at Nesta, the Innovation Agency, as Director of Economics at Public First, and as a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. He is a Fellow of the Royal Economics Society, Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, the Royal Society of Arts, and the Royal Historical Society, and a Governor of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
Meet the rest of the speakers
Keynote Speaker
Dr Stefanie Babst
Former NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General - Strategic Advisor, Author and Speaker
Thursday 19 November, 13:40 - 14:40
A prolific writer, commentator and analyst, Dr Babst is the author of 'Blind Spots - Mustering the courage to alter the strategic course towards Russia' (2023). Her expertise has also been showcased in various reputable articles, podcasts as well as TV and radio interviews such as International Policy, the FAZ, and THE ZEIT. Her sober analyses have been featured in a wide range of media outlets, including BBC World News, CNN, ZDF, Al Jazeera, and Deutsche Welle where she shares her valuable insights on global security challenges and multilateral cooperation.
Dr Babst is regularly asked to advise various international companies and financial institutions. She is also active in various security networks and policy boards, including in the German Council on Foreign Relations, the Danish Center for War Studies and the Norwegian Forum for Nordic Security Policy. Profiting from her large network to policymakers across the transatlantic space, she is Senior Associate Fellow with the London-based European Leadership Network. In recognition of her professional achievements, she received several state awards. In 2022, Stefanie was recognized as one of the Top 100 leading female leaders in Germany. Dr Babst completed her doctoral degree in International Relations from the University of Kiel, Germany, a notable accomplishment that solidified her academic standing in the field of security policy.
As a speaker, she has shared her expertise at several high-profile events, including the Munich Security Conference, the Atlantic Council’s NATO Leaders Summit, and various forums.
Meet the rest of the speakers
Keynote Speaker
Benedict Allen
Explorer, Author and Broadcaster
Friday 20 November, 09:15 - 10:15
Benedict Allen is one of Britain’s most celebrated explorers, a writer, filmmaker, and adventurer known for his pioneering immersive expeditions without a phone, GPS or backup teams, relying instead on the knowledge and skills of the remote communities he lives among, often for months at a time.
Described by Radio Times as “Britain’s most fearless man,” and hailed by former BBC Director-General Mark Thompson as “part of the history of television,” Benedict has built an extraordinary career by going where few dare to tread. He’s survived weeks lost in the rainforest without food, water, or shelter, trekked 1,000 miles across the desert, was briefly shipwrecked off the coast of Australia, and once stitched up a chest wound with a bootlace in Sumatra. Reputedly having “almost died nine times,” he’s faced deadly malaria, armed gold miners, and even gunfire from Pablo Escobar’s hitmen. It’s quite possible that no-one has lived so long isolated and alone in so many potentially hostile remote environments.
Drawing on decades of experience, he shares powerful insights on resilience, commitment, and the vital ability to adapt in an unpredictable world. Through his talks, Benedict skilfully threads the messages that the extraordinary challenges of the natural world aren’t so different to the challenges we all face day to day in the ‘global jungle’ we inhabit. An accomplished author of 11 books, Benedict's bestsellers offer vivid accounts of his journeys and provide powerful reflections on resilience, leadership, and navigating uncertainty, themes that translate directly into everyday professional and personal life. He is one of only two living people listed in The Daily Telegraph’s ‘Great British Explorers’, alongside Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
Image credit to Martin Hartley
Meet the rest of the speakers
Workshops (draft)
Questions?
For more information, please contact:
