Dhiraj is an international keynote speaker on leadership, AI, and adapting to emerging technology. He helped grow Shazam from the original idea to over 100 billion uses, and was named one of Europe’s Top 50 technology entrepreneurs by the Financial Times. Since Shazam’s sale to Apple, he has invested in over 250 leading AI and technology startups, including OpenAI (creators of ChatGPT).
Previously, he held senior roles in Financial Services, Technology, and media and entertainment, and has an MBA from Stanford Business School. Dhiraj’s expertise is helping leaders build adaptable organisations, combining practical experience building an iconic company with first-hand foresight of a technology-driven future.
Dhiraj advises corporate leaders to build organisations that embrace adaptability as a core competency. He guides executives to systematically create companies that learn, evolve, and reinvent themselves, rather than reacting to disruption after it occurs.
His advisory work with major corporations including, UBS, Eli Lilly, Unilever and PWC, gives him a deep understanding of how large organisations approach innovation and transformation across diverse industries. His portfolio of 250+ investments across AI and emerging technologies provides a comprehensive source of innovation trends, business models, and success factors. Dhiraj draws on learnings from 35 years of company building, enabling audiences to understand both long-term strategic thinking and actions they can implement immediately.
In recognition of Dhiraj Mukherjee’s achievements in business and entrepreneurship, he has been named one of The Best Business Speakers to Hire.
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Reviews
Dhiraj Mukerjee recieved a 5-star rating across 10 events in 2024
Agent Recommendation
"Dhiraj Mukherjee is an exceptional keynote speaker who brings real-world experience, sharp insight, and warmth to every stage. Best known as the co-founder of Shazam, Dhiraj shares powerful lessons on innovation, entrepreneurship, and the future of technology. His talks are clear, engaging, and full of practical ideas. Whether speaking on AI, climate action, or building successful ventures, Dhiraj inspires audiences to think differently and act with purpose."
Dhiraj Mukherjee's official speaker topics are listed below:
Leadership In the Age of AI
GenAI has rapidly evolved from experimental to essential for growth in most organisations. This creates a fundamental challenge for leaders to shift from early initiatives to seize the opportunity to scale AI in the enterprise. Drawing on his experience as a founder, investor and early participant in the AI ecosystem, Dhiraj advocates “AI 2.0”: the shift from pilots to productive deployment across the organisation. Dhiraj helps leaders understand how to make better judgments about where AI truly adds value and how leadership must innovate and evolve as AI becomes a core part of the workplace.
How to Adapt to the Future
Leaders today are grappling with ever-accelerating technological change, volatile geopolitics, and dramatic business and workforce transformation. This keynote focuses on the leadership skills required to operate under uncertainty: building foresight, moving beyond rigid planning, and designing organisations that can evolve in real time. Drawing on decades of experience building Shazam through multiple market cycles and advising global organisations, Dhiraj explores how leaders can learn while they lead to transform their businesses. Dhiraj believes the best way to predict the future is to create it, and he shares proven methods for re-inventing business and building lasting success.
Building the Workforce of the Future
Most organisations are still building teams for jobs that won’t exist in a few years’ time. Technology is reshaping how we work, and the next generation of talent requires new skills to redefine the workforce. In this keynote, Dhiraj focuses on the leadership challenge of pairing future talent with emerging technology. Rather than optimising for specific skills or tools, he argues that organisations must rethink how they identify potential, develop people, and build teams to transform the workplace. The focus is practical and grounded, helping leaders make better decisions about who they hire, how they lead, and how they prepare their workforce for jobs that don’t yet fully exist.
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
"Dhiraj's inspiring stories and authenticity resonated really well with this senior audience. The feedback from guests was incredible; his friendliness, humour and humility were especially highlighted." - Jonathan Groom, Product Marketing, Google
"Dhiraj delivered an exceptional presentation on the role and potential of generative AI in the financial services industry. Dhiraj explored the transformative impact of generative AI with both clarity and vision, sparking thought-provoking discussions and inspiring fresh ideas. From the moment he took the stage, he captivated the audience with his dynamic and energetic delivery. His deep expertise, combined with a natural ability to simplify complex concepts, kept everyone engaged and left a lasting impression. We received amazing feedback from his session, being the preferred one amongst all the audience." - Elena Martinez, VP Mastercard Europe, Mastercard
"Dhiraj’s insights were incredibly useful especially where every business is having to think differently and embrace technology like never before during this unique time." - Alex Wicks, Global Head of Partnerships, Real Madrid FC
"It was an absolute pleasure to host Dhiraj Mukherjee at our event in Paris! He brought a wealth of insight, experience and authenticity to the room, with a thought-provoking keynote that was not only engaging but truly inspiring - sharing his story of building Shazam from a bold idea into a globally recognized tech success was both fascinating and deeply motivating. Dhiraj has a rare ability to connect visionary thinking with real-world application. His reflections on the evolution of technology and the role of AI left a lasting impression on our audience. We are incredibly grateful for his time and insights, and look forward to seeing how he continues to shape the future of tech!" - Sophie Cooley, BCG
"At our recent annual Connect25 conference, Dhiraj’s session stood out as a clear highlight for attendees. While the backstory of Shazam was a great hook, it was Dhiraj’s insights on AI as an evolving space that really resonated. Given his investment in OpenAI we knew that he could credibly speak to this topic, and he didn't disappoint. His ability to relate to the audience and challenge us to stay curious and adaptable landed particularly well, sparking conversations long after the session ended. Thanks Dhiraj for a great session!" - Naomi Pedlaw, Marketing Communications Manager, CarTrawler
"We invited Dhiraj as a keynote speaker for the Google App Academy, an online learning program for small app developers from Central and Eastern Europe. Dhiraj shared his very own story of building a Shazam that was truly inspiring and motivating for the small developers wishing to reach such success one day with their own apps. His story was a great kick off for the whole program and was very well received and generated lots of questions from the audience. On the personal note, I’d like to highlight how easy it was to communicate with Dhiraj and how flexible he was given the very short notice we were in. Definitely recommend him as a keynote speaker for any big conference or event!" - Orest
"Common challenges do cut across industries. Dhiraj’s insights on models, platforms, app economics, innovation, timing, and resilience, greatly boosted us in our own digital transformation journey!" - Marc Fontaine, Chief of Staff, Airbus
“We invited Dhiraj as a keynote speaker for the #GEN2021 event which is a business and digital event. Dhiraj shared his story about creating a Shazam, which was a real inspiration for all the participants. All visitors were delighted to hear his speech and interact with him. As an extra challenge, he gave his talk entirely in French, and it was a real success. On a personal level, Dhiraj is very accessible, extremely humble and smiling. He was a real revelation to all of us, both personally and professionally. I strongly advise you to invite him to your event, you won't be disappointed!” - Alix
"Dhiraj gave the keynote speech at our 25th UK Technology Fast 50 awards dinner, to a crowd of 100+ founders of high-growth VC-backed companies. Great speech - engaging, great storyteller, fascinating look-back over the Shazam days, and very personable. Would highly recommend." - Ducann Down, Partner, Deloitte
- 2025 – Delivered new keynote “Tech, Green & Youth: AI and Emerging Tech” to global audiences, exploring how Gen Z, climate tech, and AI are reshaping the future
- 2025 – Presented “High Stakes: Why We Are All Impact Investors” to business leaders, urging urgent corporate focus on sustainability and long-term thinking
- 2025 – Keynote “How to Anticipate the Future” featured at events for Google, Santander, and Tech Nation, offering practical foresight strategies for business resilience
- 2025 – Continued active investment in climate-tech startups such as Dandelion Energy and OnHand, aligning with Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy and Al Gore’s Generation IM
- 2024 – Reached over 250 startup investments spanning AI, fintech, healthtech, and social impact – including OpenAI (ChatGPT), MeVitae, Beam, Coursematch, and Erase All Kittens
- 2023 – Celebrated Shazam’s 25th anniversary milestone, noting over 100 billion recognitions since launch
- 2023 – Delivered keynote “Secrets of Shazam’s Success” at the House of Lords and Real Madrid innovation summit
- 2023 – Became Ambassador for Tech Nation’s Climate Programme, advocating for mission-led innovation in climate solutions
- 2018 – Finalised $400 million acquisition of Shazam by Apple, one of the most high-profile exits in UK tech history
- 2017 – Included in Smith & Williamson’s Power 100, honouring influential figures in UK enterprise
- 2016 – Named to Digital Banking Club’s Power 50, highlighting his innovation leadership at Virgin Money
- 2015 – Listed among Europe’s Top 50 Tech Entrepreneurs by the Financial Times, recognising his entrepreneurial legacy and future-forward focus
- 2014–2017 – Led banking innovation at Virgin Money, launching open innovation partnerships with fintech startups and developing next-gen digital banking products
- 2011 – Launched Ditto, Bauer Media’s first social media platform, which generated £1 million revenue in its first year
- 2002 – Launched Shazam publicly in the UK and helped raise tens of millions in venture capital, building the company into a global brand
- 2000 – Co-founded Shazam, creating the world’s first mobile-based music recognition app – now with over 1 billion downloads
How to hire Dhiraj Mukherjee
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Dhiraj Mukherjee for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
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