Ben Legg is transforming entrepreneurship by giving entrepreneurs the tools they need to reinvent the world. CEO and Co-Founder of The Portfolio Collective, Ben has built a global community of 10,000 portfolio professionals. He is recognised as a leading authority on artificial intelligence, the future of work, advertising, and emerging business models, helping CEOs and investors navigate the rapid changes in technology, work, and geopolitics. He is also the Founder and CEO of Digital People International, a platform through which he helps entrepreneurs and investors understand and reinvent themselves, their teams, and their industries.
A former British Army Officer, Ben played a major role in ending the Siege of Sarajevo in 1995. An engineer by training, he began his post-military career as a Strategy Consultant at McKinsey & Company. Ben went on to take senior roles such as Vice President of Sales for The Coca-Cola Company, where he held strategy, marketing, and sales positions across Greece, Poland, and India, leading a high-profile turnaround of Coca-Cola India. His performance piqued the interest of Google, where Ben became COO of Google Europe. In this role, he developed the company’s monetisation strategy across Search, YouTube, Maps, and Mobile, writing the blueprint that is still the foundation for how Google (and its competitors) monetise audiences today.
Having also served as CEO of AdKnowledge, AdParlor, and European Directories, Ben is the author of Marketing for CEOs: Death or Glory in the Digital Age. In the book, he shares insights on how to succeed in the fast-changing world of digital marketing and branding. One of Ben’s most notable roles was as Managing Director of Ola UK, where his key responsibilities included developing the strategy to launch the globally recognised mobility company in the UK. Since 2010, Ben has led various global technology businesses, collaborating and competing with many of Silicon Valley’s major players. Having successfully served on the Board of Directors for Ola UK, Ben has also been a Board Member for The Webinar Vet, Haystack, GFR Fund, Goodsted, and Optimi Health.
Ben is a recognised name on Wall Street, where he educates investors on the latest technology and revenue trends in Silicon Valley. Having lived in nine countries and worked in more than 60, Ben possesses a level of global business knowledge that few of his contemporaries can match. He is also a Mentor at the Oxford Foundry and supports Oxford University’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Ben has been a keynote speaker at AdTech, Chief Disruptor, Future Car, The Future of Work Conference, and the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, as well as at internal conferences for Google, Coca-Cola, King Games, McKinsey, and Samsung. He has been interviewed by leading outlets including BBC, NBC, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, and The Times, and has advised hundreds of CEOs, boards, government ministers, and executives worldwide.
Hire Ben Legg for your next event today!
Ben Legg's official speaker topics are listed below:
- How AI Will Transform Industries The Future of Work
- Strategy in Times of Rapid Change
- Commercial Innovation in Large and Small Companies
- Portfolio Careers and Fractional Leadership
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
"Ben Legg is a great keynote speaker. He spoke at our CVC portfolio event with 200+ C-suite leaders, setting the tone with an energetic perspective on building an agentic organisation. He translates major technology shifts into clear, actionable priorities, delivered with genuine energy and passion for the topic. I would highly recommend Ben if you are looking for a speaker to help future-proof your organisation, whilst also being someone who remains grounded in the financial returns of implementing AI" - Richard, Director, CVC Capital Partners
“Ben is a natural leader with clarity of thought and the ability to construct, pivot and re-align the vision of a company. His ability to represent the organisation at public events, his leadership within the organisation, his work ethic and prioritisation skills, his empathetic approach, his hunger to stay on top of technological advancements and the sheer determination to navigate through chaos are just a few qualities that Ben brings to the table. I have grown tremendously under Ben’s leadership and wish him a ton of success in life!” - Vedang, Director of Strategy & Partnerships, GrabAds
“Ben leads sales operations at Google with vision, inspiration and a focus on execution. He delivered on numerous game-changing initiatives that drove revenue and sales enablement. He works with a clear structure, with focus and performs under pressure – a very strong leader.” - Terry, Executive Coach
“I had the pleasure of working with Ben during my time at ADK. Ben is an outstanding leader with a passion for building great organisations. His clear vision led the company into the growing video ad market. Besides his open leadership style and hands-on approach, he never lost sight of the big picture/ vision. ADK’s clever international growth strategy is only one example. Ben is a great guy, lucky if you can work with him.” - Sebastian, Senior Director, Corporate Development, M&A
- 2024 - Threw the first-ever party on Alcatraz
- 2024 - Board Member, MoneyPlus
- 2024 - Advisory Board Member, Hypervolt
- 2022 – Security Innovation, GALLOS Technologies Limited
- 2022 – Advisory Board Member, Haystack
- 2021 – Advisor, Conduit Capital Partners
- 2020 – CEO & Co-Founder, The Portfolio Collective
- 2020 – Advisory Board Member, GFR Fund
- 2020 – Board Member, Goodsted
- 2019 – Board of Directors, Ola UK
- 2018 – Managing Director, Ola UK
- 2018 – CEO & Founder, Digital People International
- 2016 – CEO, AdParlor
- 2018 – Mentor, Oxford Foundry
- 2016 – Author of “Marketing for CEOs: Death or Glory in the Digital Age”
- 2011 – Group CEO, Adknowledge
- 2009 – COO, European Directories
- 2006 – COO, Google
- 2006 – VP Sales, The Coca-Cola Company
- 2004 – Commercial Director, Coca-Cola HBC
- 1999 – Strategy Consultant, McKinsey & Company
- 1989 – Captain of Royal Engineers, British Army
How to hire Ben Legg
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Ben Legg 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.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
