Diana Wu David is a globally recognised C-suite Executive Coach, Futurist, and Leadership Strategist, known for helping top leaders and boards navigate the accelerating pace of change. With clients spanning six continents and industries ranging from finance to technology and education, Diana is ranked among the Top 10 Futurists in the World by Global Gurus and a Top 50 Future of Work Expert by Onalytica. She is the bestselling author of "Future Proof: Reinventing Work in an Age of Acceleration," winner of Inc. Magazine’s Top 10 Innovation Book Award. Her high-impact keynotes have inspired audiences at Google, AARP, World Bank, and YPO, and she is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, Wired, Fast Company, Nikkei, and Oprah Magazine.
Diana began her career working alongside one of the world’s foremost geopolitical strategists, Dr. Henry Kissinger, at Kissinger Associates. She went on to become a Management Consultant at PwC in New York and later held Senior Executive roles at the Financial Times, including launching their Non-Executive Director Diploma. Her early work across strategy, business development, and leadership training gave her deep insight into global business dynamics and board-level decision-making.
Currently, Diana serves as Director of Futures at ServiceNow, where she leads foresight strategy to help Fortune 500 clients future-proof their organisations in the age of AI. She is also the CEO of Future Proof Lab, which provides strategic advisory, leadership development, and executive coaching to boards and C-suite teams. Diana is a Senior Industry Fellow at RMIT Forward, teaches at Columbia and HKU Business Schools, and is a Founding Partner at the Future Work Forum. Her board and advisory roles include NEST.vc, Da Vinci Labs, and the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
Throughout her career, Diana has helped organisations double revenues, launch new market strategies across Asia, and drive successful digital transformations. She was a Grant Recipient at Silicon Valley’s Institute for the Future, and a 2x TEDx Speaker, whose thought leadership has shaped global conversations around AI, workforce innovation, and leadership resilience. Her executive programmes and courses empower leaders with future-ready skills including storytelling, adaptive thinking, and purpose-driven branding.
Diana’s speaking style is both insightful and energising. Audiences value her ability to connect strategic foresight with practical leadership actions. She blends academic depth with real-world business acumen, always delivering with clarity, creativity, and global relevance. Whether speaking to top executives or emerging leaders, Diana inspires her audiences to embrace change with confidence and transform disruption into a competitive advantage.
The Potential of Humans in an AI-Powered World
In an age of AI, what role do human compassion, empathy and teamwork play? Diana shares stories of ways that people are trying to harness AI and emerging technologies to augment human potential and the potential pitfalls of AI to weaponise human behaviour and amplify our worst flaws (an upcoming TEDx talk on this will be released in 2025).
The Antifragile Organisation
How do some companies spot and take advantage of trends on the horizon while others pedal furiously just to keep up? By adopting agile mindsets and practices to thrive in an uncertain world. Hear about the companies that grow stronger from disruption and take advantage of the world's biggest trends to harness the passion of their people and outwit and outperform their competitors.
Megatrends - Major Shifts on the Horizon
Demographic tsunamis, collective intelligence, emerging technology like quantum, data, AI and energy transition are all megatrends affecting the way boards, CEO, and senior leaders compete. What are the future headwinds that you need to know, how do you prioritise them, and how do you win? We'll talk about anticipating macro drivers that impact society, customers, employees and businesses. The goal? To spot and take advantage of world trends to outwit and outperform!
Official Testimonials from Online & In-Person Events:
"Diana Wu David is an outstanding speaker who engages and captivates her audience with her professionalism and extensive knowledge. With a focus on corporate sustainability through people sustainability, Diana sheds light on the importance of employee benefits and their impact on company growth and success. She translates complex concepts into practical steps, leaving the audience equipped with actionable takeaways." - Ambra Debernardi, Director of Multinational Business and Broker Development, AIA Group Corporate Solutions
"Thank you so much for joining us. I’ve received so much great feedback on your Future Proofing Your Career talk. The fact that you could hear a pin drop said it all!" - Niamh Targett, Head of Coverage, Fund Finance Asia
“I have a glowing review for Diana. She recently visited Expedia’s Hong Kong office to speak about the importance of resilience in the future of work. Her presentation was super-charged, insightful and entertaining, delivered with wit, humour and passion. The audience was actively engaged from start to finish, with several people bringing up points Diana had made in the weeks following her visit – the mark of a gifted speaker! I highly recommend Diana for speaking opportunities. You won’t be disappointed.” - Nelson Allen, Hotels.com
- 2025 – Appointed Director of Futures at ServiceNow, leading foresight strategy in the Innovation Office to support AI-driven transformation.
– Joined the Faculty at the Financial Times Board Director Programme, delivering board-level insights on emerging tech and governance. 2024 – Ranked among the Top 10 Futurists Worldwide by Global Gurus.
– Listed in Top 50 Future of Work Experts by Onalytica.
- 2022 – Became a Senior Industry Fellow at RMIT FORWARD, focusing on future skills and workforce transformation.
- 2020 – Joined as a Partner at Future Work Forum, a global think tank exploring the future of work.
- 2019 – Published “Future Proof: Reinventing Work in an Age of Acceleration”, awarded Inc. Magazine's Top 10 Innovation Book.
- 2018 – Began teaching as Faculty at HKU Business School, specialising in leadership and interpersonal dynamics.
- 2016 – Founded Future Proof Lab, offering strategic foresight, coaching, and executive education for C-suite leaders.
- 2012 – Appointed Founding Director of the Financial Times Non-Executive Director Diploma, developing a formally accredited board-level qualification.
- 2006–2012 – Served as Regional Director at Financial Times, overseeing business development and doubling revenue across 17 Asian markets.
- 1999 – Launched one of the first international internet conferences in China; also awarded a Luce Scholar fellowship in Hong Kong.
- 1997–1999 – Worked as a Management Consultant at PwC (New York), delivering strategic transformation for major global clients.
- 1993–1995– Began her career as Assistant to Dr. Henry Kissinger at Kissinger Associates, gaining firsthand geopolitical and leadership insights.
How to hire Diana Wu David
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Diana Wu David 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.
