James Whittaker

James Whittaker is a distinguished technology executive, who has enjoyed a career working for some of the biggest tech companies globally, such as Microsoft and Google. With a career spanning tech companies, startup businesses and academia, James is now highly sought-after as a speaker for a range of corporate clients. Challenging people to think differently about the future of tech, James is widely regarded as a visionary leader and skilled engineer accelerating the move towards a technological future. Today the Owner of Bellevue Brewing Company, don’t miss out on an energetic speech from James Whittaker detailing his impressive and diverse career.

Having enjoyed a successful career in technology, James’ tech story began as a Programmer and System Admin for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI. Working in this role for a year, James worked to automate Agent caseloads, before returning to education to complete a PhD in Computer Science at the University of Tennessee. Following his PhD, James became a freelance developer, travelling across 13 different countries working for companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, SAP and Ericsson. Performing a series of research on developer productivity and software quality, James then went on to become the Founder of Security Innovation and a Professor of Computer Science at the Florida Institute of Technology. As a member of the faculty at the Florida Institute of Technology, James was able to win over $12m in sponsored research and mark his prominence further in the world of technology.

In 2006, James became an Architect for Microsoft, spending his first stint with the major corporation working in trustworthy computing and visual studios. After three years with Microsoft, James became the Engineering Director of Google in 2009, leading teams that worked on Google+, Chrome OS, Chrome and Google Maps. In 2012, James became the Partner Development Manager of Microsoft, joining the company once again as manager of speech, knowledge graph and developer platforms. In 2013, James progressed to become a Distinguished Engineer and Technical Evangelist for Microsoft, helping to build the Bing Information Platform and pioneering work on intelligent machines and the Internet of Things. Other prominent roles of James’ have included being the Chief Technology Officer of Biscuit Labs, Chief Evangelist for DefinedCrowd Corp and Chief Strategy Officer of DefinedCrowd Corp.

Visionary leader, skilled engineer and captivating storyteller, James is now a popular choice as a keynote speaker for a range of public and corporate speaking engagements, detailing his decorated technology career. With experience working for both Google and Microsoft, James’ expertise is backed by a history of working for credible companies. A creative and passionate leader, James is regularly booked to speak to advertising, marketing and technical audiences, encouraging innovative thinking for the future. Having formerly spoken at events including the CIO Summit, Advertising Week Europe, Business Insider Ignite, Digital Life Design and ANA Disrupt at CES to name but a few, James commands an audience with authenticity and ease. A bestselling author, having also been named a Jolt Award finalist, don’t miss out on an informative speech direct from the knowledgeable technical evangelist that is James Whittaker.

In October 2023 we sat down virtually with James Whittaker and discussed which industries will be disrupted by AI most. Watch our Exclusive Interview with James Whittaker.