Roger Spitz is a top-ranked futurist, renowned keynote speaker, President of Techistential, and Founding Chair of the Disruptive Futures Institute, where he advises CEOs and global leaders on navigating disruption. Named the “leading futurist on disruption” by CNN, Roger is known for his dynamic, thought-provoking talks on strategic foresight, disruption and climate resilience. He is also the bestselling author of the four-volume series 'The Definitive Guide to Thriving on Disruption', as well as the award-winning Amazon bestseller 'Disrupt With Impact', which topped six categories, including AI, in six countries. Roger has delivered over five hundred keynotes across more than forty countries, captivating audiences worldwide with his powerful insights on AI, systemic disruption and anticipatory leadership.
Roger’s career began with a solid academic background, including a Master of Science in Economics and Finance from Durham University. This was followed by extensive experience in corporate finance, starting at EY. Roger later led high-profile roles in strategic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) as Global Head of Technology at BNP Paribas, including over fifty transactions worth $25 billion, building the bank’s U.S. M&A platform in San Francisco, and launching its European Digital Corporate Finance practices. His 17-year career in investment banking, which spanned both London and San Francisco, equipped him with deep insights into cross-border M&A, private equity, and corporate strategy, establishing a foundation for his expertise in foresight and disruption. Recently, Roger wrote for the World Economic Forum on How Agency, Foresight and the Right Narratives can Create Virtuous Tipping Points, solidifying his position as a thought leader.
Roger's achievements are numerous and impactful. In 2024, he was appointed to the prestigious World Economic Forum’s Global Foresight Network, recognising his global leadership in futures thinking. In 2020, he co-founded the Disruptive Futures Institute, a think tank dedicated to driving transformative change, which was later named in Thinkers360’s Top 10 Education and Top 50 Global Innovation lists. Additionally, he has served as a deep-tech venture capital partner for Berkeley SkyDeck, Vektor Partners and was appointed to Cervest’s Climate Intelligence Council in 2021. These roles underscore his influence in shaping the future of business, technology, and climate resilience. Roger has also been recognised in several prestigious industry rankings, including Thinkers360’s Global Top Voice and Top 10 in Management Leadership, and consistently ranks among Global Gurus' Top 15 Futurists Worldwide.
Roger Spitz is a compelling speaker with unparalleled expertise in navigating disruption and foresight strategy. As a speaker her offers invaluable insights on how businesses can future-proof themselves against the challenges of AI, sustainability and global systemic shifts. Whether he is guiding Fortune 500 leaders through existential pivots or advising policymakers on the future of risk, AI and geoeconomics, Roger empowers organisations to gain clarity and build resilience in an increasingly unpredictable world. To help leaders implement his ideas, he encourages them to adopt his AAA Framework (Antifragility, Anticipatory, Agility) to navigate uncertainty. He applies his deep futures work to global instability through helping decision-makers to address the confluence of the Three G's - Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, and Geotechnology. His keynote presentations equip leaders with the tools and strategies needed not only to survive, but to thrive in complex and volatile global environments. Roger's topics address critical issues such as AI ethics, climate resilience and the future of decision-making and resonate strongly with forward-thinking organisations.
"The effects of systemic disruptions are far-reaching, bringing both unprecedented challenges and opportunities. At the heart of our work and my transformative keynotes is the power of agency and informed optimism. In my bestselling book Disrupt With Impact, we blend exclusive research and insights from the Disruptive Futures Institute with real-world case studies from my strategic foresight practice, Techistential. We provide leaders with a compass calibrated for the unpredictable, helping them discover strategies to shape our futures and thrive in our increasingly complex world."
- Roger Spitz
Books
The Definitive Guide to Thriving on Disruption: Volume I - Reframing and Navigating Disruption
The Definitive Guide to Thriving on Disruption: Volume II - Essential Frameworks for Disruption and Uncertainty
The Definitive Guide to Thriving on Disruption: Volume IV - Disruption as a Springboard to Value Creation
Disrupt With Impact: Achieve Business Success in an Unpredictable World
Roger Spitz's official speaker topics are listed below:
- Governance & Leadership - Anticipatory leadership, and the futures of boards and organisations
- Technology & Society - The impacts of technology on society, media, information, and the future of work
- Finance & Investment - Evolving financial landscapes, including investments, asset classes, and insurability
- Professions & Work - The futures of education, careers, and work in the age of AI
- Humanity & Wellbeing - Exploring the futures of health, ageing, and the human condition
Catalysing Positive Tipping Points through Agency, Foresight, and Storytelling:
Many efforts to address our global crises rely on grim narratives emphasising a bleak future if we fail to act. Yet, we often neglect the power of optimistic narratives that highlight informed opportunities to drive positive transformation. In this inspiring keynote, we will explore how agency, storytelling, and systems thinking are powerful tools that can create impactful pathways toward transformative tipping points.
Humanity stands at a crossroads. Roger Spitz says, “Everything in our world is constantly evolving—except our organisations, strategies, and governance structures.” Drawing on insights from Roger’s bestselling book Disrupt with Impact, we’ll explore the power of informed optimism in shaping futures. The audience will leave with practical frameworks for embracing uncertainty and using storytelling to create virtuous inflection points that catalyse transformation across systems.
Change Is Slow Until It Isn’t: Anticipating Unpredictable Futures:
The future of prediction is not about AI or data but imagination. In a world where disruption has become a steady state, it’s time to rethink the fundamentals of underlying change. Welcome to the end of trends.
To contrast metatrends, Roger Spitz introduces the concept of “metaruption,” a multidimensional family of systemic disruptions that cause widespread effects, including shifts in the notion of disruption itself. We’ll also examine why predictions fall short in today’s UN-VICE environment (UNknown, Volatile, Intersecting, Complex, and Exponential). Rather than chasing fleeting trends, the audience will learn to prioritise signals over noise and embrace foresight. Together, we will explore uncharted waters with a compass calibrated for the unpredictable.
The Future of AI and Decision-Making in an Era of Systemic Disruption:
Artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing into domains once considered exclusively human. While humans have long excelled at decision-making, our advantage may be waning. As Roger Spitz explores in his “Techistentialism” concept, technology fundamentally reshaped our existence and decision-making.
Automation, cognification, decentralisation, digitisation, and virtualisation alter every aspect of our lives. How can humans enhance their capabilities to remain relevant as AI advances? What higher-level functions are machines capable of, and how quickly are they learning? What strategies can we adopt to thrive in a world where AI increasingly influences decision-making? You’ll leave this keynote with actionable tools and a mindset shift to succeed in a future where human cognition and AI are inseparable.
Anticipatory Leadership: Harnessing Disruption for Sustainable Value Creation:
How can you leverage our deeply uncertain, complex, and disruptive world to create sustainable value? Systemic disruptions will redistribute trillions of dollars, presenting opportunities for immense value creation. Those who cling to business as usual will face value destruction.
Disruption’s impact hinges on your perspective, preparation, and response timing. As such, Roger Spitz introduces his renowned AAA Framework, which equips leaders to build Antifragile foundations, develop an Anticipatory mindset, and leverage Agility to bridge short-term actions with long-term goals. Participants will learn how the true power of innovation lies not in its ability to disrupt but in its potential to inspire and unlock new possibilities. This session will provide actionable insights and frameworks for harnessing disruption as a springboard for creating sustainable value.
The Next Chapter of Digital Disruption: Industries Blur, New Fields Emerge:
The boundaries between industries are rapidly dissolving and spilling over. From agriculture to construction, sectors are converging, fusing, and transforming. Previously separate verticals now collaborate within new ecosystems, defying traditional classifications. The future is hybrid; this liminal world has no industry boundaries.
Known for his unique keynote talks, Roger Spitz blends exclusive research and insights from the Disruptive Futures Institute with real-world case studies from his strategic foresight practice, Techistential. This impactful presentation will help leaders, investors, and analysts adopt new perspectives on evaluating companies and industries. Through the Disruptive Thinking Canvas™, Roger provides a practical roadmap for imagining, inventing, and prototyping the futures we want, where the magic happens as industries converge and new fields emerge.
- 2026 - Ranked 15 on Global Gurus' Top 15 Futurist Worldwide list
- 2025 - A Thinkers360 Global Top Voice
- 2025 - Ranked in the Top 10 Management Leadership list by Thinkers360
- 2025 - Ranked in the Top 10 Venture Capital list by Thinkers360
- 2025 - Disruptive Futures Institute ranked in the Top 10 Education list by Thinkers360
- 2025 - Disruptive Futures Institute ranked in the Top 50 Global Innovation list by Thinkers360
- 2024 - Won the Harvey Chute Best Business Book Award for Disrupt with Impact
- 2024 - Expert Advisor, World Economic Forum Global Foresight Network
- 2024 - Disrupt With Impact became an Amazon bestseller
- 2024 - Published bestselling Disrupt With Impact: Achieve Business Success in an Unpredictable World
- 2023 - Appointed to the Board of Lux Carbon Standard (Brazil's first carbon credit certifier)
- 2022 - Appointed to the AI Council of the Indian Society for Artificial Intelligence
- 2020 - Co-founded Disruptive Futures Institute
- 2019 - President of Techistential
- 2017 - Managing Director, BNP Paribas TMT Advisory (Americas and West Coast M&A)
- 2016 - Built BNP Paribas Technology Investment Banking franchise in EMEA
- 2010 - Launched BNP Paribas Digital M&A Studio
- 2002 - Joined BNP Paribas as Managing Director for Technology & Digital M&A Advisory
How to hire Roger Spitz
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Roger Spitz 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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