Ben Hammersley
Ben Hammersley is internationally recognised as one of the world’s leading futurists and the founder of Hammersley Futures, a strategic foresight consultancy advising corporations, governments and institutions on how to navigate an increasingly complex future. His work focuses on how societies respond to technological change — from the evolution of work, markets and power structures to emerging forms of conflict, security and the cognitive skills needed to thrive in the decades ahead.
Over the course of his career, Hammersley has built an unusually broad and interdisciplinary background. He has served as Executive Editor of WIRED, reported as a war correspondent from Afghanistan, advised the European Commission, and created and hosted the BBC series Cybercrimes with Ben Hammersley, now available internationally on platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. He is also the author of five books and is widely credited with coining the term “podcast.”
His publications include the critically acclaimed 64 Things You Need to Know Now for Then, a practical guide to understanding the modern world, and Now for Then: How to Face the Digital Future Without Fear, which explores the intersection of technology, culture, business and politics. In his writing, Hammersley demystifies digital systems, decodes cyberspace and offers clarity in a time of rapid innovation. Alongside this, he serves as Editor-at-Large at WIRED, writes as a columnist for BA Business Life, and leads Onwards, Friend, a programme developing scientific platforms for high-altitude and low-Earth orbit — including the construction of his own personal satellite.
Ben Hammersley Lecture topics
- Everything you think about Innovation is wrong
- The Future of Work, the Workplace, and the Place of Work
- SKILLS FOR FUTURE LEADERS
- THE SHAPE OF THE POST-DIGITAL WORLD
- COGNITIVE RISK AND THE NATURE OF THREAT
As a speaker, Ben Hammersley is known for his ability to unpack highly complex ideas and emerging technologies through compelling stories, sharp analogies and a strong sense of humour. Rather than relying on fear-driven narratives about the future, he brings clarity and perspective, helping audiences understand how profoundly systems of power, influence and decision-making have shifted — and why many traditional ways of thinking no longer match today’s reality.
Hammersley works across industries including finance, travel, human resources, security and government, advising both global corporations and smaller organisations alike. Each engagement is carefully tailored: through deep research, he identifies the challenges, blind spots and disruptive forces shaping an organisation’s environment, and translates them into practical insights and strategic direction. His goal is not prediction for its own sake, but equipping leaders with the understanding and tools they need to navigate uncertainty — and to succeed in the future.
Wolfram Sauer's opinion on Ben Hammersley
Ben Hammersley has a rare talent for bringing order to complexity. He doesn’t dramatize the future — he makes it understandable. With sharp thinking, humor and an unusually broad perspective, he helps audiences see how profoundly our world has changed and why old mental models no longer work. A voice that challenges without alarming, and clarifies where others confuse.
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