John Thompson is a founder, entrepreneur and trusted advisor to global investors on reputation, fundraising and sustainability. With nearly two decades of experience, he partners with senior leaders to coach them through high‑stakes communications challenges, from mobilising capital to navigating cross‑border M&A. John is founder and Managing Partner of Burway... Read more
John Thompson is a founder, entrepreneur and trusted advisor to global investors on reputation, fundraising and sustainability. With nearly two decades of experience, he partners with senior leaders to coach them through high‑stakes communications challenges, from mobilising capital to navigating cross‑border M&A.
John is founder and Managing Partner of Burway an award-winning reputation management consultancy specialising in private markets. He was previously Global Head of Communications at Actis, one of the world’s leading sustainable infrastructure investors, where he directed communications for more than US$10 billion in fundraising and helped channel capital into the energy transition across Asia, Africa and Latin America. He advised boards, CEOs and investment teams in over 20 countries, led a firm‑wide brand transformation, and launched an open‑source Impact Measurement framework at UNGA that became a benchmark for the industry.
John’s career also includes senior consultancy roles and two years in Sub‑Saharan Africa as a journalist, publisher and entrepreneur, giving him a first‑hand perspective on frontier markets.
He is regularly sought out as a keynote speaker and moderator at global conferences, bringing audiences inside the boardrooms and deal rooms where capital and communications collide. John also serves on the steering committee of Private Equity International’s Marketing, Investor Relations and Communications Forum, is a judge for PR Moment’s ESG Awards, and an alumnus of the Milken Institute Young Leaders Circle and is a founding member of the Private Capital Advisor Network (PCAN).
How senior leaders can project authority, build credibility and win confidence in high stakes situations.
Takeaway: Practical coaching insights on influencing investors, boards and stakeholders.
Audience: CEOs, board members, senior executives, emerging leaders.
Turning values into a leadership asset that attracts capital, talent and trust.
Takeaway: Why purpose matters, and how to communicate it with clarity and impact.
Audience: C-suite leaders, corporate strategists, sustainability and IR professionals.
Trust is the currency of capital markets. Without it, no deal or fundraise succeeds.
Takeaway: Tools for leaders to earn, protect and rebuild trust with investors and stakeholders.
Audience: Executives, fund managers, investor relations and corporate affairs teams.
What really drives engagement in crowded fundraising markets.
Takeaway: Lessons from global campaigns that raised billions by shaping clear, compelling narratives.
Audience: Fund managers, investor relations teams, advisors, dealmakers.
Change, crisis or opportunity, reputation is always at stake.
Takeaway: How to anticipate risks, communicate through disruption, and turn pressure into leadership moments.
Audience: Boards, executive teams, corporate communications and public affairs leaders
This keynote is a duo session deliverred by both John Thompson and Roger Fisk.
The 20th century was defined by executive certainty, in which a set of values and strategies could sustain growth over decades. But now decades are compacted into days, and leadership must...