Since 2014, Nik has been Founder and Director of the Thinking the Unthinkable (TtU) project. Using interviews with, and access to, the highest levels of business, public service and governments, the ongoing and dynamic project reveals candidly why so many leaders at every level face new difficulties adapting to the... Read more
What is Thinking the Unthinkable?
What is "Thinking the unthinkable"?
Since 2014, Nik has been Founder and Director of the Thinking the Unthinkable (TtU) project. Using interviews with, and access to, the highest levels of business, public service and governments, the ongoing and dynamic project reveals candidly why so many leaders at every level face new difficulties adapting to the scale of unthinkables and unpalatables.
Until 2014, Nik was a main news presenter for the BBC’s international 24-hour news channel BBC World News (1996–2014). He presented The Hub with Nik Gowing, BBC World Debates, Dateline London, plus location coverage of many major global stories. He is best remembered for his many hours of live coverage of Princess Diana’s car crash in Paris in August 1997, making the announcement of her death, then the unfolding horrors of the 9/11 terror attacks in the US.
For 18 years from 1978, he worked at ITN where he was bureau chief in Rome and Warsaw, and Diplomatic Editor for Channel Four News (1988–1996). He collected a BAFTA award for breaching media controls to cover martial law and the crushing of Solidarity in Poland in 1981. He reported for TV much of the drama in Eastern Europe and the rapid crumbling of Soviet power up to the sudden end of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the coup in Moscow in 1991.
Nik has been a member of the councils of Chatham House (1998–2004), the Royal United Services Institute (2005–2021), and the Overseas Development Institute (2007–2014). The Foreign Office appointed him to the board of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy where he became vice chair (1996–2005), plus the advisory council at Wilton Park (1998–2012).
Nik had extensive reporting experience over three decades in diplomacy, defence and international security. He has a much sought-after analytical expertise on the failures to manage information in the new digitally transparent environments of conflicts, crises, emergencies and times of tension.
Since 2014, Nik has been a Visiting Professor at King’s College, London in the School of Social Science and Public Policy. From 2016 to 2018, he was a Visiting Professor at Nanyang University (NTU) in Singapore where he worked on deepening and widening the Thinking the Unthinkable research project.
He was awarded Honorary Doctorates by Exeter University in 2012 and Bristol University in 2015 for both his ongoing cutting-edge analyses and distinguished career in international journalism. Nik is currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, London. Nik has written two acclaimed thriller novels, The Wire and The Loop, which reflected his many years reporting behind the Iron Curtain and in Russia.
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You can book Nik Gowing through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Nik's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
Nik Gowing's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Nik tailored to your event.
Nik Gowing speaks on Facilitators & Moderators, Leadership, Sustainability. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Nik to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Nik Gowing for events worldwide, subject to Nik's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Nik Gowing is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Nik can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Nik Gowing on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Nik can offer.
Nik Gowing delivers keynotes in English. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Nik Gowing's areas of expertise include Facilitators & Moderators, Leadership, Sustainability. To get a clear sense of Nik's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
Nik Gowing can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in Facilitators & Moderators, Leadership, Sustainability is relevant. Details of Nik's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Nik Gowing is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Nik Gowing, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Nik's current availability for your dates.