Philip Weiss – Keynote Speaker

Whilst studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford, Philip Weiss launched two college magazines, started the first student radio station on a full FM licence in the UK, and received the Young Achievers Award from HM the Queen.

In Brussels he set up ZN a leading eCommunications agency working with companies, political institutions like the European Commission and Parliament and organisations on how to use the Internet to integrate and transform communication. He works with such household names as Toyota, Microsoft, Sony, Sanofi Pasteur, UCB and various industry associations. His Hyperthinking model was developed to enable the ZN team and their clients manage rapid change and innovation to adapt their strategies and structures to the age of networks. In 2009, Philip helped co-found TEDxBrussels. He is now Chairman of IABC Europe (International Association of Business Communicators).

‘Philip Weiss is one of the most creative thinkers of his generation. Straight from Oxford he founded the ZN agency, which engaged major global corporations from the dawn of the internet age. HyperThinking is a distillation of his experience at ZN, and provokes us all to benefit from the family of internet technologies, in the way we handle life and work in a rapidly changing world. Profound as well as playful, HyperThinking invites us all to immerse ourselves in the new technologies – and adapt our analysis, thinking and behaviour for the networked world. An important book for all those involved in communicating ideas, policies and activities for their business.’ – James Arnold-Baker, former CEO, Oxford University Press and founding of Chairman of Doctors.net.uk

‘HyperThinking reminds us that we live in a constant flux of ideas and events, propelled along by the economics, technology and politics of our time. But Phil Weiss takes us beyond Heraclitus as he explores the tools for navigating the ever-changing river. By embracing the four modes of hyperthinking, everyone can move beyond convention and the fear of failure, and flex their thinking-muscles for innovative outcomes. In spite of the proven results over 100 years of the Montessoris and Steiners and Neills and Piagets of this world, most national education systems still turn out far more conformists than iconoclasts – possibly a good thing for the stability of society, but not for stimulating life-long creative learning. With HyperThinking, Phil Weiss shows how to shed sluggish groupthink and apply heuristic playfulness to your workday – or even personal – problems. How to leave behind the conservatism of traditional formal education and shift to more creative solutions by enthusiastically engaging technology in networking and learning. Read this book before a hyperthinker makes your job irrelevant!’ – Ian Andersen, External Communications Adviser, European Commission