7 October 2018 – Johannesburg – Discovery today announced the celebrated global leaders and influential individuals who will take to the stage at the Discovery Leadership Summit, 2018. The event takes place on 1 November 2018.

“We are deeply honoured to host our distinguished speakers at this year’s event – our ninth Discovery Leadership Summit,” said Adrian Gore, Discovery Group Chief Executive. “We look forward to welcoming United States (U.S.) President Bill Clinton and former First Lady, U.S. Senator, Secretary of State and presidential candidate, Hillary Rodham Clinton as well as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, along with other esteemed international thought-leaders.”

The iconic event is a global platform that brings together local and international, critically-acclaimed and inspirational visionaries – the people shaping today’s leadership conversations. The summit facilitates the sharing of thought-provoking intellectual capital for better leadership in business, government and civil society.

“The Discovery Leadership Summit provides an opportunity for dialogue on global issues that will contribute towards building a stronger South Africa and global society,” said Gore. “We have brought together some of the world’s most influential people, to share in a conversation aimed at stimulating ideas towards navigating today’s global environment,” Gore added.

Discovery Leadership Summit speakers include foremost minds in the fields of leadership, civil society, business, economics, science, health and wellness, the media and more. Open to the general public, the Discovery Leadership Summit provides an invaluable opportunity to spend a day alongside global giants, who are challenged to think beyond the conventional and to share ground-breaking ideas.

This year’s distinguished speaker line-up also includes:

•Lord Jim O’Neill, creator of the “BRIC” acronym, Lord O’Neill is an esteemed British economist and former chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. He also serves as a visiting research fellow at Brussels-based economics think tank, Bruegel, and is one of the founding trustees and president of SHINE, a UK-based educational charity.

Prof Clayton Christenson, an American academic and business consultant who currently serves as the Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. Founder of the non-profit, non-partisan think tank, Clayton Christensen Institute, he is regarded as one of the world’s top experts on innovation and growth. He is also an established entrepreneur, having started successful enterprises, including CPS Technologies; innovation consulting firm, Innosight; and investment firm, Rose Park Advisors.

Caroline Webb, a management consultant, economist and renowned leadership coach. She has worked alongside organisations across the globe to assist their employees in increasing productivity, energy and success – first as a partner at McKinsey & Company, where she continues to serve as a senior advisor, and now as CEO of her own firm, SevenShift.

Caster Semenya, South African middle-distance runner and Olympic and world 800m champion.Having broken the 18-year old record in the women’s 400 metre event at the African Championships in August 2018, Semenya now holds the South African 400, 800, 1000 and 1500 metre distance records.She also recently became a Discovery Vitality Ambassador.

• Koos Bekker, Chairperson of global internet, entertainment and media group, Naspers - which operates in over 120 countries, is listed on the London and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges and is one of the largest technology investors in the world.

Stephen Koseff, who recently stepped down from his role as Chief Executive Officer of the Investec group (listed on the London and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges), a company he co-founded and led as CEO position for 21 years. He is also a director of Business Leadership South Africa.

Past Discovery Leadership Summits cement calibre of top-class speakers

Previous speakers at the Discovery Leadership Summit have offered audience members, and the media at large, extraordinary perspectives.

Speakers have included the likes of founder of the Huffington Post and ThriveGlobal - Arianna Huffington, General Electric Chairman and CEO - Jack Welch, Harvard historian and economist - Niall Ferguson, Harvard Business School economist, researcher and author - Professor Michael Porter, former U.S. Vice President and environmentalist - Al Gore, former South African Minister of Finance - Pravin Gordhan, global philanthropist, entrepreneur and investor - Sir Richard Branson, best-selling author and journalist - Malcolm Gladwell, CEO of the ABSA group - Maria Ramos and celebrated sportsman, entrepreneur and founder of UNICEF 7 Fund for Children - David Beckham – to name but a few.

“It is inspiring to have seen the Discovery Leadership Summit evolve into a sought-after and respected platform where new ideas and approaches to bettering our world are shared. As always, I am honoured to attend this years’ event and gain leading-edge perspectives from our speakers,” concludes Gore.

Notes to the editor:

The one-day event includes local and international speakers and panel discussions, and will run from 08:30 to 17:00.

Tickets for the Summit can be purchased at www.discoveryleadershipsummit2018.co.za

More information is available at www.discoveryleadershipsummit2018.co.za