The Best of World
Business Forum Worldwide 2025

Groundbreaking leader and former CEO at AT&T Business

With a remarkable career spanning more than 30 years, Anne Chow is a pioneering figure in the enterprise world. She was the first woman of color CEO in AT&T’s 140+ year history, overseeing AT&T Business, a global operating unit with a workforce of 35,000 and a value of $35 billion.  She has been widely recognized as a role model for inclusive leadership, driving success at the intersection of people, culture, and technology. Twice named to Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business, Chow is currently Lead Director on the Board of Directors of FranklinCovey, and also serves on the Board of Directors of 3M and CSX. Additionally, she is a Senior Fellow and Adjunct Professor of Executive Education at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and the author of LEAD BIGGER: The Transformative Power of Inclusion and The Leader’s Guide to Unconscious Bias: How to Reframe Bias, Cultivate Connection and Create High-Performing Teams.

Globally recognized expert in customer experience and AI at MIT Sloan

A globally-recognized thinker on how AI affects human judgment, Renée Richardson Gosline is an award-winning Research Scientist and Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and the head of the Human-First AI group at MIT’s Initiative on The Digital Economy. Named a Digital Fellow at Stanford’s Digital Economy Lab, Gosline has also been recognized as one of the World’s Top 40 Professors under 40 by Poets and Quants, and as “one of the brightest minds in AI” by Inc. Magazine in 2024. Her research specializes in AI CX strategy, creating a culture of experimentation, and Responsible AI. She is the author of the forthcoming book, In Praise of Friction.

Authority on Psychological Safety at Harvard Business School

A renowned expert on organisational learning and leadership and the world’s #1 ranked management thinker, Amy Edmondson has been studying psychological safety and workplace behaviours for more than 20 years.  The Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School, Edmondson helps organisations identify barriers to success that are often hidden inside a workplace culture. Her work has helped major firms vastly improve performance by building an environment of psychological safety, transparency and collaborative teaming. She is the bestselling author of The Fearless Organization, and the recently published Right Kind of Wrong, which won the Financial Times Business Book of the Year 2023. 

Renowned economist and Professor Emeritus at the Stern School of Business at NYU

One of the world’s foremost experts on the global economy, Nouriel Roubini is CEO of Roubini Macro Associates, LLC, a global macroeconomic consultancy firm in New York and Professor Emeritus at the Stern School of Business at NYU. He famously predicted the 2008 financial crisis two years before it happened at a 2006 address to the International Monetary Fund.‍ Dr. Roubini has extensive policy experience as well as broad academic credentials, consulting for the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and numerous other prominent public and private institutions. A widely published author, Roubini’s most recent bestselling publication is Megathreats: Ten Dangerous Trends That Imperil Our Future, And How to Survive Them.  

Social psychologist, award-winning Harvard lecturer, and bestselling author

A game-changing Social Psychologist, former Professor at Harvard Business School and bestselling author, Amy Cuddy is recognised as a leading authority on the behavioural science of power, presence, and prejudice. As a Harvard Lecturer, in 2018 she won the Excellence in Teaching award.

She is the author of Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges, and her highly-cited research has been published in top academic journals and a range of internationally-known publications like The Economist, The Wall Street Journal and Fast Company. Cuddy is a passionate proponent of self-empowerment through evidence-based techniques, and her work is dedicated to motivating others to summon their best selves in approaching life’s biggest challenges.

Principal research scientist at MIT, and co-founder of MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy

Globally acclaimed researcher and thought leader on technology and AI, Andrew McAfee is a Principal Research Scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management and co-founder and co-director of MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy. He studies how technological progress transforms the world and helps organizations build businesses that are simultaneously agile, innovative, and robust. McAfee is also the author of More from Less and the coauthor of the New York Times bestselling The Second Machine Age. His latest book is The Geek Way.

Renowned leadership consultant, former Royal Air Force senior officer and bestselling author

A trained leadership consultant and executive coach, Peter Docker has served for 25 years as a Royal Air Force senior officer, has been a Force Commander during combat flying operations and seen service across the globe. His extensive commercial and industrial career has led him to work at senior levels across more than 12 sectors in 94 countries and with over 100 companies, such as Google, Four Seasons Hotels, Accenture, American Express, ASOS, EY, and NBC Universal.

Docker is the co-author of the bestselling book Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team, with Simon Sinek, and his latest book is Leading from the Jumpseat. Drawing on his military career and over 14 years partnering with businesses around the world, Peter Docker’s goal now is to inspire others to Lead from the Jumpseat.

Best-selling author of Good Luck and globally recognized expert in leadership development

Entrepreneur, best-selling author, economist, and consultant, Álex Rovira is a globally recognized authority on personal and professional development. His work focuses on helping organizations and teams build resilience and achieve high performance, driving business transformation through values, positivity, and culture.

A strong advocate of the idea that we create our own good luck, Rovira believes that purpose, attitude, and communication are the keys to making the world a better place. He is the most translated and best-selling Spanish-language author of non-fiction and business literature. With over eight million copies sold and translations in more than 40 languages, his books include Good Luck, Los Siete Poderes, and La Brújula Interior.

Research Professor and Author

Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, where she holds the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work. She also holds the position of visiting professor in management at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business. Brown has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She is the author of six #1 New York Times bestsellers and is the host of two award-winning podcasts, Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead. Brown spends most of her time working in organizations around the world, helping develop braver leaders and more courageous cultures.

Groundbreaking organizational psychologist and top-rated professor at Whartonr

Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist and bestselling author who explores the science of motivation, generosity, rethinking, and potential.  Wharton’s top-rated professor for seven straight years, he is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of six books that have sold millions of copies and been translated into 45 languages: Hidden Potential, Think Again, Give and Take, Originals, Option B, and Power Moves. ​Grant earned tenure at Wharton while still in his twenties and he is a leading expert on how we can find motivation and meaning, rethink assumptions, and live more generous and creative lives.

The most decorated gymnast of all time

Widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, Simone Biles has revolutionized the sport with her extraordinary skill, and in the process has become a symbol of resilience, humility, and advocacy for mental health. She has captured six All-Around World Championship titles, making her the most decorated gymnast in World Championships history with 30 medals, including 23 gold. An eleven-time Olympic medalist, Biles’ technical prowess has led to an unprecedented five gymnastic skills being named after her.  Her autobiography, Courage to Soar, became a New York Times bestseller, and her remarkable story was brought to life in the Netflix series Simone Biles Rising. She also supports initiatives that help young people in foster care and adoption systems.

Best-selling author of Atomic Habits

James Clear is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Atomic Habits, a transformative book that has sold over 20 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 60 languages. Clear’s work delves deeply into behavioral psychology, addressing the profound question, “How can we live better?” with actionable, research-based strategies that resonate across cultures and industries. He is also the creator of the 3-2-1 weekly newsletter, which reaches over 3 million email subscribers and offers distilled wisdom on habits, decision-making, and self-improvement.

One of today’s most influential management thinkers and serial entrepreneur

Seth Godin is one of the most inspiring, influential, and creative business thinkers of our time. Author of 22 international bestselling books translated into 39 languages, Godin covers a wide range of topics from creativity and change processes to how ideas are transmitted. Notable works include Purple Cow and Linchpin, and his most recent book, This Is Strategy: Make Better Plans. A serial entrepreneur, Godin also writes one of the world’s most prestigious and widely read blogs, where he publishes daily insights on management and the digital world.

Founder and Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation

Named by Fortune as one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders, Peter Diamandis is the Founder and Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, which leads the world in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions. He is also the Executive Founder of Singularity University. As an entrepreneur, Diamandis has started over 25 companies in the areas of longevity, space, venture capital and education.

He is co-Founder and Vice-Chairman of two public companies, Celularity and Vaxxinity, and co-Founder and Chairman of Fountain Life, a fully-integrated platform delivering predictive, preventative, personalized and data-driven health. He is also co-Founder of BOLD Capital Partners, a venture fund with a half-billion dollars under management investing in exponential technologies and longevity companies. Diamandis is also the bestselling author of Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think, BOLD: How to go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World and The Future is Faster Than You Think. Most recently Diamandis co-Authored the #1 best seller LIFE FORCE with Tony Robbins.

Most decorated Olympian of all time

One of the world’s most admired athletes and the most decorated Olympian of all time, Phelps competed in his first Olympic Games at the age of 15. He has a total of 28 medals, 23 of which are gold. He is the first American male swimmer to earn a spot on five Olympic teams and at the 2016 Olympic Games, he became the oldest individual gold medalist in Olympic swimming history.

In 2008 Phelps created the Michael Phelps Foundation and in 2010, in collaboration with the Michael Phelps Swim School and KidsHealth.org, developed the “im” program that teaches children the importance of being active and healthy, focusing on the sport of swimming. Since retiring from competitive swimming, Phelps has also been actively involved in mental health awareness and promotion.

Silicon Valley Icon and Former Chief Evangelist at Apple

Guy Kawasaki is a seasoned professional in Silicon Valley, having worked at both Apple and Google. With over thirty years of experience, he specializes in creating innovative products and services and bringing them to market successfully. Currently, Kawasaki holds the position of Chief Evangelist at Canva, an online graphic design tool. Formerly serving as Chief Evangelist at Apple and as a trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation, he is also a prolific author, having written 16 books, including the New York Times bestsellers The Art of The Start and Enchantment. His latest book is Think Remarkable: 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

Additionally, Kawasaki serves as an executive fellow at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, and he is adjunct professor of the University of New South Wales. He also hosts the podcast Remarkable People.

Innovator and former President of Tesla Motors

A visionary leader and serial entrepreneur, Jon McNeill teaches organisations how to exponentially scale businesses and drive disruptive innovation. As former President of Tesla, he oversaw a 10-fold increase in sales from $2 billion to $20 billion in just three years. In 2018, he became COO at ride-hailing app Lyft, where he helped prepare the company to go public, growing revenue from $800 million to $2 billion in the process. 

Currently, McNeill is a Managing Director at DVx Ventures, a growth-stage venture platform, and serves on several boards of companies including General Motors, Lululemon and Stash Financial.

All Blacks General Manager (2004-2023) and expert in building winning teams and leadership culture.

For more than two decades as the All Blacks General Manager, Darren was the driving force behind creating and maintaining the culture that shaped the New Zealand All Blacks into the world’s most successful international sports team. His focus was on building the ‘team around the team’ and creating an environment that wholeheartedly supported peak performance. During his tenure, the All Blacks achieved a winning percentage of 83.20% across more than 250 test matches, a record unrivalled in world sport, and won back to back Rugby World Cups, the Laureus World Sports team of the year, among many achievements.

Since finishing that role, Shand has founded Winning Teams, an advisory business that shares key lessons in leadership and how to build a winning culture based on his experience leading from inside the world’s most acclaimed sports team.

World renowned business thinker and management innovator

Gary Hamel is one of the world’s most influential and iconoclastic business thinkers who has led transformational efforts in some of the world’s most notable companies helping to create billions of dollars in shareholder value. For over four decades, Hamel has served on the faculty of the London Business School and he is the director of the Management Lab. Hamel is an author of landmark books such as Competing for the Future, The Future of Management and Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them. The Wall Street Journal has ranked Hamel as the world’s most influential business thinker, and Fortune magazine has called him “the world’s leading expert on business strategy.”

Social psychologist and leading expert in organizational culture

An award-winning social psychologist and leading expert in organizational culture, Mary Murphy is the Herman B Wells Endowed Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University and Founding Director of the Summer Institute on Diversity at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. She is also the Founder and CEO of the Equity Accelerator, a research and consulting organization that works with schools and companies to create more equitable learning and working environments through social and behavioral science. Author of more than 100 publications, Murphy was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2019, the highest award bestowed on early career scholars by the U.S. government. Her most recent book is Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset Can Transform Individuals, Teams, and Organizations.

The most decorated coach in the history of the Spanish National Basketball Team

Global sports icon, Sergio Scariolo shaped and consolidated Spain’s basketball identity into a hallmark of excellence and historic triumphs. He is recognized and celebrated for his calm demeanor, deep tactical understanding, and ability to connect with team members bringing out their best under pressure. Scariolo boasts a record of seven medals, having guided “La Familia” to an exceptional run of success that includes the 2019 FIBA World Cup title, four EuroBasket gold medals, and two Olympic medals (a silver in London 2012 and a bronze in Rio 2016). His successful career and legacy has been captured in two books: Hablando en plata: Las razones de un entrenador and Mi amor por el baloncesto.

Author and psychology-driven technology strategist

Nathalie Nahai is a leading voice that explores the intersection of human behavior, culture, and emerging technology. With a background in psychology, marketing and digital strategy, she advises organizations on how to navigate the ethical, creative, and relational challenges posed by AI, having worked with leading companies such as Google, Accenture, Unilever, and Harvard Business Review, among others. She is the author of Business Unusual and Webs of Influence, and the host of the podcast In conversation with Nathalie Nahai, where she explores themes such as consciousness, resilience, and the future of work.