Neil Jacobsohn, CEO of FutureWorld South Africa, is a life-long communicator with a passion for the future. He speaks with vigour and energy on a number of key FutureWorld themes, and is a sought-after conference and event presenter and an accomplished facilitator.
He has been an award-winning journalist, a digital entrepreneur, a company director and professional marketer.
In a career spanning nearly 40 years, Neil has:
• Launched more than 14 businesses (four are still operating profitably today - a pretty good record!) • Been an executive director (handling media operations, new media and marketing) of a major listed media and entertainment group (Johnnic Communications Limited); • Launched and run a digital information company; • Edited major business newspapers and publications, and reported news from around the world; and • Run a US$40-million AIDS information campaign for a national government.
Neil succeeded as both entrepreneur and corporate executive. He has served as chairman, executive and non-executive director on a number of listed and unlisted company Boards.
He is regularly voted Best Speaker at conferences, and has won both presentation and journalism awards. Neil's articles and photographs on travel are still regularly published in newspapers and magazines.
Neil has worked on strategy with major companies around the world, and with key learning institutions, among them Duke Corporate Education and Oxford's SAID Business School. He is at ease in front of large and small audiences, and on both radio and television.
"Thriving on Turbulence: The future's so bright, you've got to wear shades!" This may seem a strange thought in these turbulent times: Are you sure you want the world to be more predictable?
We believe that uncertainty is that moment of perfect (business) freedom. The cycle will turn positive – and Black Swans wait for no one. You must be ready for the upturn and its radical new opportunities, before your future competitors are.
Now is the perfect time to think and act radically, and to build new optimism into the executive & management team. To think about the new paradigms the future will demand and what it will take to succeed in 'the real world' future.
The basic choice facing the executive team is this: Will you manage your way out of 'The Current Mess' or choose to lead the way up the next wave?
"We're not going to tell you where this is going to end – we're going to tell you where your future is going to begin!"
