Host of Cybercrimes with Ben Hammersley, Author & Futurist
Ben Hammersley is a journalist, futurist and technologist, specialising in the effects of the internet and the ubiquitous digital network on the world’s political, cultural and social spheres. He enjoys an international career as a trends and digital guru, explaining complex technological and sociological topics to lay audiences, and as a high-level advisor on these matters to governments and business.
Innovator in Residence
He is currently Innovator in Residence at the Centre for Creative and Social Technologies at Goldsmiths at the University of London; a faculty member of the School of Life; an Academic Fellow at the European Policy Centre, and a non-executive director of Digital Jersey Ltd. In 2014 he became the Principal of Onwards, Friend – a programme to develop science and launch platforms for high altitude and low-earth-orbit. He is Contributing editor at WIRED Magazine, a columnist for BA Business Life Magazine, and a Freelance reporter and presenter at the BBC.
Career
Until recently, Hammersley was the UK Prime Minister’s Ambassador to Tech City in East London (2011-13). He was also the Robert Schuman fellow on the Global Governance programme at the European University Institute (2013); a member of the European Commission High Level Group on Media Freedom (2011-13); and a non-resident fellow of the 21st Century for Security and Intelligence at the Brookings Institute in Washington D.C (2012-13).
Consulting
He was also previously Head of Digital at SIX Creative, where he was responsible for creating, building and managing an international team dedicated to bringing cutting-edge internet strategy, design, and production to leading fashion and beauty brands worldwide (2010-11).
Podcast
Amongst Hammersley’s most unusual achievements, is his invention of the word ‘Podcast’. He has spoken at festivals, universities, think tanks and corporations all over the world, including regularly at 10 Downing Street (UK Prime Minister), Deutsche Telekom, European Commission, Brookings Institute, and the Royal Institution.
Affilitions
Hammersley is a fellow of the British American project, a trustee of the London chapter of the Awesome Foundation, and a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, where he is a judge of the Lovie Awards. In August 2011 he was made a fellow of the UNAOC, and an Ambassador to the National Media Museum. In addition he is also currently a member of the Scientific Advisory Group at the Royal Institution, and a member of the External Advisory Board at Security Lancaster.
Books
Hammersley is the author of the acclaimed book 64 Things You Need To Know Now For Then, which is a guide to the new concepts of the modern world. His book Now for then: How to face the Digital Future without Fear, is a guide to the latest ideas in technology, culture, business and politics. It demystifies the Internet, decodes cyberspace, and guides you through the innovations of the revolution we are all living through.
Cybercrimes with Ben Hammersley
In 2014, BBC World News commissioned a major new six- part series, presented by Ben, exploring a global threat that could impact us all. Cybercrimes with Ben Hammersley, produced in partnership with The Open University by Tern TV, delves into the dark world of hacking, now home to a new generation of highly organised cybercriminals running complex commercial enterprises, involving leaders, planners, engineers, infantry and hired money mules.
Virtual Keynotes and Other Options
In addition to the traditional, in person, keynote experience, all of Ben’s speeches are available virtually via live webinar or prerecorded keynote. For a live virtual keynote, a camera crew will be sent to tape the speaker giving their keynote speech, just as if they were live and in person.
The Great Reassessment: What the Covid-19 Crisis Will Mean for the World Now and in the Future
Whether the pandemic ends in June, or whether it continues until Christmas, it cannot be understated how much it will have changed the world. From the way we’re now trying to continue our business operations, to the social realization of who and what are truly essential and valuable, to how we will relate to each other in the future, 2020 will be seen as the year that every previously held assumption was thrown up into the air. The challenge is to understand how it might land, what we can control and what we will have to wait for, and how to position ourselves to recover and flourish in the future. In this talk (or series of talks) world renowned futurist and thought leader, Ben Hammersley, will address each of these subjects: the likely scenarios for a post-Corona world, the things we can do today and in the upcoming months to prepare for it, and the skills and knowledge we can start developing today to truly flourish. From adapting to Cognitive Risk, to transitioning to a Distributed Organisation; from identifying second and third order dependencies before they fail, to designing true resilience into our families and firms; from AI and VR and Telepresence robotics, to the Death of Geography, the shifting power relationships in the workforce, and the failure of most modern mental frameworks, we’ll start the process of designing the future - the place we’ll be living the rest of our lives.
Learning to Live in the Future
Ben Hammersley speaks on the effects of the digital and networked world on business, society and your life. Through compelling stories, deep analysis and bleeding-edge examples of the modern world, Hammersley will help you, your business, government or institution transition into the future with detailed, bespoke plans completely shaped to your organization. He speaks not only on high-level topics, like the exponential growth in computing power or artificial intelligence, but also on technology’s impact on cultural phenomena. For instance, why is Beyonce is more influential than some governments, and how does that make sense? Why did President Obama choose to give interviews to popular YouTube hosts instead of FOX or the New York Times? Why has the government of Estonia chosen to conduct parliament sessions almost entirely on iPads? How did one man in China make most of London late for work? He will reveal the extreme interconnectedness between seemingly disparate entities, and how technology is at work in everything we do, whether we realize it or not. You’ll discover how technology will give us super powers, and how we can use them to our best advantages, and how to move forward to your best advantage. If you or your company is afraid of what’s next and feel that there are forces at work that drain your market share, Hammersley can help. From working with companies and institutions worldwide, he’s found that there is an inherent disconnect between the leaders of these organizations and the world that we live in today. Society has progressed at such an accelerated pace, that some business owners feel like they’re being “eaten alive” by things happening within their own company, and a result, hemorrhage funds. That’s where Hammersley comes in; using his unique expertise, to transform your organization—and propel it into the 21st century with all the tools you need to prosper.
Futurism: Understanding the Digital Future
Ben Hammersley speaks on the effects of the digital and networked world on business, society and your life. Through compelling stories, deep analysis and bleeding-edge examples of the modern world, Hammersley will help you, your business, government or institution transition into the future with detailed, bespoke plans completely shaped to your organization. He speaks not only on high-level topics, like the exponential growth in computing power or artificial intelligence, but also on technology’s impact on cultural phenomena. For instance, why is Beyonce is more influential than some governments, and how does that make sense? Why did President Obama choose to give interviews to popular YouTube hosts instead of FOX or the New York Times? Why has the government of Estonia chosen to conduct parliament sessions almost entirely on iPads? How did one man in China make most of London late for work? He will reveal the extreme interconnectedness between seemingly disparate entities, and how technology is at work in everything we do, whether we realize it or not. You’ll discover how technology will give us super powers, and how we can use them to our best advantages, and how to move forward to your best advantage. If you or your company is afraid of what’s next and feel that there are forces at work that drain your market share, Hammersley can help. From working with companies and institutions worldwide, he’s found that there is an inherent disconnect between the leaders of these organizations and the world that we live in today. Society has progressed at such an accelerated pace, that some business owners feel like they’re being “eaten alive” by things happening within their own company, and a result, hemorrhage funds. That’s where Hammersley comes in; using his unique expertise, to transform your organization—and propel it into the 21st century with all the tools you need to prosper.
All Ben Hammersley Books
Now For Then: How to Face the Digital Future Without Fear
Purchase Book
Approaching the Future: 64 Things You Need to Know Now for Then
Purchase BookBen was a great personality to work with and an excellent speaker. His speech gave a lot of new insights and refreshing opinions. He was our highest ranked speaker of the day
- | Robeco
Ben was fantastic, and excellent to work with. His subject-matter knowledge was brilliant and the client really took a shine to him.
- | ICANN