ABOUT GERD
ADVOCATE FOR THE HUMAN FUTURE
Public Thinker. Futurist. Acclaimed Keynote Speaker. Defender of Androrithms. Filmmaker. Author of 5 books, including the bestsellers Technology vs. Humanity and The Future of Music.
MEET GERD LEONHARD
“One of the most influential people in Europe”
– Wired Magazine
Gerd Leonhard’s work is grounded in the 5Ps: People, Planet, Purpose, Peace and Prosperity.
Gerd (65) is one of the top-rated contemporary keynote speakers, public thinkers and futurists worldwide. In the past 22 years, Gerd has presented at over 2000 leading conferences and events, working with companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Microsoft, NBC, IBM, Sony-BMG, Visa, Deloitte, Julius Baer, Roche, Novartis and Google, as well as with organisations such as the European Commission, the U.N. and the WWF. Gerd has influenced and inspired millions to “imagine and create a better tomorrow”, and to take action for ‘The Good Future‘. Wired magazine named him one of the most influential Europeans, and he is listed as #7 in the global ranking of futurists. Watch this video about Gerd’s 2026 ‘For the Human Future’ brand relaunch.
“People, Planet, Purpose, Peace and Prosperity” is Gerd’s motto, and helping to design The Good Future is his key objective.
As a leading voice on the future of humanity and the bestselling author of “Technology vs Humanity: The Coming Clash Between Man and Machine”, Gerd has built a storied reputation as the go-to keynote speaker and thought leader when it comes to digital ethics, human-beneficial technology, sustainability, and the need for a new, future-fit economic logic.
With his uniquely cinematic super-keynote format, Gerd continues to pioneer the art of keynoting, especially for large venues (you can see what it looks like here). In addition, his unique virtual/remote “keynote television” style of presenting has propelled him to the top of the list of the most talked-about online keynote speakers worldwide. Prior to his speaking career, Gerd graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1987 and worked as a professional musician for 17 years. He is also a successfully failed dot-com era paper millionaire (a badge of honour from the early internet era;), a critically acclaimed filmmaker and producer, a fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (London), and a visiting Professor at the Fundação Dom Cabral in Brazil.
Gerd is no stranger to the media. He frequently shares his often controversial but always insightful and prescient views in publications like The Guardian, Harvard Business Review, Business Insider, and Wired UK. He’s contributed interviews to the BBC, CNN, Arirang TV, Swiss TV SRF, ZDF, ARD, and ARTE, and appeared as a special guest in many documentaries.
He is based in Zurich, Switzerland and often works from Las Brenas, Lanzarote.
GERD’S KEY STATEMENTS
“The more we connect with technology the more we must protect and nurture what makes us human ”
“The future is better than we think – we just need to design it with collective human happiness as the core objective”
“I am afraid that our efforts to become super-human will result in a downgrade, not an upgrade”
“To better imagine and create your future, assume less and discover more”
