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Duncan Wardle
Former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney
Duncan Wardle
Former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney
Biography
As former Head of Innovation & Creativity at Disney, Duncan helped teams at Disney Parks, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar, Imagineering and Animation to innovate, creating magical new storylines and amazing experiences for consumers around the globe.
He now brings his Disney experience to audiences around the world, delivering a series of keynotes, masterclasses, and ideation forums, that help people capture unlikely connections, leading to both disruptive thinking and revolutionary ideas.
He is a multiple TEDx speaker and has been featured in many publications including Fast Company, Forbes, INC., and more. He teaches Innovation and Creativity Masterclasses at Yale University, UNC and U.F. He also holds the American Citizen Award presented at the White House, an Hons. MBA and Hons. Doctorate from Edinburgh University and the Duke of Edinburgh Award, presented by her majesty, Queen Elizabeth.
Speaker Videos
TEDx: The Theory of Creativity
Hybrid Keynote
Virtual Talk Highlights
Large Innovation Masterclass
Introduction to Duncan Wardle
Innovation & Creativity in a Virtual World
Innovating in Crisis
How to Grow Without Losing Creativity
Speech Topics
The Theory of Creativity
You've got the power!
The ability to think creatively is the one core human truth that will remain relevant in the brave new world of Artificial Intelligence. Everyone has the power to be creative!
But wait, do you believe that you are not the “creative type”? That we should leave the creativity to the “Creatives”? For most, this has happened so many times that we end up actually believing it. For adults, not being creative is an accepted fate.
With an education and corporate structure that encourages finding the single “right answer” to every question, we are trained to fall in line and shut down that creative portion of our brain.
But weren’t we kids once? Turning boxes into spaceships and pillows and blankets into forts and castles? What happened to that creativity?
Fortunately, that childhood creativity did not dissipate – it’s just lying dormant, waiting to be brought back to life!
During the Theory of Creativity™ Keynote, Duncan will share innovation tools developed from experience with thousands of global Fortune 500 companies and 30 years of experience with the Walt Disney Company, most recently as Head of Innovation & Creativity.
By the end, your audience will walk away with a series of unique Creative Behaviors and Innovation Tools to leverage their creative minds, deliver revolutionary thinking and drive substantial results in all areas of your business.
KEYNOTE TAKEAWAYS:
- How to innovate by challenging the rules of your industry
- Learn real-life examples of how to embed a sustainable culture of innovation and creativity throughout your organization
- Learn tools on how to encourage every employee to think creatively
Delivering Customer Experience Magic
The best brands in the world may have great products and service, but they thrive because of an unrelenting passion and focus on customer experience.
Through this engaging and interactive Keynote, Duncan will share how to transform your business from product-centric to customer-centric and reap the rewards that come when customers believe the work you do is truly magic.
Duncan will share with your team famous real-world examples from behind the scenes from his time as the Head of Innovation and Creativity at The Walt Disney Company.
Showcasing challenges brought on by direct and indirect competitors, Duncan will share real-life and timely examples of how ever-evolving organizations drastically changed consumer behaviors.
As he shares the exact steps Disney and other companies have taken to turn problems into massive opportunities, he will dig into the new revenue opportunities and enhanced customer experiences.
By the end of this interactive presentation, your audience will have developed a whole new understanding of customer experience, and you will be empowered with tools to reframe any challenges facing your organization, finding those unique opportunities to create some customer experience magic of your own!
KEYNOTE TAKEAWAYS:
- How to turn a product centric culture into a consumer centric one
- How to leverage “high-tech” to enable “high-touch”, delivering record guest satisfaction
- How to address the biggest consumer pain points and what that can mean for revenue
Embed Innovation into Everyone's DNA
Learn the toolkit for innovation.
None of us are going back to “Business as Usual”, and the secret sauce to success lies in the culture you create at work.
But innovation is not something that happens by chance. It’s the result of building an environment in which it can thrive, and you have to give people a set of tools that you may use every day to grow.
Companies set on creating a culture of innovation will not only survive, but they will thrive! This goes far beyond having an “Innovation Department.” Now is the time to instill a culture of innovation among EVERY member of your team.
During Duncan’s time as the Head of Innovation for Disney, a company known for redefining pretty much every industry they touch Duncan’s decades of success weren’t merely a matter of luck or chance.
His results were a direct reflection of his ability to create a thriving, innovative culture, and to ensure that everyone on his teams were put in a position to let their inner creativity run wild.
In the Embedding Innovation into Everyone’s DNA Keynote speech, Duncan will share the exact steps and strategies used to create such an environment.
Participants will learn how to create safe spaces for taking creative risks, ensure everyone on your team is empowered and thinking like an entrepreneur, and transition from the ideation stage into action.
He’ll also share a creative problem-solving tool which will prime your organization to discover innovative ideas each and every time you set out to tackle a challenge.
KEYNOTE TAKEAWAYS:
- A fresh outlook on daily tasks
- An approach to tasks with new levels of creative thinking
- A mindset that allows innovation to flourish at work
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