Ed Gillespie

Ed Gillespie is a futurist, author and serial entrepreneur specialising in sustainability, innovation and responsible leadership. He co-founded Futerra, one of the world's first sustainability agencies, and has since invested in numerous successful sustainable startups including Loco2 (sold to SNCF), Breakroom and Engaged Tracking, alongside ongoing investments in ventures such as Piclo, Bennamann and FLOWN. As a senior facilitator with the Forward Institute, Director of Greenpeace UK and Chief Futurist at the Global Destination Sustainability Movement, Ed equips audiences with practical strategies to navigate global transformation, embed responsible leadership and build commercially successful sustainable futures.

When Ed Gillespie circumnavigated the globe without boarding a single aircraft, he documented the journey in a critically acclaimed book, 'Only Planet', and wrote a popular column for The Guardian called 'The Slow Traveller'. That passion for sustainable travel translated into commercial action when he invested in and chaired Loco2, a pan-European rail ticketing agency that was successfully acquired by SNCF in 2018. Ed co-founded Futerra in 2001, building it into one of the world's first sustainability agencies before stepping back in 2019 to focus on speaking, facilitation, and investing in the next generation of ethical businesses. His career began with a BSc in marine biology and an MSc in Marine Resource Development and Protection, before pivoting to leadership through a Professional Masters in Leadership for Sustainable Development at Middlesex University.

Ed now serves as a senior facilitator with the Forward Institute, working on responsible leadership with 40 of the UK's largest institutions, and holds influential governance roles as a Director of Greenpeace UK and Chief Futurist at the Global Destination Sustainability Movement. His investment portfolio reflects a consistent commitment to backing sustainable innovation, with successful exits from Breakroom and Engaged Tracking, alongside ongoing investments in ventures such as Piclo, Bennamann, FLOWN, CUR8, Common Objective, Demand Logic and Byway. He co-presents two acclaimed podcasts: 'The Great Humbling' with Dougald Hine, which attracts five-star reviews, and 'Jon Richardson and the Futurenauts: Book of Revelations' with comedian Jon Richardson and fellow futurist Mark Stevenson. Ed has spoken at the UN, the World Bank, and given the inaugural Bonn Speech on Global Transformation for the German Government, addressing audiences from multinational corporations to national governments across every continent.

Ed equips audiences with practical strategies to navigate global transformation, embed responsible leadership, and build commercially successful sustainable futures. His lively, combative speaking style cuts through complexity to reveal actionable insight, whether he's delivering keynotes, chairing panels, or moderating discussions. Audiences leave with a clearer understanding of how sustainability and profitability align, how innovation can drive systemic change, and how responsible leadership creates competitive advantage in an uncertain world. Ed's unique combination of entrepreneurial success, governance experience, and frontline sustainability expertise ensures organisations gain not just inspiration, but the tools and confidence to act decisively on the challenges and opportunities that define our time.