Dan Cobley
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Entrepreneur and former Managing Director of Google, UK & Ireland
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Had responsibility for over $5Bn of revenue
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Former Vice President of Brand Solutions and VP of Marketing - EMEA territories
Dan Cobley has held the positions of Vice President of Brand Solutions and Managing Director for Google in the UK & Ireland. After almost a decade at Google Dan started a new venture, a FinTech fund and incubator, aimed at building new, disruptive companies within the financial services sector.
As Managing Director of Google UK & Ireland — the biggest market for Google outside the US and the most advanced major country in terms of e-commerce and online advertising spending — Dan Cobley was responsible for over $5Bn of revenue, and for helping companies large and small harness the power of digital to generate insights, increase sales and transform culture.
Prior to his role as Vice President of Brand Solutions Dan was the search giant's VP of Marketing for the EMEA territories, and before that Marketing Director for Northern & Central Europe, responsible for all aspects of European business and consumer marketing at Google.
Dan's roles before joining Google include senior marketing positions at Capital One Europe, where he helped make the company the UK's leading new card issuer, and Ask Jeeves, Pepsi and Walkers. He has a first degree in physics from Oxford and a master's in management from Cambridge. He is a trustee of the Technology Trust, and an advisor to a few tech start ups.
Dan Cobley is now an independent advisor to and investor in tech start ups, is on the board of The Marketing Society, is a trustee of the Charities Technology Trust and on the advisory boards of Telegraph Media Group and eHarmony. His TED speech on physics and marketing has been watched over one million times and he was named as number 3 in Wired UK top 100 list 2012 and number 2 in Evening Standard 1000 Most Influential Londoners; Digital Innovators, 2012.
Dan Cobley is a regular keynote speaker at conferences; speaking on technology, innovation, and Google's unique approach to business. He is also an accomplished moderator, interviewer and after-dinner speaker.
Dan Cobley talks about innovation; about agile company culture; about how digital connectivity and devices are transforming consumer behaviour and the industries that depend on them; and about the lessons learned from Google and how they can be applied to other companies and sectors.
With a high energy style, Dan uses a combination of humorous stories, data-led insights, and personal experience, illustrated with images, video and live product demos, to ensure his sessions are both engaging and full of impact.
What Physics Taught Me About Marketing
Physics and marketing don't seem to have much in common, but Dan Cobley is passionate about both. Based on his popular TED Talk, Dan brings these unlikely bedfellows together using Newton's second law, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, the scientific method and the second law of thermodynamics to explain the fundamental theories of branding.
The Changing Consumer
How digital (led by cloud and mobile) is transforming the way we all live and what that means for how companies need to serve us.
Disruption in FinTech
How changing consumer behaviours and expectations are driving new demands on the financial services sector, and how the start-ups are meeting them - threatening existing players.
How To Build An Innovation Culture
Lessons from Google and from the world of FinTech start-ups on how to inject innovation into your organisation.
Creating Winning Teams & Culture
Building teams that win in a fast moving world, drawing on lessons from Google, Capital One and the best tech start-ups
10x Innovation Thinking
How Google, Tesla and others strive for 'order of magnitude' change to turbo-charge their innovation agenda.
The Next Wave of Digital Disruption: AI & Machine Learning
How the gathering and harnessing of data, and the application of AI and ML will drive the next wave of massive disruption to business and society.
The Power of Data
How measuring everything and harnessing the power of smart / beautiful data visualisation and machine learning gives you an edge.
The Future of Cars - Electrification, Sharing & Autonomy
How will the like of Tesla, Uber and Google change personal transportation, and what does it mean for our industry, our cities and our society?
What's Next in Digital Transformation?
Having seen digital transform sectors like publishing, media, travel and retail, what's next? What will be the impact on the 'laggard' sectors of manufacturing, finance, healthcare, etc?
Exclusive interview with Dan Cobley
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I would like to thank you very much for an excellent and informative presentation during our American Express Global Business Travel event at Grange Tower Bridge Hotel on Tuesday. The feedback we have received to-date has been excellent. It was also a pleasure to work with you and we look forward to working with you again in the future.
Dan Cobley's talk was very inspiring it allowed me to view my challenges through a different prism…he found brilliant links that really resonated with our own challenges and how 10 X thinking can unlock our true potential.
Dan, A huge thank you from all of us in BlackRock Alternatives Specialists Hedge Fund Sales Team for your time and presentation on Tuesday afternoon. We were incredibly pleased with the whole event and have heard fantastic feedback on your presentation.
Dan Cobley created an instant connection with the audience with a high impact opening, and retained their interest throughout his presentation. He has an approachable yet charismatic style, which engages the audience. Dan's content was well tailored to the brief around Digital business, and he made good use of a range of media, which made the presentation content stimulating and varied.
Dan Cobley was a keynote speaker at FT Live's Di Forum and was a huge hit with our attendees -- providing just the right context for subsequent discussions at the event and kicking things off for us with a relevant, insightful and energetic presentation. We were thrilled with what he brought to our event.
I want to thank you for nominating Dan Cobley to address our members. He gave a wonderfully polished insight into life at Google now and looking forward. It was inspiring, thought provoking and truly fascinating. He also deftly managed the issue of UK tax during my interview, which delivered one of the few spontaneous rounds of applause in the day.
I wanted to write formally to thank you for your contribution to our National Conference on Tuesday. To say your presentation was well received would be a massive understatement! It was the subject of discussion at the coffee break immediately after and at the dinner tables later that evening. It was inspiring and intimidating in equal measure but a clear example of how to encourage and cultivate innovation and success.
How to book Dan Cobley for your event
To book Dan Cobley, please submit an online enquiry to booking.agent@nmp.co.uk or contact one of our booking agents on +44 (0)20 3822 0003.
Serial tech entrepreneur, investor and disruptive innovation expert
Professor of Forecasting and Innovation, writer, broadcaster and journalist
Editor-at-large of Wired magazine
Serial entrepreneur and author of ‘The Social Media MBA'
Former Chief Business Officer for Google[x] and serial entrepreneur
Former Chief Envisioning Officer, Microsoft UK
