Caroline Stokes

Author of After Shock to 2030.

RADAR THINKER

Thinkers50 Radar Class of 2026.

FAST FACT

Has served as an ambassador for the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation since 2007.

FAST FACT

Turned down an opportunity to fulfil a childhood dream in hopes of a less toxic future.

Ideas

Caroline’s pioneering model for future-ready leadership integrates trauma-aware systems, emotionally intelligent AI, and adaptive intelligence. She is the author of AfterShock to 2030: A CEO’s Guide to Reinvention in the Age of AI, Climate, and Societal Collapse and Elephants Before Unicorns, both of which equip leaders to navigate the complexities of a polycrisis era shaped by technological disruption, climate instability, and shifting societal expectations. She translates emotionally intelligent, human-centred principles into practical strategies for leaders confronting unprecedented change.

Bio

Founder of FORWARD, Caroline is a global leadership strategist for the 5th industrial revolution. A Sony alum who contributed to the launch of PlayStation, and a PCC-level, EQ 2.0–certified coach, she has evolved from executive headhunter to leading authority on psychological and strategic leadership reinvention. Caroline has spoken at institutions including the World Bank, IEEE-USA conferences, and innovation summits in London, Los Angeles, and Singapore. In 2024, she was invited to speak at the UN Peace Day celebration in LA on “Cultivating a Culture of Peace.”

Content

AfterShock to 2030: A CEO’s Guide to Reinvention in the Age of AI, Climate, and Societal Collapse (Broad Brook Press, 2025); Elephants Before Unicorns: Emotionally Intelligent HR Strategies to Save Your Company (Entrepreneur Press, 2019). HBR Guide to Navigating the Toxic Workplace (co-author, 2024); Coach Me! (contributor, Wiley, 2022). Leading in a world of systemic shocks (Lancefield on the Line podcast, 2025). Why an emotionally intelligent company impacts growth (TEDxBayRidgeWomen, 2019). Aftershock: Leadership for the 5th Industrial Revolution podcast.

Media picks

Verdict

“This isn’t just a book. It’s a survival manual disguised as a CEO’s inner monologue.”

– Hamilton Mann, Thinkers50 Digital Thinking Award, 2025

Thinkers50

Best of Management Thinking

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Wargrave RG10 8PZ
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Thinkers50

Best of Management Thinking

Thinkers50 Limited
The Studio
Highfield Lane
Wargrave RG10 8PZ
United Kingdom

Contact us at:

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with the latest and greatest ideas in business, management, and thought leadership.

Thinkers50

Best of Management Thinking

Thinkers50 Limited
The Studio
Highfield Lane
Wargrave RG10 8PZ
United Kingdom

Contact us at:

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with the latest and greatest ideas in business, management, and thought leadership.

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