Named “the Oscars of management thinking” by the Financial Times
An exclusive gathering of the world’s foremost management thinkers and business leaders
Shapes the future of management, business, and leadership
Held annually at London’s historic Guildhall
Celebrating 25 Years of Thinkers50
2 November 2026
The Thinkers50 London Summit & Awards Gala returns to the city’s iconic Guildhall in November 2026. This will mark a special milestone for Thinkers50: its 25th anniversary. It will also feature an exciting new look for the Awards Gala, which for the first time will honour the Leaders50: global business leaders that transform thought leadership into real impact.
Speakers confirmed for the 2026 London Summit include former CEO of Unilever, Paul Polman, co-author (with Andrew Winston) of Net Positive. Polman and Winston share the #1 spot on the Thinkers50 Ranking.
Also on stage will be President/CEO of the ONE Campaign, Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli; Stanford University’s Liz Wiseman, bestselling author of Impact Players and Multipliers; former CEO of IKEA, Jesper Brodin; digital anthropologist Rahaf Harfoush, bestselling author of Hustle & Float; and INSEAD professor Erin Meyer, author of The Culture Map and No Rules Rules (with Reed Hastings). More speakers will be announced soon.
Founded in 2001 by business journalists Des Dearlove and Stuart Crainer, Thinkers50 began as the first global Ranking of Management Thinkers. Over the past quarter century, it has grown into a worldwide platform and a vibrant Community. Today, Thinkers50 encompasses the Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement Awards alongside the Hall of Fame, Radar, Coaching Legends, Leaders50, Coaches50, and curated Booklists.
Past Thinkers50 speakers and panelists include Adam Grant, Amy Edmondson, Clayton Christensen, Dan Pink, Frances Frei & Anne Morriss, Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, Linda Hill, Lynda Gratton, Michael Porter, Modupe Akinola, Nilofer Merchant, Reed Hastings, Roger Martin, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Ruchika Tulshyan, Sheena Iyengar, Vijay Govindarajan, W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne.
Des Dearlove is a former columnist to The Times (London), contributing editor to Strategy+Business, and co-editor of the bestselling Financial Times Handbook of Management. He has taught at some of the world’s leading business schools, including IE Business School and the Said Business School at Oxford University, where he is an associate fellow. He is also the author of the Archie Greene trilogy of children’s books under the pen name D. D. Everest.
Stuart Crainer is the former editor of London Business School’s award-winning magazine Business Strategy Review. He has taught in executive education programs around the world, including at IE Business School and in the Strategic Leadership programme at Oxford University. Stuart’s book credits include The Management Century and a biography of management icon, Tom Peters. He is also the author of Atlantic Crossing, a collection of poems based on his experiences sailing the Atlantic.
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Thinkers50 Limited
The Studio
Highfield Lane
Wargrave RG10 8PZ
United Kingdom
Thinkers50 Limited
The Studio
Highfield Lane
Wargrave RG10 8PZ
United Kingdom
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