Fergus Hay Keynote Speaker

Founder & CEO, The Hacking Games (since 2023)
Worldwide MD at Ogilvy (2014-2017) & CEO at Leagas Delaney (2017-2020)
Advisor to venture-backed tech firms & global investors

Fergus Hay's Biography

Fergus Hay is a leading global voice on cybersecurity, digital psychology and Gen Z culture. As founder and CEO of The Hacking Games—launched in 2023—he is reshaping the future of cyber talent by redirecting teens from cybercrime to careers in ethical hacking. By 2025, the platform had reached over 20,000 young people and formed partnerships with education networks across 38 Co-op Academy schools in the UK.

Through gamified simulation, AI-based aptitude mapping (HAPTAI), and entertainment-led outreach, Fergus tackles one of the defining challenges of the digital age: cybercrime projected to exceed $10.5 trillion annually, while millions of cybersecurity roles remain unfilled. His work reframes security not as a technical issue, but as a cultural and generational opportunity.

Fergus brings senior leadership experience from his tenure as Worldwide Managing Director at Ogilvy & Mather (2014–2017) and CEO of Leagas Delaney (2017–2020), where he led global brand strategy for multinationals including Unilever, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Uber, and Barclays. As co-founder of Elysian Fields, he advises high-growth technology companies on marketing, cyber risk culture and organisational resilience.

A trusted media voice, Fergus regularly appears on BBC World News, Sky News, NBC, and is featured in The Financial Times, The Times and The Sunday Times. In 2025, he spoke at the 5th Annual Advances in Cyber Security Education Conference at Warwick University and was profiled by Website Planet for his pioneering work in building a Gen Z cyber workforce.

Fergus is a dynamic and insightful keynote speaker who equips business leaders, educators and policymakers with the tools to build cyber-savvy cultures—and to identify and harness unconventional talent for the future of security.

“Inside the Mind of a Teenage Hacker”

How to Inspire Gen Z to Become Ethical Hackers”

“The New Cyber Arms Race: Culture, Crime, and Capitalism”

“Why Your Cyber Culture Will Make or Break Your Business”

“How you can build a fan, customer and employee base with Gen Z”

“What governments, regulators and educators can do to harness the unconventional gen z talent”

He brings authoritative insight on cybersecurity and Gen Z culture as founder and CEO of The Hacking Games, redirecting young people from cybercrime into ethical hacking and future-ready security careers.
He reframes cyber risk as a cultural and generational challenge, translating digital psychology and youth behaviour into practical strategies for building cyber-savvy organisations.
He combines credibility from global brand leadership at Ogilvy & Mather and Leagas Delaney with hands-on innovation, advising leaders on resilience, talent and cyber risk culture.
He equips executives, educators and policymakers to close the cyber skills gap by identifying unconventional talent through gamification, AI-based aptitude mapping and real-world simulation.
He delivers high-impact keynotes that cut through technical noise, helping leaders understand emerging cyber threats, engage the next generation and future-proof their organisations.