John Beddington Keynote Speaker

UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser (2008-2013)
Director of UK Government Foresight team tasked to look forward 10-40 years at future global challenges
Senior Advisor to Oxford Martin School, Oxford University

John Beddington's Biography

John Beddington started his studies initially at the LSE where he took a BSc and MSc. He then moved to Edinburgh to do a PhD in what was then the rather new discipline of Mathematical Ecology. His academic career was initially at York University and subsequently at Imperial College. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 2001 and appointed CMG in 2004.

He was from 2008 until 2013 the Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA) reporting directly to the Prime Minister. As GCSA, he was responsible for increasing the scientific capacity across Whitehall by encouraging all major departments of state to recruit a Chief Scientific Adviser.

During his time as GCSA he set up the Scientific Advisory Group in Emergencies (SAGE) that reported to the COBRA committee. He ran the Foresight Team that reported on such varied issues as Food Security, Climate Change Threats and High Speed Financial Trading and was responsible for reviews on inter alia Nuclear Energy, High Speed Computing in Climate Science and the Scientific Contribution to National Security.

He was awarded a Knighthood in 2010 and in June 2014 received The Order of the Rising Sun from the Japanese Government.

He is the Senior Adviser to the Oxford Martin School and Professor of Natural Resource Management at Oxford University. Amongst other activities he is a Non-Executive Director of the Met Office (currently Acting Chair) and chairs the Systemic Risk Institute at the LSE. He is President of London Zoo and a Trustee of the Natural History Museum.

He has advised at the centre of UK government as Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister, translating evidence into decisions on national risk, resilience and long-term strategy.
He brings deep foresight expertise from leading the Government Foresight programme, helping leaders anticipate systemic shocks across food security, climate risk and technology-driven disruption.
He equips organisations to prepare for crises through his experience establishing SAGE and advising on emergency decision-making under intense uncertainty.
He connects rigorous science with practical leadership as a senior adviser at Oxford and chair-level roles, giving audiences clear frameworks for navigating complex, high-stakes choices.