Joseph DiVanna Keynote Speaker

Described by The Economist as a “polymath”, and by his clients as “brilliant and fresh”, Joseph DiVanna is an independent author, consultant and global public speaker. His sometimes unconventional approach to solving global business challenges prompts clients to stop and think about what they do and how they do it.  Simply, Joe provides insight on why business do the things they do from a historical context so organisations can learn from the missteps, successes and wisdom of other companies throughout history. More importantly, Joe’s acute understanding of organizational strategy and of the alignment of strategy and tactical action – and the required attitudes and behaviours to support implementation – make his contribution invaluable for companies facing challenges in the new global economy.

Joe DiVanna is the Managing Director of Maris Strategies Limited, an innovation research and advisory think-tank. Joe’s insight on twenty-first century business centres on the premise that in order to be competitive, all businesses must have a strong value proposition that is memorable, credible, demonstrable, measurable and actionable. Questioning why the vast majority of strategies fail to deliver value, Joe DiVanna, a former CSC-Index member, challenges audiences with questions such as: is technology an asset or a liability? Do banks add value? Do we really need managers? Which processes are necessary and which are just fluff? Does Islamic banking appeal to Muslims as well as non-Muslims? Is there a future for Retail banking?

Joe is the author of the annual Top 500 Islamic Banks supplement issue of The Banker Magazine, and contributor to many other international publications of the Financial Times family. He has recently helped the African Banking Corporation develop its brand strategy in Southern Africa and Barclays Bank, Ghana, develop a strategy for promoting affordable housing in Ghana. He works with over 15 Chinese banks including The Bank of China, China Merchants Bank, the Industrial Bank of China, Shanghai Pudong Bank, and many others, on the strategic challenges that they face, and advises two dozen other global banks on matters as diverse as electronic payments, innovation, strategy, product portfolio management, channel management and others. His 5-day MBA programme, his R@pid Research Methodology, and his bespoke assessment tools are used by many clients worldwide, in industries as varied as banking and finance, technology, manufacturing, government and retail.

Joe is a By-Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, a Faculty member at The Møller Centre, Churchill College, Executive Education Programmes, of Duke CE (Corporate Education programmes), and an advisor to the Centre for Risk Studies at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. He also teaches at universities worldwide, including Dubai, Bahrain, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Bali, Kuwait, Johannesburg, Paris, Vienna, Athens, New York, and many other international locations.