Kate Ancketill Keynote Speaker

Member of the board of directors at the British Design Council and a trustee of the Design Museum in London
Named the Top 100 Women in Tech by WeAreTechWomen in 2019
Member of the World Retail Congress Advisory Board

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Kate Ancketill's Biography

Kate Ancketill is the CEO and founder of business futurist consultancy GDR.

For 25 years she has been the innovation partner to more than 30 of the world’s largest brands: P&G, Tesco, Target, Sephora, Microsoft, Google, Samsung, Moet Hennessy, Costa Coffee, The BBC, and Lego among them. Her visually spectacular multi-media presentations draw from many industry sectors and all physical and digital channels, with a 3-5 year future time-frame.

Every presentation is created specifically for your audience, with never-seen-before innovations that demonstrate successful adaptation to changing consumer behaviour.

Kate’s insights have often been road-tested at board level, and every presentation benefits from the input of GDR’s researchers and strategists.

Kate is a tech optimist, known for making complex global shifts in technology, geopolitics, demographics, economics and consumer behaviour relatable to anyone in business who needs to understand and adapt to today’s faster-than-ever changing commercial landscape.

What does AI mean for me, my job, my industry and society?

Modern retail is rocket science - how can we deal with the complexity?

The future of customer service. What can professional services learn from other industries?

Trends fit for the future: The surprising secrets of persistently brilliant brands

Regenerative brands: a practical guide to a future that works for the planet, people, and profit

The Future of Beauty and Wellness

Kate Ancketill, GDR’s CEO shares her NRF 2024 highlights

GDR - Kate Ancketill speaking at NRF 2023 - highlights

GDR CEO Kate Ancketill NRF 2022 highlights reel

Articles, Media & Podcasts

[Podcast] How retail can incorporate the metaverse - Kate Ancketill, GDR

Commerce Talks Podcast

NRF NXT Webinar Series - The future of flagship stores in this new era of retail

NRF NXT

[Radio] GDR CEO Kate Ancketill on BBC's The Bottom Line

BBC Radio 4's The Bottom Line

[Podcast] Kate Ancketill - Reset - How we will shop, live, work and play in the future

Speaking Business Podcast

Comments & Testimonials

Kate gets among the highest feedback for speakers at the NRF Big Show every year - that’s why we’ve invited her to give the trends keynote for nine years running.

Martine Reardon Chief Marketing Officer and EVP of Content and Retail Strategy at NRF

I must say, once again, an outstanding speech at NRF! Congrats! Your idea of the “end of the abundance” is the best synthesis of everything we saw and heard at NRF. Everyone in Brazil is spreading your words about it!

Caio Camargo Co-founder, VarejoCast

A lot of highly relevant insights and examples. And you are professional in how you present it. We just received feedback that this had the best engagement at Elkjøp so far.

Hans – Petter Dovre Format Director, Elkjop Nordic AS (Currys)

I think it’s fair to say that your delivery at the KBSA conference was breathtaking. You could have heard a pin drop at any stage! So thank you; you reignited my imagination and confirmed my desire for change and excitement for the future! I look forward to learning more through your posts and hope our paths cross again at some point!

Ian Sandford Chairman, Four Seasons Kitchens

One word kept coming up and up again when attendees were commenting on your session – ‘WOW’.

Claire Knott Conference Director, The Retail Bulletin Conference 2022