Luc Ferry Keynote Speaker

Former French Minister for Youth, National Education and Research (2002–2004)
Winner of the Prix Médicis (Essay) for Le nouvel ordre écologique and the Prix Aujourd’hui for Apprendre à vivre
Officier of the Légion d’honneur, Commandeur of the Ordre National du Mérite, and Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

Luc Ferry's Biography

Luc Ferry is one of France’s most influential public philosophers, known for bringing big ideas down to earth with clarity, wit, and intellectual rigor. Drawing on decades at the intersection of academia, public policy, and media, he helps audiences make sense of the moral and cultural shifts reshaping work, leadership, and society.

As a former French Minister of Education, Ferry has led national conversations on what a modern society should teach, value, and protect. That experience paired with his deep grounding in political philosophy gives him a rare vantage point on how institutions evolve, why democracies fracture, and what leaders can do to rebuild trust and shared purpose.

A celebrated author whose work has reached readers in more than thirty countries, Ferry is widely recognized for making philosophy practical without diluting its depth. In recent years, his writing has tackled everything from the acceleration of modern happiness (La frénésie du bonheur) to the ethical and political stakes of artificial intelligence (IA : grand remplacement ou complémentarité ?), themes he continues to explore in major public forums.

Whether addressing executives, policymakers, or global forums, Ferry delivers an accessible framework for navigating uncertainty with principle. He equips audiences to think more clearly, lead more humanely, and act with conviction in an era defined by disruption.

Ethics and leadership in an age of disruption

Artificial intelligence: opportunity, risk, and regulation

Meaning, purpose, and the “good life” in modern society

Education, culture, and the future of citizenship

Rebuilding trust: democracy, institutions, and social cohesion

He has shaped national education and research policy as France’s Minister for Youth, National Education and Research, giving leadership teams a grounded view of how institutions earn trust and manage social change.
He brings the credibility of a Prix Médicis-winning philosopher and bestselling author, helping audiences connect ethics, meaning, and humanism to the real choices leaders face.
He turns complex debates on secularism, citizenship, and democratic cohesion into clear, practical frameworks that executives can use to navigate polarisation and stakeholder expectations.
Drawing on his recent writing and research on artificial intelligence, he helps organisations separate hype from reality and make confident decisions about technology’s impact on work, culture, and society.