Rita Clifton Keynote Speaker

Rita Clifton CBE is one of the most highly respected global advertising professionals. After a long and successful career as a UK Chairman of Interbrand, she now works as a speaker, facilitator, writer, and non-executive director of a portfolio of companies. She is a sought-after speaker and facilitator who regularly writes for trade publications and travels the world giving keynote talks, moderating panel discussions, and leading workshops.

Rita is a non-executive director of Ascential and John Lewis Partnership, serving as a Senior Independent Director and Deputy Chair, respectively. She previously served as a non-executive director on several companies, including Nationwide Building Society, ASOS, Emap and Populus Group. Rita is a visiting fellow at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and Chairman of Forum for the Future, a global sustainability organisation. Her passion for the environment and sustainability has seen her take up other non-profit board and trustee roles, including WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature) and Green Alliance. Previously she served as Chair at The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and the UK Government’s Sustainable Development Commission.

Rita co-founded BrandCap in 2013 and served as Chairman of the global brand and business consultancy until it was sold to the management group. She is one of the most well-known brand strategists in the world, spending over a decade and a half as CEO and Chairman of Interbrand and five years as President of the Market Research Society. Her career began in advertising, where she rose through the ranks of Saatchi & Saatchi to Vice Chair and Strategy Director and subsequently moved into brand strategy consulting with Dixons Retail.

As an author, Rita has published several books, with her latest offering, Love Your Imposter (2020), delving into new business leadership styles. She published two editions of the 2009 book Brands and Branding, exploring why every company should make branding a core organising concept. The Future of Brands, published in 2000, is a best-selling analysis of modern obstacles facing brands and how they can overcome these challenges.

Rita is a regular columnist and pundit on social media and preeminent outlets like; BBC, CNN and Sky. She is also a respected business mentor and judges on the CNBC award-winning TV show Pop Up Start Up, where she works with start-ups and early-stage companies of all sizes.

At the 2014 New Year’s Honours, she was appointed CBE, Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for services to the creative industries.

Rita has presented TEDx talks and travels the world as a keynote speaker. She is dedicated to making the world a more sustainable place for future generations and believes that we all have a role in achieving this goal.