Duncan Wardle

 About

  • Talks about creative techniques and behaviors to develop big, innovative ideas
  • Uses Disney’s iconic brand and characters to leave audiences with actionable takeaways about creative problem solving and out-of-the-box thinking
  • Disney’s Former Head of Innovation and Creativity
  • Past clients include: Apple, Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Corp., IBM, Johnson & Johnson, McKinsey, NBC Universal, Twitter

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About Duncan Wardle - Former Walt Disney Executive & Speaker on Innovation and Creativity:

Duncan Wardle maintains that "we are all born creative - we are born with amazing imaginations, are full of curiosity, and carry this remarkable built-in tool known as intuition." Duncan spent 25+ years in leadership roles at Disney - where, when he was Head of Innovation and Creativity, he led the team that helped Imagineering, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar and Disney Parks to innovate, creating magical new storylines and experiences for consumers around the globe. As founder of iD8 & innov8 he now brings his extensive Disney experience delivering keynotes, workshops and ideation forums, around the globe helping companies strategize and embed a culture of innovation into everyone’s DNA.

Duncan’s talks are anything but ordinary. Sharing real world stories and lessons learned from the innovation battlefield, Duncan leaves audiences inspired, motivated, and ready to innovate for their own organizations.

On a mission to eradicate the status quo - Duncan challenges everyone to claim their own creativity, thus creating a culture of innovation never possible before. Duncan is now one of the world’s most highly regarded innovation speakers and consultants, teaching companies, brands and individuals across the globe to overcome their own expertise and get out of their own way. To think differently and creatively.

In an age where meetings and projects and presentations have your employees feeling like they are “too busy to think,” Duncan teaches how to create an innovation “light switch.” A way to turn on their creative brain and access the ideas that turn ordinary companies into industry leaders.

It takes time and money to find, hire, and build your teams. So why not leverage the full potential of their creativity and harness the full spectrum of their innovation? Through his pioneering consulting services, Duncan teaches organizations how to do just that, maximizing the ROI they receive on their most valuable resource: their people.

Are you ready to see the ideas that are unleashed by fostering a culture of innovation and creativity within your organization? Duncan’s unique design thinking process will empower your entire organization to redefine how they think about problems and solutions. Teams leave with the tools they need to start innovating today and to immediately drive positive growth for your organization.

Duncan is a multiple TEDx speaker and contributor to Fast Company Magazine. He teaches Innovation and Creativity Masterclasses at Yale University, UNC and U.F. He also holds the American Citizen Award presented at the White House, an Hons. MBA and Hons. Doctorate from Edinburgh University and the Duke of Edinburgh Award, presented by her majesty, Queen Elizabeth.

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 Topics

What Duncan Wardle Talks About:

The Theory of Creativity™

The ability to think creatively is the one core human truth that will remain relevant in the brave new world of Artificial Intelligence. Everyone has the power to be creative!

But wait, do you believe that you are not the “creative type”? That we should leave the creativity to the “Creatives”? For most, this has happened so many times that we end up actually believing it. For adults, not being creative is an accepted fate.

With an education and corporate structure that encourages finding the single “right answer” to every question, we are trained to fall in line, and shut down that creative portion of our brain.

But weren’t we kids once? Turning boxes into spaceships and pillows and blankets into forts and castles? What happened to that creativity?
Fortunately, that childhood creativity did not dissipate – it’s just lying dormant, waiting to be brought back to life!

During the Theory of Creativity™ Keynote, Duncan will share innovation tools developed from experience with thousands of global Fortune 500 companies and 30 years of experience with the Walt Disney Company, most recently as Head of Innovation & Creativity.

By the end, your audience will walk away with a series of unique Creative Behaviors and Innovation Tools to leverage their creative minds, deliver revolutionary thinking and drive substantial results in all areas of your business.

KEYNOTE TAKEAWAYS:
  • How to innovate by challenging the rules of your industry
  • Learn real-life examples of how to embed a sustainable culture of innovation and creativity throughout your organization
  • Learn tools on how to encourage every employee to think creatively

Delivering Customer Experience Magic.™

The best brands in the world may have great products and service, but they thrive because of an unrelenting passion and focus on customer experience.

Through this engaging and interactive Keynote, Duncan will share how to transform your business from product-centric to customer-centric and reap the rewards that come when customers believe the work you do is truly magic.

Duncan will share with your team famous real-world examples from behind the scenes from his time as the Head of Innovation and Creativity at The Walt Disney Company.

Showcasing challenges brought on by direct and indirect competitors, Duncan will share real-life and timely examples of how ever-evolving organizations drastically changed consumer behaviors.

As he shares the exact steps Disney and other companies have taken to turn problems into massive opportunities, he will dig into the new revenue opportunities and enhanced customer experiences.

By the end of this interactive presentation, your audience will have developed a whole new understanding of customer experience, and you will be empowered with tools to reframe any challenges facing your organization, finding those unique opportunities to create some customer experience magic of your own!

KEYNOTE TAKEAWAYS:
  • How to turn a product centric culture into a consumer centric one
  • How to leverage “high-tech” to enable “high-touch”, delivering record guest satisfaction
  • How to address the biggest consumer pain points and what that can mean for revenue

Embed Innovation Into Everyone’s DNA.™

None of us are going back to “Business as Usual”, and the secret sauce to success lies in the culture you create at work.

But innovation is not something that happens by chance. It’s the result of building an environment in which it can thrive, and you have to give people a set of tools that you may use every day to grow.

Companies set on creating a culture of innovation will not only survive, but they will thrive! This goes far beyond having an “Innovation Department.” Now is the time to instill a culture of innovation among EVERY member of your team.

During Duncan’s time as the Head of Innovation for Disney, a company known for redefining pretty much every industry they touch Duncan’s decades of success weren’t merely a matter of luck or chance.

His results were a direct reflection of his ability to create a thriving, innovative culture, and to ensure that everyone on his teams were put in a position to let their inner creativity run wild.

In the Embedding Innovation into Everyone’s DNA Keynote speech, Duncan will share the exact steps and strategies used to create such an environment.

Participants will learn how to create safe spaces for taking creative risks, ensure everyone on your team is empowered and thinking like an entrepreneur, and transition from the ideation stage into action.

He’ll also share a creative problem-solving tool which will prime your organization to discover innovative ideas each and every time you set out to tackle a challenge.

KEYNOTE TAKEAWAYS:
  • A fresh outlook on daily tasks
  • An approach to tasks with new levels of creative thinking
  • A mindset that allows innovation to flourish at work

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 Recent Publications

    Duncan’s power comes from his engaging exercises, energetic delivery and the memorability of his tools. When a 100 year old brand starts replacing stagnant approaches with expansive language like “how might we?” or “Yes, And,” - you know the culture is beginning to shift.

    Director of Digital Experience, Pacific Gas and Electric

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