Derek Woodgate – President

With experience as an executive on the board of two major corporations and over 15 years Senior Vice-President-level management and operational responsibilities in international businesses, Derek is widely recognized as a global specialist in marketing, innovation, business and futures-based consulting. He is currently on the Board of The American Center for Entrepreneurship, and on the Operating Committee of the Digital Convergence Initiative.

In January 1998, Derek set up The Futures Lab, a futures-based consultancy, specializing in leveraging future potential, innovation, category redefinition and repositioning of major brands and businesses. The Futures Lab has helped many major global corporations across a myriad of categories.

Derek has lived and worked in eleven countries and is at home in seven languages (English, Croatian, French, Italian, Bulgarian, Russian and Dutch).

He graduated with a Bachelor Degree (Hons.) from University College London, in Contemporary Slav Studies and then gained his Masters in Economics – (concentration in politics) from Zagreb University, a city where he spent over ten years. He is a frequent conference speaker, panelist and commentator on the future, particularly with regard to the changing global economy, emerging industries, youth culture and marketing and its relevance to the future business landscape.

Derek is a prolific writer on future-related topics, his latest book “Future Frequencies,” was published in 2004, and he is currently writing for a new release entitled "Future Flow". He also contributed to the major work on Burroughs “Calling the Toads”.

Derek is a founding member and a board member of the Association of Professional Futurists, a member of The World Futures Society, The World Futures Studies Federation and is also on the Regional Vision and Strategy Committee for Austin 2020.

Tessie Spoljaric-Woodgate – The Futures Lab Chile

Since graduating from the University of Sussex in 2005, Tessie has worked in London, Austin and Santiago as a Futures Researcher. She graduated with a BA in International Relations with Spanish and a year of her studies was spent in Chile. Whislt in Santiago she secured a competitive internship working as a journalist and translator for Chile’s English language newspaper, The Santiago Times.

In 2006/2007 Tessie worked for London-based futures consultancy Global Futures and Foresight, where she worked on projects covering a wide range of sectors including a client project on the future of China, a published report on the future of China’s economy and client projects on the future of travel and tourism in the Middle East and the future of social networks and virtual worlds.

Consequently she was contracted to conduct a 3-month research project for Rainer – a UK nationwide charity that provides support to disadvantaged young people in the UK.

Now based in Santiago, Chile, Tessie is continuing her work as head researcher for The Futures Lab. Since joining the team in March 2008 she has worked on a governmental project on the future of culture and the arts and a client project on the future of education.

Ramon has numerous years of experience as a special adviser to advertising companies, consulting firms and to Mexico´s National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Informatics. He has also conducted research at the Prospective Center Barros Sierra Foundation, and at the Geomatics Center GEO. These opportunities have enabled Ramon to participate in projects where future-thinking is at the core of the analysis in a diversity of subjects - technology transfer, urban planning, energy, business anthropology and information systems, to name a few.

Parallel to his professional development, his addiction to travel has allowed him to circumnavigate the globe and to continue to experience the pleasure of a new discovery. Being fluent in Spanish, English, French and Italian, Ramon has learned to integrate cultural diversity in his futures-related work. He has also devoted time to alleviate social differences through a variety of non-profit organizations.

Luciana Blanton - The Futures Lab, Brazil

Luciana Blanton heads up The Futures Lab operations in Brazil, based in Belo Horizonte, but with additional facilities in Sao Paulo. The company offers comprehensive futures studies consulting, as well as futures research, Frontline Panels and consumer focus groups. The Futures Lab, Brazil is fully integrated into our global network, and provides important insights for our global clients on one of the fastest growing economies.  

A creative thinker and accomplished executive, Luciana combines her work as a futurist with her teachings of Technology and Culture in Belo Horizonte.

Luciana holds an interdisciplinary Masters degree from The University of Texas, where she combined Media Studies, Anthropology and the Humanities to develop a unique approach to developmental issues.

She has worked in the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala, Germany, Holland, Japan, Chile, Argentina, Canada and Spain.

In Brazil, she has  worked as a journalist, filmmaker, producer and writer, before joining the economic strategy division of the International Bureau of Banco do Brasil, Brazil´s largest bank.

Luciana also founded CRIA-UFMG-JR, a successful student-run organization that currently provides work for over one hundred students and serve small businesses in the community.

While in Austin, she founded Cultural Business Solutions, whose clients included Gessy-Lever and Dove. She was also a researcher and collaborator for the Science, Technology and Society Program, where she worked with Dr. Elizabeth Keating in developing an international research on mobile technologies and its impacts on the lives of the blind, elderly and dearth communities.

Luciana has written many articles a number of which were published in Encyclopedias, such as `Brazil: An Encyclopedia of Life in the Republic (Greenwood Press) and Encyclopedia of Latin American Women Writers (Routledge).

Rei Kawashima – Creative Futurists Node Japan

Rei Kawashima brings a broad range of experiences to The Futures Lab. She was on staff with the Millennium Project of the American Council of United Nations University and has served as a Director with ISS Inc. Yokohama, Japan. In addition, Rei has worked as a Freelance Translator, an Inter-cultural Business Consultant and Congress Organizer. She is presently engaged with the Secretariat of the University Space Engineering Consortium, Tokyo, Japan.

Rei’s academic background includes a BA in Chinese Literature from Hokkaido University, Japan and other intensive language courses in Chinese and English. She received a Master’s degree in Space Studies from the International Space University, Strasbourg, France, a Master of Arts in Social Science with an emphasis on Leadership Studies from Azusa Pacific University, California and graduate studies in Marketing, Human Resource Management, and Accounting at the Globis Business School, Tokyo.

Rei is fluent in Japanese, English and Chinese. She is credited with the translation of “Megachallenges - A Compass for the 21st Century” by John Naisbitt.

She is a Board member of Japan Futures Research Center, Tokyo Chapter Coordinator of the World Future Society, co-representative of the Creative Futurists Node and a member of the World Future Society. Rei is also Auditor of the Japan Association for Interpretation Studies, Moderator of the Space Generation Forum in cooperation with cooperation with UN and a member of the American Society of Training and Development.

Clive Cooper – Your Future, London

Clive Cooper is the Chairman of Research and Brand Futures with our partners Your Future (formerly Corporate Edge), a world-leading specialist in brands, innovation and design.

Clive is an expert in Consumer and Brand Futures, his specialty being futures insights and their practical application in the marketplace. According to Clive, to know the future is impossible, but to anticipate it is critical for truly innovative brand development.

In 1997 Clive set up the Brand Futures Consultancy. His clients including Sainsbury’s, Procter and Gamble, Freemans, Granada and Dulux ICI. The company then fused with Corporate Edge in 1999 before later emerging as Your Future in 2004.

Clive’s experience includes working on future consumer trends, brand vision and innovation for the following clients in diverse industries such as: Shell, Cadbury’s, Nokia, M & S, Ben Sherman, Hugo, Granada, Barclay’s Bank, Hi Tec Sports, Golden Wonder and Casio.

Previously Clive was with Davidson Pearce Advertising, BMP and Grey Advertising, where he served as Deputy Head of Account Planning and as a member of their Agency Management Committee.

Clive has appeared on TV, radio and in the national press as well as the marketing media. He is a regular commentator on Brand Strategy and Consumer Trends. He is a member of the World Futures Society.

Simon Ratcliffe – Your Future, London

Simon Ratcliffe specialises in brand strategy and the practical application of ideas to drive business in the marketplace.

Simon has wide experience of working with companies to help them to identify and deliver future value. He spent 15 years in advertising, latterly as a Group Account Director at Grey Advertising.

Simon set up Brand Futures in 1995 with Planning Partner Clive Cooper. He joined Corporate Edge in 1990 and became Managing Director of the Brand Futures and Innovation division and subsequently Chairman of Branding and Innovation.

He has worked on major brand development and innovation projects for ICI Dulux, Nestle, InterContinental Hotels, GSK, Liverpool
Victoria and Sainsburys.

Linda Hodgson– Future Cat, Europe

Linda Hodgson is Director of Future Cat - a catalyst for future change.

Linda brings creativity to exploring the future possibilities for businesses and brands. She is passionate about helping businesses prepare for their future, and believes the process works best when people are fully engaged, so her approach is practical and 'hands on,' helping businesses and brands to ‘have fun with the future’.

Linda’s expertise is in identifying the potential shifts in people’s values, beliefs, and behaviour emanating from the trends, and bringing the knowledge to life as appropriate. Providing foresight springboards, from which product, service, and communication ideas are generated.

In January 2003 she set up her company - Future Cat – and formed an association with The Futures Lab.

Prior to January 2003, Linda worked as Head of future consumer insight, at the strategic brand consultancy Corporate Edge, where she was responsible for developing the Corporate Edge Trend Bank, and used it for inspiration, not information.

During her time at Corporate Edge, Linda worked with a number of multinationals including – GSK, Nestlé, Wyeth, Cadbury Schweppes, Barclays and ICI Dulux.
Previous to Corporate Edge, Linda spent 15 years in advertising, as a consumer insight planner, working with Lintas, DMB&B and finally FCB, where she was European planning director on SC Johnson and Bristol Myers Squibb.

She is part of the Brighton and Hove City Forum, which looks at issues affecting the future of the City, and identifies strategies for debate and possible actions.
She has been extensively quoted in the media, and has run future focussed workshops for marketing media conferences.

Linda is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a professional member of the World Futures Society.