home > speakers > Geoff Mulgan
Geoff Mulgan
Geoff
Mulgan became director of the Institute of Community Studies (ICS) in September 2004. Between 1997 and 2004 he
had various roles in government including director of the Government's Strategy
Unit and head of policy in the Prime Minister's office. Before that he was
the founder and director of the think-tank Demos. He is a visiting professor
at LSE and UCL. His most recent book is Connexity, published by Harvard Business
Press and Vintage in 1998.
In September 2004 Geoff Mulgan CBE took
over from Sir Peter Hall as director of the Institute of Community Studies
in east London, which had been the main vehicle through which Lord Michael
Young created over 60 organisations including the Open University and the
Consumers Association. He has also become a visiting professor at LSE and
UCL, and a senior fellow at the Australia New Zealand School of Government.
Between 1997 and 2004 he had a number of roles in government: he established
and directed the government's Strategy Unit and served as head of policy in
the Prime Minister's office. Before that he was founder and director of Demos,
described by the Economist as the UK's most influential think-tank; chief
adviser to Gordon Brown MP; a consultant and lecturer in telecommunications;
and an investment executive. He began his career in local government in London.
He has been a reporter for BBC TV and radio and a columnist for national newspapers
including the Guardian and Independent. He is a World Economic Forum Global
Leader of Tomorrow, and was ranked in 2004 as one of the UK's 100 leading
public intellectuals. He has lectured in over 30 countries.
His most recent book is Connexity (Harvard Business Press and Jonathon Cape,
1998). Previous books include: Life After Politics (Harper Collins, 1997),
Politics in an antipolitical age (Polity, 1994); Communication and Control:
networks and the new economies of communication (Blackwells, 1991); Saturday
Night or Sunday Morning (Comedia, 1987). He has two books forthcoming in 2005/6:
Good and Bad Power; and The Art of Public Strategy.
He is profiled in two recent books - 'The New Alchemists' by Charles Handy
(Hutchinson, 1999) and 'Visionaries' by Jay Walljasper (Utne Books, USA, 2001).
Speech
At the Creative Capital conference, Geoff Mulgan wil speak about "The paradox of strategies for creativity".What are the challenges for societies in the years to come with respect to
innovation, culture and the public domain? In this last key note speech of
the conference Geoff Mulgan looks back at the conference themes and responds
to the Creative Capital public agenda that has been made by the participants.
Special attention will be given to the role of the public domain in the konwledge
economy with respect to innovation. But, before closing the conference, Mulgan
also looks ahead at the public strategies for the future. What role for planning
and public policy for helping people, cities, regions and countries to realise
their creative capital? How can we inject innovation in the state's DNA?






