Wayne Visser

Prof. Dr Wayne Visser is a globally recognized ‘pracademic’, listed as one of the world’s Top 10 most influential faculty thinkers on issues of responsible business in social media, a top 100 influencer on CSR and sustainable business, a top 100 thought-leader in trustworthy business and a top 100 sustainability leader.

Dr Visser is the author of 41 books and his work as a strategy analyst, sustainability advisor, CSR expert, futurist, filmmaker and professional speaker has taken him to 77 countries in the past 30 years.

Dr Visser currently serves Professor of Integrated Value at Antwerp Management School, where he also holds the Chair in Sustainable Transformation, supported by BASF, Port of Antwerp and Randstad. He is a Head Tutor and Fellow of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Director of the thinktank and media company, Kaleidoscope Futures and Founder of CSR International.

Previous roles were as Director of Sustainability Services for KPMG and Strategy Analyst for Capgemini in South Africa. Dr Visser describes himself as a professional idea-monger, storyteller and memeweaver. He sees his mission as helping to bring about transformative thinking and action in business and society. He believes that we all need to be purpose-inspired to make a positive difference.

Dr Visser is a prolific writer, believing that we learn best by constantly challenging ourselves to do research, formulate our thoughts into compelling narratives and share our discoveries and insights. His most recent book is Thriving: The Breakthrough Movement to Regenerate Nature, Society, and the Economy, Fast. He is also the producer of two documentary films – including Closing the Loop, the world’s first feature-length documentary on the circular economy, which he also presented. He has published over 330 chapters, articles and reports and been a guest columnist for The Huffington Post, The Guardian
and the World Economic Forum.

As a professional speaker and academic lecturer, Dr Visser has delivered over 480 keynote speeches, lectures, courses and workshops in over 50 countries. The topics that Wayne frequently talks on include: transformational leadership, the world in 2050, creating integrated value, closing the loop (getting to a zero-waste, circular economy), the future of CSR, sustainability innovation, the new nexus economy, becoming future-fit, and purpose-inspired change.

Dr Visser has lectured at more than 50 universities in 20 countries. In addition to the aforementioned accolades, he is also the recipient of the Global CSR Excellence & Leadership Award, the Emerald Literati Outstanding Author Contribution Award and the Outstanding Teacher Award of the Warwick MBA.