Rory Sutherland has long been recognised as one of the world’s most original and influential thinkers on human behaviour. That’s why he has been number 1 on MLN’s speaker hitlist for the last 4 years. Bear in mind that our 3 previous SuMMit line-ups have included the likes of Leo Varadkar, Baroness Eliza Manningham Buller, Martin O’Neill, Sir AP McCoy and Nigel Owens MBE!
While Sutherland’s career began and flourished within the advertising world, he is Vice Chairman of Ogilvy, one of the most respected global creative networks, his true impact has come from his work as a behavioural scientist. For more than two decades, he has championed the idea that understanding how people actually think, decide, and act is more powerful than any amount of conventional logic, data modelling, or managerial frameworks. A prolific writer and speaker, Sutherland is the author of the acclaimed ‘Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don’t Make Sense’, a book that challenges leaders to embrace unconventional solutions and recognise that human choices rarely follow the neat, rational paths executives assume.
His work has influenced governments, global brands, public-sector organisations, and fast-growth start-ups. Through his long-running column for The Spectator, his TED talks, and his role as co-founder of Ogilvy’s Behavioural Science Practice, Sutherland has made behavioural insights accessible, practical, and unexpectedly entertaining.
