After Dinner Speakers: Wally Olins, Paul Merton, Robert Davis

He was awarded a CBE in 1999. He was nominated for the Prince Philip Designers Prize in 1999 and received the Royal Society of Arts’ Bicentenary Medal for his contribution to the design and marketing industry. Wally Olins has written several books including the seminal work ‘Corporate Identity’, first published in 1989 and reprinted many times, in many languages. His most recent publication, “Trading Identities – how countries and companies are taking on each others’ roles” was published by The Foreign Policy Centre. He is currently writing a book on branding. He has advised many of the world’s leading organisations and countries on identity, branding, communication and related issues. These include 3i, Akzo-Nobel, Repsol, Q8, The Portuguese Tourist Board, BT, Prudential, Renault and Volkswagen. He is one of the world’s most experienced experts on corporate identity and branding. His main interests are the big ideas behind organisations, mergers and acquisitions, and he has a particular fascination with the branding of regions and nations. He is Visiting Professor at Lancaster University, Copenhagen Business School and Duxx in Mexico and holds seminars on branding issues around the world. Wally Olins was born in London, educated at Oxford, is married and has four children.