AGE OF AI:
REINVENTING THOUGHT LEADERSHIP IN 2026

Francis is the Global Managing Director of Accenture Research. Accenture Research identifies and anticipates game-changing business, market, and technology trends through provocative thought leadership. Their 300 researchers based in 20 countries partner with world-class organizations and Academia to discover innovative solutions for their clients.

Francis’ current role also includes the management of special projects for Accenture Global Leadership such as the preparation of G20/B20 Summits.

Francis has 25 years of experience in Strategic Research and Consulting. Prior to joining Accenture, he worked in a Research Consulting boutique in Paris.

Yogesh is an established business professional with an extensive background in consulting, market research, data analytics, and business leadership. Throughout his career, he has leveraged his skillset in advanced research methodologies and project management to provide business professionals with trend-setting insights.

As a CEO, Yogesh has helped iResearch grow into a marketing-first agency helping Fortune 500 brands to build digital-trust with their modern consumer through thought leadership. He provides guidance & strategic direction to all cross-functional teams at iResearch Services and is keenly involved in developing new initiatives that help in improving customer experience. He is committed to creating a sustainable future for iResearch by staying on cutting-edge of emerging tech.

He initiated Giving for Good Foundation, a charity supporting disadvantaged children for education & sports, and having a sustainable environmental mission. He actively steers several campaigns through this award-winning social venture which has underpinned & enriched lives of more than 10,000 children since 2019.

Yogesh is an active investor, a tech optimist, mentor to young entrepreneurs and a future enthusiast – always looking for more comfortable, better and more efficient ways to solve problems. He holds an MBA, and also undergone leadership training at London Business school and actively shares his insights on Forbes, Linkedin and Medium. Before working with iResearch, Yogesh worked in senior leadership roles into sales and marketing with technology firms and banks.

Brittany is an accomplished editorial leader with two decades of experience crafting compelling stories across diverse formats, from investigative journalism to memoir to thought leadership. With a reporter’s instinct honed at Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism, she takes joy in blending data-driven journalism tactics into the marketing function. She also holds an MA in Writing & Publishing from DePaul University, where she studied the intricacies of syntax, grammar, and nonfiction writing.

Brittany’s expertise lies at the intersection of coaching executives on effective communication, managing client-facing writers and editors, and cultivating a start-up culture with incredibly high retention. As an editor, she has deep expertise in developing reports, articles, and other forms of thought leadership for executives across industries, from financial services to energy to technology.

Prior to joining iResearch, Brittany built and managed the editorial team at US-based Leff Communications. She also held roles in marketing and administration. She is currently working toward an executive MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business (graduating June 2025). She’s the proud mom of a rambunctious daughter and two cats.

Raju Narisetti’s current role as Leader, Global Publishing at McKinsey & Company., is the latest in a 32-year global career in media and publishing, during which he has created, reimagined and managed major media organizations in North America, Europe, and Asia, as well as being on the frontlines of digital transformation challenges and new ventures in publishing. Raju worked as a journalist at The Wall Street Journal where, for over 14 years, he went from a Reporting Intern to be the Editor of WSJ Europe, and later Managing Editor, Digital, of the global WSJ, and part of a team that won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News for 9/11 coverage. At The Washington Post, Raju was the Managing Editor who helped start and shape the newspaper’s print/digital transformation. At both WSJ and Washington Post, Raju was the youngest and first person of color on their mastheads. 

Raju is also the founder of Mint (livemint.com), India’s business news brand. After his journalism stint, as a media business executive, he was Senior Vice President of Strategy for News Corp, and later CEO of the Gizmodo Media Group, which then encompassed a group of digital journalism sites that included Gizmodo, The Onion, Jezebel, DeadSpin, Lifehacker, and The Root. Prior to joining McKinsey in January 2020, he was a journalism educator, leading the Knight Bagehot Fellowships in Economics and Business Journalism at Columbia University, where he also was a Professor of Professional Practice at the School of Journalism. 

An alum of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader cohort, Raju is also a Board Trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation, which oversees and supports the global Wikimedia platform, and where he heads the Talent & Culture Board Committee. He lives in New York City. 

Ty Heath is on a mission to build famous brands in B2B. As Director of Market Engagement at LinkedIn’s B2B Institute think tank, Ty shapes the future of B2B marketing through thought leadership and industry collaboration. Ty leads research initiatives and partners with top clients to implement cutting-edge B2B strategies through the think tank’s B2B Edge program. An award-winning marketer, international speaker, and B2B influencer, Ty has honed her experience at Google, IBM, Nestle, and LinkedIn. Ty’s influence extends beyond marketing as a leader in equity initiatives, including her role as President of LinkedIn’s Black Inclusion Group and as CoFounder of TransformHer, LinkedIn’s premier event for women of color and active allies. Today, she serves on the American Advertising Federation board and as an Adobe Insider. A sought-after speaker, Ty has shared her knowledge at prestigious events globally, impacting thousands with marketing education.

Georgina is the Global Inclusion Specialist at Clifford Chance and is responsible for creating, designing, and implementing Diversity and Inclusion initiatives from International Women’s Day to PRIDE month and more. She works alongside the global Director of Inclusion in ensuring that people feel supported and able to bring their whole selves to work as well as thinking about what needs to change structurally.

Bruno is a sustainability and Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) executive with more than 20 years of experience operating at the forefront of social and business transformation, leading through rapid and disruptive change and is experienced in advising clients at all stages of maturity on their ESG and sustainability journey. As East Region leader and Energy Transition and Tech-Media-Telecom sector lead in Climate Change and Sustainability practice at Ernst & Young LLP, based in the New York metro area, he helps global companies develop and execute their climate and sustainability strategies and programs.

Emanuel is a Senior Analyst in GSMA Intelligence’s Consulting team, supporting the GSMA Future Networks programme. He enables the Future Networks programme to make informed and concise decisions to help achieve business objectives. Emanuel also identifies economic benefits for mobile networks, which are related to innovations that unlock emerging business opportunities and improves operator’s cost intensity.

Alexandra is the Senior Director of Social Media and Impact at Pegasystems. Alexandra has spent her career building transformative social and digital strategies. In addition, she specialises in building social media teams, functions, and practices. Alexandra holds a BA degree from University of Maryland Global Campus.

Rachael has specialized in professional and financial services editorial, business development, marketing and communications since 2003. An enthusiastic advocate of the power of thought leadership, she thrives on the challenge of forming and delivering creative concepts and content from complex data and themes, bringing unique ideas and perspectives to life. Highlights include leading and crafting thought leadership programs for global superbrands, including the flagship financial regulation series at KPMG International and Corporate Financier magazine at the ICAEW Corporate Finance Faculty.

Gavin has created over a dozen companies, employing 100’s of people, and delivering $100M’s in measurable impact. He co-chaired the development of the Open Banking Standard, was founding CEO of the Open Data Institute, and has raised over $100M in venture and philanthropic funding. He has mentored, chaired, or been non-exec of over 30 organizations across sectors.

Louisa leads Brandpie’s sustainability practice, helping clients to define their role as corporate stewards and unlock their unique potential to create positive impact. She has worked in sustainable business for 13 years, with a background in strategy, non-financial reporting and ESG assurance. Her work currently focuses on transformation, responsible leadership and culture change to influence systems change. She is also a Trustee of Hawkwood: Center for Future Thinking and an academic tutor for the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership’s courses on Sustainable Business Management and Sustainable Finance.

Chirag is the Head of Banking & Capital Markets at Capgemini Research Institute for Financial Services. He has over 16 years of experience as a strategy and thought leadership professional with in-depth financial services, professional services, and FinTech industry expertise. He has consistently represented Capgemini as a spokesperson in Banking with clients and leading media houses.