James Hardy
Transform e-commerce strategies with James Hardy, speaker on retail globalisation and digital growth. James works with global brands to future-proof online expansion across trading platforms, leveraging expertise from Flutterwave, Alibaba, and his award-winning China e-commerce platform.
London, United Kingdom
Enquire Now
Send us your event details
.svg){kind=icon}
He is the Head of Global Retail & Market Development at Flutterwave, Africa’s largest fintech company. Previously, James served as Head of Europe, Middle-East, and Africa for Alibaba and co-founded the UK's largest China e-commerce exporter. This award-winning platform helped European brands build market share in mainland China.
James has developed international e-commerce strategies for numerous public and private companies, focusing on maximising their value in external, private, and public markets. He examines what large global conglomerates can learn from startup methodologies and what smaller companies can learn from brands like Alibaba about scaling their business.
James regularly contributes to the press and media, appearing in The Financial Times, The Huffington Post, The Journal du Net, and the BBC and China Daily News.
Topics, Sessions And Talks
James Hardy discusses the Consumer-to-Business (C2B) model, on-demand development, automated decision-making, and exceptionally fast feedback loops. He delves into Alibaba’s concept of Smart Business and what this means for the impact of emerging technologies.
James Hardy discusses the radically different approaches of these two behemoths and what can be learned from each. Amazon is focused on its customers but not its suppliers and owns most of its own capabilities. Alibaba is focused on all parties within its ecosystem and has multiple business partnerships in almost all areas in which it operates. James pulls the primary learnings from each and predicts how they will fare when they compete head-to-head in countries such as India.
James Hardy explains how Alibaba’s ecosystem operates and why it has been so successful. He focuses on how Alibaba has been able to move so fast and disrupt so many industries, even those outside of its historical core areas. He discusses the company structure, culture and approach to business value and relationships that have allowed it to become such a powerful force within China and increasingly across the globe.
James Hardy explains what business ecosystems are, giving examples from multiple verticals to illustrate the speed and success derived from such an approach. He explains why they are the future of business, and then ties this into a unified theory of business and an operating model for all businesses.
.svg)
Book
.svg)
.svg)
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about booking an expert speaker, facilitator, host or entertainment for your event.
- If you'd like to book one of our expert speakers, email us at hello@peptalk.com, send us a chat message or give us a call, and we’ll help you out.
- We’ll take your event details — topic, audience, budget, date, and location — and create a custom speaker proposal for you within 48 hours.
- If you already have someone in mind, that’s okay too; just let us know their name! Even if they aren't listed publicly on our website, we have a huge network and work with almost everyone.
- Once you've reviewed our speaker propsal and have selected and expert shortlist, we'll double check availability and fees with your chosen expert.
- You're welcome to have a chemistry call with the speaker before making the final decision, too.
- Next, we'll send out contracts to confirm the booking. One of our experienced event producers will liase with both you and the talent on the finer details, and arrange travel if necessary, taking the stress off your plate.
Not necessarily. While the speakers listed on our website may not have worked with PepTalk in the past, they are recognized professionals in the industry and known to engage in similar events and engagements. We work with a wide variety of speaker agents and talent agencies to ensure we have the best selection of speakers, hosts, comedians and entertainers available.
We do not accommodate requests for birthday messages or any other personal, non-commercial contact with the speakers, comedians or entertainers.
We work with speakers across a variety of fee ranges, giving you the flexibility to choose someone who fits your event's needs. Virtual keynote fees in the UK and Europe typically start at £2,000, while in-person top-tier speakers can reach £25,000. In the US, virtual in-person fees range from $5,000 to over $100,000, depending on the speaker and format, such as after-dinner talks, conference keynotes, Q&As, or podcasts. Comedians generally start at £1,500 or $2,000 for a 20-minute set.
Our goal is to help you find the speaker who best matches your event’s goals and budget. We take the time to understand your event, objectives, and audience to recommend the right fit. The most expensive option isn’t always the best one, and our priority is finding the ideal speaker or expert for your needs; not the highest-priced one.
Reach out for personalised recommendations and detailed information on specific speaker fees. We’re here to offer a tailored service and are always happy to discuss your unique requirements!
There’s no additional cost for our services beyond the speaker fee — simply contact us to find the right speaker for your next business or team event. We can also work with your corporate procurement team to negotiate favourable long-term rates, simply email hello@getapeptalk.com for more information.
Partnering with PepTalk means elevating your events with our curated roster of top motivational speakers, industry experts, delivering punchy keynotes that leave a lasting impact. From talent selection, to contracts and logistics, we handle it all. We have global expert network, with over 3000 speakers from over 33 countries on our line-up.
We also provide a full range of talent, from event hosts and moderators to interviewers and corporate entertainment, ensuring your event’s success from start to finish.
PepTalk workshops are interactive learning experiences for leaders at all levels, blending theory with practical insights from industry experts. These programs, led by experienced facilitators, are designed to drive real mindset changes and equip participants with actionable skills. Workshops can be customised to meet your organisation's specific needs. Explore our workshop examples and contact us today to learn how your team can benefit.
If you notice something that needs attention or have any queries regarding an expert speaker profile, feel free to email us at experts@getapeptalk.com, and we’ll be happy to assist.