To innovate, lead and grow, a business needs speakers who have actually built disruption, not just described it. A genuine disruptor speaker has displaced an incumbent themselves, whether that is a challenger bank, a fintech platform or an innovation unit inside a large company, and can speak from direct experience about how those bets were made and what they cost. That is more useful to an audience than a slide about the pace of change.
All of the speakers below are bookable through PepTalk and speak across disruption, innovation and fintech. Six speakers follow, ordered so the financial services angle sits first.
Disruptor Speakers Who Help You Innovate, Lead and Grow
Jason Bates
Jason Bates is a tech entrepreneur and co-founder of Monzo Bank and Starling Bank. Now, at 11:FS, he helps banks drive digital transformation and hosts the FinTech Insider podcast, covering digital banking, consumer behaviour, and blockchain. Book Jason to inspire your team with his expertise in renegade innovation.
Learn more and book Jason Bates →
Dan Cobley
Dan Cobley spent eight years at Google, leading European marketing and the $5Bn UK and Ireland business. Now a successful entrepreneur and investor, he is managing partner for fintech at Blenheim Chalcot and co-founder of ClearScore and Salary Finance. Dan is a top-rated keynote speaker covering fintech, technology, innovation, and customer experience, and his insights have reached over 1.5 million people online.
Learn more and book Dan Cobley →
Christiane Vejlø
Christiane Vejlø is a leading digital trends and ethics expert, advising the Danish government and top firms globally. Her work bridges humanity and technology, advocating for ethical digital practices. With a background in comparative religion and media studies, she guides CEOs and boards towards a responsible digital future. Book Christiane to inspire your team to navigate the digital era with integrity and innovation.
Learn more and book Christiane Vejlø →
Tom Goodwin
Tom Goodwin wrote Digital Darwinism and works with companies on navigating technological change and strategic adaptation. Building A Culture Of Innovation and The Future Of Marketing are his core sessions, and he is a strong pick when an audience needs its assumptions about digital tested.
Learn more and book Tom Goodwin →
David Gram
David Gram ran innovation at LEGO and co-founded Diplomatic Rebels. He works on radical innovation and intrapreneurship, which makes Radical Innovation Through Intrapreneurship and From Corporate Giant To Agile Ecosystem a good fit for large organisations trying to move like a smaller one.
Learn more and book David Gram →
Tamara Lohan
Tamara Lohan founded Mr & Mrs Smith and led it as CEO, and speaks on digital transformation, entrepreneurship and brand innovation. Navigating Digital Evolution is a conversation-format session, which works well as a fireside chat rather than a keynote slot.
PepTalk Fact: Tamara received an MBE for her contribution to the British travel industry 🛎️
Learn more and book Tamara Lohan →Choosing a disruption speaker for your event
The split worth thinking about is whether your audience needs the outside view or the inside one. Jason Bates, Dan Cobley and Tom Goodwin come at it as builders and investors, so they are good for a room that needs to understand where the threat is coming from. David Gram and Tamara Lohan have both done it inside an organisation, which suits teams who already accept the case and want to know how to move.
Christiane Vejlø sits slightly apart, and usefully so. If your programme touches AI, data or anything where the governance question is live, she covers the ethics alongside the technology, which tends to be the part boards ask about afterwards.
For a closer look at how this plays out in practice, our piece on leading transformation through disruption covers a live programme in more detail, and culture as an innovation strategy is a useful companion read for teams focused on the leadership side of the brief rather than the build.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes someone a genuine disruptor speaker, rather than just an innovation speaker?
The clearest signal is whether they built or ran the thing that displaced an incumbent, rather than commentating on disruption from the outside. Jason Bates, Dan Cobley and David Gram all fall into that category: they co-founded or led the fintech platforms and innovation units this article covers, so their sessions come from direct experience rather than research.
What format works best for a disruption keynote?
Most of the speakers here work as a traditional keynote, but a handful, including Tamara Lohan's Navigating Digital Evolution, are built as a fireside chat or conversation format. If you are unsure which suits your agenda, the PepTalk team can advise once we know the size and shape of your event.
How much does it cost to book a disruptor speaker?
Fees vary by speaker and format. PepTalk's in-person keynotes typically start from $2,000, with the final quote depending on availability, location and session length. Get in touch with the team for an accurate quote against your brief.
💡 Interested in booking Jason Bates, Dan Cobley or Christiane Vejlø for your next event? Get in touch with the PepTalk team and we will scope the right format and a quote for your audience. You can also call us on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US). Remember, it's always a good time to get a PepTalk!
