It was with great sadness that we have to inform you of the recent passing of Sir Ken Robinson, one of the world’s most influential and inspiring thought leaders on the subject of creativity and innovation.

At the heart of Sir Ken’s work was a belief that every human is equipped with unique talents, and that as leaders, parents or teachers, our challenge is to create the right conditions for that talent to flourish. In particular, he saw human creativity as the most valuable asset in facing the many challenges in our world today, and advised governments, businesses and education systems, to help promote positive change in this area.

We were honored that Sir Ken had agreed to speak at this year’s World Business Forum New York, continuing a relationship with WOBI that goes back many years. He had participated at our conferences around the world, and whenever he spoke, he combined warmth and humor with a powerful and inspiring message that was profoundly relevant for anyone charged with leading or managing people. Across countries and cultures, his insights and ideas were always uniquely valued by those fortunate enough to hear them.

As a partner and friend, Sir Ken will be much missed at WOBI, and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this time.

While Ken’s voice will be irreplaceable, we have adjusted the program of this year’s conference as a result of this sad news. The latest program can be found here on the event website.