Futuristic

Based: Johannesburg

NEIL JACOBSOHN, CEO of FutureWorld South Africa, is a life-long communicator with a passion for the future. He speaks with vigour and energy on a number of key FutureWorld themes, and is a sought-after conference and event presenter and an accomplished facilitator.
He has been an award-winning journalist, a digital entrepreneur, a company director and professional marketer.
In a career spanning nearly 40 years, Neil has:
Launched more than 14 businesses (four are still operating profitably today – a pretty good record!)
Been an executive director (handling media operations, new media and marketing) of a major listed media and entertainment group (Johnnic Communications Limited);
Launched and run a digital information company;
Edited major business newspapers and publications, and reported news from around the world; and
Run a US$40-million AIDS information campaign for a national government.
Neil succeeded as both entrepreneur and corporate executive. He has served as chairman, executive and non-executive director on a number of listed and unlisted company Boards.
He is regularly voted Best Speaker at conferences, and has won both presentation and journalism awards. Neil’s articles and photographs on travel are still regularly published in newspapers and magazines.
Neil has worked on strategy with major companies around the world, and with key learning institutions, among them Duke Corporate Education, Oxford’s SAID Business School and London Business School. He is at ease in front of large and small audiences, and on both radio and television.
Personal passions include downhill skiing, golf, cooking and wine (drinking and collecting), reading, music (listening well and playing guitar badly) and travel. He is married to Lizanne, who, like Neil, has a fractal career, and is a project manager, executive coach and marketing consultant.