Marc Lewis

About Marc Lewis

“My belief is that there is a formula for creativity: the first ingredient is knowledge, the second is a problem, the third is divergent thinking and the fourth is collaboration.”

While everybody else was waiting for the Berlin Wall to fall in 1989, Marc Lewis was being expelled from school, just a few weeks before he was due to sit his exams. It would not be inaccurate to claim that he was expected to come to nothing. But then Marc won a competition in the Guardian newspaper that offered a scholarship at the world’s most prestigious advertising school where he was educated in the ways of creativity by John Gillard, a legendary educator from the advertising industry. One of Marc’s first assignments was in South Africa but on arrival he turned his back on advertising to open South Africa’s first comedy club, which quickly became a chain.

On returning to London, Marc Lewis started an Internet company. It was bought for just under £ 20 million in 2000. Marc then turned to the mobile revolution and is the only entrepreneur to have been awarded two international Red Herring 100 Awards for two different companies in the same year. Both were for innovative technologies in the mobile space.

Marc’s companies have won numerous international awards for innovation including;

• Retail Week – Most Innovative;

• Retail Week – Grand Prix

• European Retail Solutions – Most Innovative Business

• Direct Response Intelligence – Innovation of the Year

• Mobile Marketing – Most Innovative use of Mobile.

Marc is now the Dean of The School of Communication Arts and hopes to revive its reputation as of the most important and loved schools of creativity. Established in 1985 by the late John Gillard, the School of Communication Arts offers a brilliant preparation for those wishing to pursue a career in advertising. The school has very close links with the industry and Marc hopes it will challenge the idea of advertising being the preserve of white males and will encourage diversity; he is passionate about developing a generation of creative thinkers possessing the commercial nous to survive and succeed in the competitive world of marketing.

Marc is also an author, his second book was published in 2008 and sets out his approach to creativity. His new book and his public speaking career focus on transmitting the ways of creativity. His passion and eccentricity make him a colourful addition to any conference or seminar: for he’s definitely the one who stands out in the crowd. An ideal speaker to bring zest and a spark to a conference line-up and an inspired choice for seminar events focused on generating new ways to market and to manage change.

Marc Lewis is a great keynote speaker but also excels at delivering hard-hitting and highly practical workshop sessions. Some of them are listed beyond.

Eureka!: How to inspire creativity and innovation

The challenges posed by the credit crunch call for creative solutions. In this highly inspirational session Marc Lewis will dispel the myth that creative ability is a rare gift. We all have ample reserves of creative potential and this masterclass will help you to discover yours.

What is creativity? Marc believes that creativity is a process, much like a chemical process. There are four fundamental elements to every creative reaction. Drawing upon case studies from numerous and high-profile ‘Eureka Moments’, he explains how these elements come together in a universal formula.

In this interactive session, you will be challenged to produce original and valuable ideas that will benefit your company. Throughout the masterclass Marc will help you to discover your ‘super-human creative powers’ so that you can tackle any work-related problem successfully.

Social Enterprise

Social enterprises are businesses trading for social and environmental purposes. As the Dean of the advertising industry's school, School of Communication Arts, Marc has developed a business model that rewards the advertising industry for doing good. The result is that 30% of the school's cohort receive industry-funded scholarships. Marc will explain how everyone benefits when companies think like social enterprises.

Managing Change

As the Dean of the advertising industry's school, School of Communication Arts, Marc is one of the leading educators of creativity in the UK. Let him guide you through the powerful techniques used by the creative industry to identify and solve business problems. Marc has taught his framework to young offenders, successful corporations and advertising agencies. The results are immediate, powerful and can be used in every department within every organisation.

Marc Lewis is a great keynote speaker but also excels at delivering hard-hitting and highly practical workshop sessions.