Duncan Wardle

Former Head of Innovation & Creativity at Disney | Founder, ID8 | Author | Award-Winning Keynote Speaker | Multiple TED Speaker

As the former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney, Duncan Wardle played a pivotal role in fostering innovation across Imagineering, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar, and Disney Parks, crafting enchanting new storylines and experiences. Now, in his forthcoming book, The Imagination Emporium: Creative Recipes for Innovation, Duncan shares his extensive expertise to make innovation accessible to all, demystify creativity for those uncomfortable with ambiguity, and infuse the process with joy and excitement.

From working with NASA to launch Buzz Lightyear into space to teaming up with brands such as the Star Wars empire and Marvel superheroes, Duncan is on a mission to instill a culture of innovation into every company’s DNA, empowering organizations to redefine how they think about problems and solutions, driving immediate positive growth.

Duncan holds an Honorary Doctorate from Edinburgh Napier University and has been honored with the White House American Citizen Award for his services to fellow immigrants. Notably, he created a United States Citizenship ceremony on Main Street USA at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom for 1,000 new U.S. citizens and their families on July 4, 2000, presented in the presence of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.

A globally recognized speaker, delivering keynotes, workshops and ideation forums to thousands ranging from princes and sheiks to executives at Apple, Coca-Cola, Google, Pepsi, NBA, Microsoft and more, his unique Innovation toolkit helps companies create an approach to Design Thinking, helping audiences capture unlikely connections, leading to fresh thinking and disruptive ideas.

Duncan is a multiple TED speaker and contributor to Fast Company, Forbes and the Harvard Business Review. He teaches innovation Master Classes at Yale, Harvard, and Edinburgh University.