Peter Cochrane is one of the world's most respected and sought-after speakers on technology, change and the future effects of change on corporations and individuals. He is the former Head of Research at British Telecommunications plc, the UK's largest telecommunications company.
Renowned for his out of the box thinking, Peter produces a monthly blog for Silicon.com, one of the leading information sites for the technology industry. Peter is the author of over 1000 blogs, articles and scientific papers, numerous books on the future, technology, business, management, and living with rapid change.
Peter is a seasoned professional with over 40 years of hands on technology and operational experience. He has been involved in the creation and deployment of new technologies, the transformation of corporations, and the starting of many new businesses. He currently serves on the board of companies in the EU & USA.
His career in BT saw him progress to Head of Research and CTO with a 1000 strong team engaged in studies spanning optical fiber, fixed and mobile networks, terminals and interfaces, artificial life and healthcare, through to war gaming, eCommerce, eRetail, eLogistics and business modelling.
Peter's PhD was pivotal in helping BT to decide to go all-digital and all-optical in the 1970's, and he played a key technology role in a downsizing of BT from 242,000 to 110,000 people in the 1990s.
Since leaving BT in 2000 Peter Cochrane has been involved in the start up sector as an Angel and Venture Capitalist with an involvement in setting up new companies in the Travel, Entertainment, Logistics, IT, Security, Education and Healthcare sectors. He was one of the founding directors of eBookers a start up that became the biggest eTravel business in the EU, reaching over $1Bn turnover in it's fourth year of operation.
Peter has also spent time in academia as an educator. He was appointed as the UK's first Professor for the Public Understanding of Science & Technology in 1998. A graduate of Nottingham Trent and Essex Universities, Peter has received notable recognition with the Queen's Award for Innovation & Export in 1990 and Honorary Doctorates from Essex, Robert Gordon, Stafford, Nottingham Trent and Brunel Universities.
