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Futurist Virtual Fireside Chat, UK: The Road to Recovery, KPMG
The world is changing faster than ever, so we go and take a look in the wormhole ...
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Griffin, M. (2021) 'Futurist Virtual Fireside Chat, UK: The Road to Recovery, KPMG', 311 Institute, 10 February. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/futurist-virtual-fireside-chat-uk-the-road-to-recovery-kpmg/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Firstly, thank you to James Stewart, KPMG’s Vice Chairman for asking me to take part in KPMG’s first event of the year which, again, because of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic was held online and streamed live to thousands of attendees around the world.
During the event, aptly titled The Road to Recovery, we heard from Tony Danker, the newly appointed CEO of the Confederation of British Industry which represents over quarter of a million British businesses, and heard how Brexit and the pandemic are impacting overall business confidence and strategy.
We also heard from KPMG’s Rebecca Okuda about the impact of Brexit on UK and European businesses and business operations, and then the floor was turned over to KPMG’s Chris Hearld who took us on a journey of his own and discussed the future of cities.
During my session James and I discussed a wide variety of future topics including the future of work and the workforce, all the way through to how exponential thinking and emerging technologies can help businesses of all sizes disrupt the status quo and prosper on the global stage like never before. And, as always, if you like what you hear and would like to know more then I’m just a mouse click and a DM away.
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The world is changing faster than ever, so we go and take a look in the wormhole ...

About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- Confederation of British Industry cbi.org.uk
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 10 February 2021. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2021). Futurist Virtual Fireside Chat, UK: The Road to Recovery, KPMG. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/futurist-virtual-fireside-chat-uk-the-road-to-recovery-kpmg/
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