GDR Assembly | World-leading debate about key issues affecting the world

The Assembly is a new premium service created for our members, which gathers together world-leading innovators, thought leaders, and change makers from diverse sectors including business, commerce, sociology, history, journalism, semiotics, marketing and AI, to join with our in-house experts to discuss and debate key issues affecting the world now and in the future.

With Covid-19 high on the agenda for every person, business and brand in the world, we have brought The Assembly together to debate the most important issues that will affect us all in this generation. Whilst the pandemic has created a storm of devastating consequences for the global population and economy, positive outcomes include unexpected collaborations, new opportunities and innovations, and a planet that can finally breathe and regenerate.

Each of our assembly members were interviewed by our Head of Strategy, Eric Coulon, to answer our key questions to shine a light on what happens next, including:

What can we learn from previous disasters wars and pandemics to help us now?
What will the world look like after Covid-19?
What will the new normal be?
Will anyone ever work in an office again?
Which new behaviours will stick and what might the sociological retaliatory behaviour look like?
Will physical stores still exist or will robots and AI take over?
What are the opportunities to focus on?
How can our business adapt and transform to meet new customer expectations?

Who are the GDR Assembly?

GDR has gathered a global team of thought leaders and change makers, each at the pinnacle of their profession. They will apply their wisdom to analyse, anticipate and imagine what the post-Covid-19 future might look like.

The Assembly is structured around diverse disciplines: Service Designer, Historian, Reporter, Semiotician, CEO, Marketing Director and their expertise covers retail, luxury, communications, international relations, war and cultural studies, history, artificial intelligence, digital and aviation.

Illustration by Louis Loizou www.louisloizou.design

Dr. Anthony Mathé

Semiotician PhD, Brand Consultant, Verbal Designer & Author, Anthony’s motto is “Transforming signs and symbols into strategy”. Expert in semiotics of experiences and services, Anthony held unique positions at L’Oreal and LVMH where he served as in-house semiotician. Now an independent consultant, he brings his foresight to major luxury boards around the globe.

Professor Debra Kelly

Historian, and principal research fellow at Westminster University, Pr. Kelly specialises in war and cultural studies, cultural memory, and Franco-British cultural relations. Debra is also heading the AHRC-funded OpenWorld Research Initiative Centre at King’s College London. Since the beginning of the outbreak, she has been monitoring the global discourse around the pandemic, situating it in an historical ‘long view’.

Florence Labedays

A switched-on communication expert with 21 years experience in media, content marketing and e-learning. Former editor-in-chief of Bloomberg TV France (2005-2007) and expert in international relations, Florence harnesses a rare mix of specialities: journalism, communications and policy.

Krzysztof Waligorski

All round Strategist & Retail Service Designer, with global multicategory experience across Europe, ME and APAC, Krzysztof is a former Head of Strategy for blue chip advertising giants Saatchi & Saatchi and Fitch. Now a service design expert, he puts all his business acumen and deep understanding of consumers into designing value for human beings.

Daniel Hulme

Dr Daniel Hulme is a leading expert in Artificial Intelligence as the CEO of optimisation company Satalia, and Director of UCL’s Business Analytics MSc, applying AI to solve business infrastructure, organisation and social problems, in particular the future of work.

Andy Scott

A maverick retail communications expert and CEO, Andy Scott headed up shopper marketing agencies Vivid Brand and Arc for more than 2 decades. Prior to this Andy was a head designer who cut his teeth at Fitch Design. Now Andy shares his years of wisdom and expertise with board advisory and invests in start ups.

Pippa Corry

Founder of Philo & Co, Pippa helps leading creative agencies and FMCG brands to embed sustainability thinking in their operations while reducing packaging waste through redefining brand strategies and implementing circular economy principles. A brand and design specialist, Pippa has also been selected as a crew member of the eXXpedition Round the World 2021.

The GDR Assembly Report

If you are not a member, please contact rachel@gdruk.com to discuss how you can access the full report.

GDR can also create tailored bespoke reports for your specific needs and questions via your GDR Account Director. We will put those questions to the Assembly and combine their insights with GDR’s research and strategy teams. Please contact daisy@gdruk.com for more information.