Ben Legg

Ben Legg is a recognised authority on artificial intelligence and the evolving world of work, helping business leaders and investors prepare for the opportunities and challenges of an AI-driven economy. As the former COO of Google Europe and a three-time private equity-backed technology CEO, he now serves as Founder and CEO of Digital People, where he works closely with executives on creating agentic organisations and leading businesses in which AI agents and digital workers are becoming increasingly integral. He is also a sought-after adviser to institutional investors, offering practical, operator-led perspectives on the forces reshaping value creation across Silicon Valley and the wider technology sector.

Before entering the corporate world, Ben served as an officer in the British Army with the Royal Engineers, playing an important role in operations supporting the relief effort during the Siege of Sarajevo. With an engineering background, he transitioned into business as a Strategy Consultant at McKinsey & Company before joining The Coca-Cola Company. During his time there, he held senior strategy, sales and marketing roles across Greece, Poland and India, where he successfully led the turnaround of Coca-Cola India. His achievements attracted the attention of Google, where he became COO of Google Europe and developed the revenue-generation strategy for Search, YouTube, Maps and Mobile, principles that continue to underpin many of today’s largest digital platforms.

From 2010 onwards, Ben has led a number of international technology companies as a private equity-backed CEO, including Adknowledge, AdParlor and European Directories, and also held the position of Managing Director for Ola UK. Today, he remains actively engaged at the forefront of technological change through Digital People, advising between five and ten senior leaders every week. His clients range from FTSE 100 boards and private equity investors to some of the world’s leading technology companies. In addition, he oversees insights from more than $1.2 billion in annual digital advertising spend across over 300 businesses. Widely recognised for anticipating major market shifts ahead of conventional wisdom, from accurately predicting the limited long-term disruption of GDPR to identifying the rise of AI-powered micro-enterprises, Ben combines strategic foresight with practical experience, building and working with AI technologies on a daily basis.

Ben is the author of the award-winning book ‘Marketing for CEOs: Death or Glory in the Digital Age’. His recent advisory work has included organisations such as Novo Nordisk, CVC, Tesco, DHL, AstraZeneca, Deloitte and SCG. He has appeared as a speaker at major industry events, including the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and Chief Disruptor, while also presenting at internal conferences and leadership events for Google, Coca-Cola, McKinsey and Samsung. A regular commentator for Bloomberg, the BBC, the Financial Times and The Times, he has provided counsel to hundreds of CEOs, boards and government ministers across the globe. Having lived in nine countries and worked in more than 60, Ben brings a truly international outlook and breadth of experience that few business leaders can rival. Secure Ben Legg as a speaker for your next event today via The AI Speaker Agency!