Erik Qualman

Erik Qualman is a preeminent expert on digital leadership, dubbed the Digital Dale Carnegie and the Tony Robbins of Tech. He helps notable organisations protect their digital reputation and efficiently use social media to increase sales, cut marketing expenditures and directly reach consumers. At the forefront of the AI revolution, Erik educates leaders on leveraging AI to drive innovation and helps them enhance customer experience and navigate the disruptive technology ethically and responsibly. A highly demanded speaker on AI, digital leadership, innovation, leadership, future trends and digital transformation, he has performed in 55 countries, reaching over 50 million people.

After earning a BA in Marketing at Michigan State University, Erik completed his MBA in eCommerce at The University of Texas at Austin. He began his digital marketing career as an AE for DMB&B before joining BellSouth as an eBusiness Manager, helping to build the first-ever eBusiness team at AT&T/BellSouth. In 1999 Erik became Senior Marketing Manager at Yahoo!, developing the first ingredient marketing program. Following that, he joined EarthLink as Director of Marketing, managing a $20M online marketing budget. In 2005, Erik landed the role of Head of Marketing at Travelzoo, spearheading the online and offline marketing initiatives before joining EF Education as Global Vice President of Digital Marketing.

In 2010 he became a Professor of Digital Marketing at Hult International Business School and currently serves as a Teaching Fellow at The University of Texas at Austin and Professor of Digital Leadership at Northwestern University. As a distinguished expert on digital transformation, Erik has served as an Advisory Board Member for Bazaarvoice and data.world. The author of five bestselling books, Erik has written The Focus Project, What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube, Socialnomics, What Happens on Campus Stays on YouTube and How to Sell on LinkedIn. He was voted the 2nd Most Likeable Author after J.K Rowling and named a Top 50 Digital Influencer by Forbes. Erik has also been featured in prominent publications such as the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Huffington Post and Mashable.

A pioneer in storytelling, Erik is the founder of Equalman Studios, an animation studio which has worked with premier brands, including Chase, Cartier, Disney and Oreo. He is also the inventor of the bestselling board game Kittycorn and the host of The Super U podcast, which features notable guests, including Kevin Hart, Shaq, Jennifer Lopez, Dave Chappelle, Tom Hanks and Ryan Reynolds, inspiring and sharing success tips with listeners. A thought leader in digital leadership, his material is used by over 500 universities and leading organisations, such as NBCUniversal and NASA. A highly prized speaker on AI, digital transformation, innovation, digital leadership and future trends, Erik captivates audiences with his world-class knowledge, charm and engaging personality.

In October 2023, we sat down virtually with Erik Qualman and discussed the power of social media and how AI can be best utilised in this space. Watch our interview with Erik Qualman.