The Collective xCHANGE Conference: Speakers
Sam McAlister is a TEDx speaker and BAFTA-nominated interviews producer who has negotiated with everyone from Buckingham Palace to The White House, Tesla to Facebook. Exclusives include, most famously, that interview with HRH Prince Andrew — but also Prime Minister Trudeau, President Clinton, Elon Musk and Sheryl Sandberg.
Sam’s book Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews was released in 2022. The book details the secrets of a former BBC producer who found her way to Buckingham Palace, giving a backstage pass to the most unforgettable journalism of our times. It was an Amazon bestseller.
Scoops was optioned for a Netflix film, with the acclaimed screen writer Peter Moffat. Sam is played by Billie Piper with Gillian Anderson as Emily Maitlis, Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew and Keeley Hawes as Amanda Thirsk, his private secretary. The film was released in April 2024 and topped the charts for Netflix films in the UK and across 15 countries. Sam is also the Executive Producer. Scoop has been nominated for Outstanding Television Movie at the 2024 Emmys.
Sam advises private clients on media and negotiation issues, and has written articles in Tatler, Elle, Radio Times, Grazia, Daily Mail and the Independent, amongst others. Sam has recently been appointed as a Visiting Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics (LSE) teaching negotiation at the law faculty and has given a TEDx talk called ‘How to convince a Prince’.
Nick is Deputy CEO of MHP Group, PRCA Large Communications Consultancy of the Year.
A corporate reputation specialist, Nick has advised technology and media companies, including Ericsson, Sky, Spotify, CBS, The New York Times, The Economist Group, beIN Media Group, Wayve and many others.
Nick runs MHP’s Networked Age research programme, working with partners including Cambridge University, UCL and Influence At Work to develop new strategies and tools to navigate an increasingly polarised, activist and complex world.
Ben is the CEO of Public Digital a global digital consultancy with offices in London, Abuja and Toronto. He holds several non executive roles including Non Executive Director at Lexington Communications and a member of the HS2 Design Panel. He was previously the Deputy Chair of University of the Arts London and Deputy President of D&AD. He is a Royal Designer for Industry the first elected for Service Design. In 2024 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Central Saint Martins. He has been inducted into the Design Week Hall of Fame and has won various industry awards including the Design Museum’s Design of the Year and a D&AD Black Pencil.
Tazie has particular experience working across numerous cultural and commercial institutions, talent management, and a keen interest in art’s ability to transform how places are experienced.
Nick is an Associate Partner and leads the hotels and commercial sector based in the London studio of Purcell, the world’s number one heritage specialist architect. His expertise spans two decades in the hospitality and commercial sectors working on projects in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and South Africa with values ranging between £5m and £500m.
These include destination resorts, boutique lifestyle and urban luxury hotels, retail and workplace projects. An increased focus on working in heritage environments over time has led to him developing a design approach which recognises intangible value, enhances character, culture, place and social value, and further understands the contribution that these aspects make to the success of projects.
Nick has an established reputation as a writer and critic. He has written for industry and design publications including the Architects’ Journal, Building Design, The Real Review, New London Quarterly, writing book and exhibition reviews as well as opinion pieces.
He regularly contributes to industry events as a public speaker and panellist in the hotel sector and has led discussions and debate at New London Architecture, Vision London, The Sleep Event, and The Festival of Hospitality, amongst others.
Gideon Spanier is UK editor-in-chief of Campaign, the global editorial title that covers the advertising industry and is part of Haymarket Media Group. He is also the 2024 chair of the British Society of Magazine Editors. Gideon has previously worked for the London Evening Standard, The Times and The Independent and started his career as a producer at CNN.
Olivia is widely recognised as The Future Laboratory’s leading expert in consumer trends within the beauty, health, and wellness sectors. With over seven years of experience, she has a profound understanding of the evolving market dynamics and consumer behaviours. Her expertise is evidenced by her authorship of significant beauty and wellness reports for The Future Laboratory’s trend intelligence platform, LS:N Global, including ‘Synchronised Care,’ which highlights a new, interconnected approach to health, the rise of ‘Accredited Beauty’ in the scientifically driven post-pandemic landscape, and the growing interest in ‘Longevity Lifestyles’ as health spans become a focal point. Her reputation in the industry is extensive, regularly contributing insightful articles to publications such as Vogue and the Financial Times.
Olivia is also a sought-after speaker at prominent industry events, including Cosmetics Business Live and the Global Wellness Summit. Notably, she was a key contributor to the Global Wellness Summit’s 2024 Trend Report.