Richard David Hames

Richard David Hames is a philosopher-activist, author, mentor, and strategic foresight practitioner recognized for his work in futures studies and global strategy. An Australian citizen educated in the United Kingdom and Europe and based in Thailand, Hames combines academic scholarship with senior leadership experience. He holds doctoral degrees in music, medicine, and computer science, and is a Fellow of the World Academy of Art & Science. His accolades include a French Government Scholarship, a Leverhulme European Fellowship, the Mondadori Professorial Fellowship, and the inaugural Lord Attlee Fellowship.

Hames' career spans medicine, computer science, academia, the arts, and corporate leadership. He led the turnaround of AMI into a leading European media corporation and established strategy ventures such as Global Business Network (Australia) and The Hames Group. His early international experience as a strategy consultant in Total Quality Management was influenced by a professional relationship with Dr. W. Edwards Deming. Hames is the founder of the Centre for the Future and chairman of the Asian Foresight Institute in Bangkok. He also advises the Sustainable Technology Center in Singapore and serves as director of strategy for MHealth in the United Kingdom.

Hames is known for pioneering Deep Design, a regenerative approach to second-order change based on the integral nature of complex living systems. He has developed methodologies including Transformational Narrative, Systemic Acupuncture, and Strategic Navigation, and has advised heads of state, cabinet ministers, entrepreneurs, and CEOs globally. As chairman of the Asian Foresight Institute and a Fellow of the World Academy of Art & Science, Hames has a record of predicting major global events, such as the September 11 attacks, the rise of authoritarianism, the success of Apple's first iPod, the global financial crisis, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the re-election of Donald Trump.

A speaker and writer, Hames is the author of several books, including "The Management Myth," "Burying the 20th Century," "The Five Literacies of Global Leadership," "Open Heart – Open Mind," and "Heresies." "The Five Literacies of Global Leadership," published by John Wiley & Son, presents a new philosophy of leadership independent of role or status. His works, such as "Teaching Silicon How to Feel," examine the intersection of artificial intelligence, trauma, and societal development, while "The Civilisation That Forgot How to Think" explores the erosion of cognitive and moral capacities as a fundamental crisis facing humanity.

Hames translates foresight and philosophy into practical frameworks for organizations navigating disruption and uncertainty. He has advised governments, institutions, and multinational corporations in the United States, France, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, China, Japan, South Africa, Singapore, Thailand, Brazil, Vietnam, and Australia. His writings appear online at The Hames Report Limited Edition on Substack and The Virtual Activist on Patreon.