Roberto Verganti

Design-Driven Innovation Expert & Leadership Scholar; Josefsson Family Chair at Stockholm School of Economics; Author of "Design-Driven Innovation"

Stockholm, Sweden
Live Event: $20,000 - $30,000 Virtual Event: $5,000 - $10,000 More Fee Info
Art & Design, Author, Business Consulting, Business Leadership, College, Creativity, Disruptive Thinking, Education, Innovation, Leadership, Professors, Strategic Leadership, Thought Leadership
Read More +
REQUEST BOOKING INFORMATION

Roberto Verganti Biography

Roberto Verganti is recognized for his expertise in design-driven innovation and leadership. Verganti holds the Josefsson Family Chair in Art and Innovation at the Stockholm School of Economics, where he directs the Center for Art and Innovation. He is also a faculty member at Harvard Business School, teaching design theory and practice for the MS/MBA program conducted jointly with the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Verganti co-founded Leadin'Lab, the laboratory on leadership, design, and innovation at the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano.

Verganti's research centers on the creation of meaning in products and services, focusing on how organizations can develop offerings that resonate with both businesses and society. His work operates at the intersection of strategy, design, and technology management. At Politecnico di Milano, Verganti founded and served as the first director of the School of Doctoral Programs and the Alta Scuola Politecnica, a multidisciplinary innovation school for master's students. He serves as an ambassador of the European Innovation Council at the European Commission and holds an honorary doctorate in economics and business administration from the University of Vaasa.

Verganti is the author of two books on innovation. "Design-Driven Innovation: Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovating What Things Mean," published by Harvard Business Press, presents a theory of strategy and innovation, examining how companies such as Apple, Alessi, and Nintendo create innovations that generate strong user engagement. "Design-Driven Innovation" has been recognized by BusinessWeek and the Academy of Management and has been translated into several languages. His subsequent book, "Overcrowded: Designing Meaningful Products in a World Awash with Ideas," published by MIT Press, outlines processes and methods for achieving breakthrough transformations in product design.

Verganti has published more than 150 articles in scientific journals, including Management Science, Research Policy, and Journal of Product Innovation Management, where he received the Albert Page Best Paper Award for the article "Innovation and Design in the Age of Artificial Intelligence." He has contributed extensively to Harvard Business Review, with articles such as "Innovating Through Design," "Which Kind of Collaboration is Right for You," "Designing Breakthrough Products," and "The Innovative Power of Criticism." Verganti is a member of the Hall of Fame of the Journal of Product Innovation Management and serves as an associate editor.

Verganti's research on design management and design clusters has been recognized with the Compasso d'Oro, a prominent design award in Italy. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Financial Times, Forbes, and BusinessWeek. Verganti has advised executives and senior managers at a range of manufacturing and service firms, including Ferrari, Ducati, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Gucci, Samsung, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Adobe, IBM, and L'Oréal.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Roberto Verganti and other top speakers and celebrities.

Read more +

BOOK Roberto Verganti

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 07/17/2026.

Roberto Verganti Speaking Topics

  • "What? You too?” - The power of pairs in innovation

    We tend to think that innovation comes either from a lonely genius or from a community. Yet, if we look at many stories of breakthrough ventures, we discover that at the core there often is a pair: Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak; Larry Page and Sergey Brin; Bill Gates and Paul Allen. The magic number in innovation is 2.

    Innovation of course requires people and resources. The more we are, the better it is. But there are key moments, in any innovation journey, where things move forward only through the close collaboration between two persons. The trusted protected environment of a pair enable us to dare sharing half backed and unorthodox ideas, before exposing them to a larger audience. It also creates frank dynamics of mutual challenges and growth, just like sparring partners in boxing: I challenge you because I want you to win. Finally, when we are committed to another specific person, we feel personally accountable to her: when the journey will be at risk, I will hardly step back. The intimate space between two people is therefore a source of protection, reflection, resilience, which is essential to create breakthroughs. How do you find your sparring partner for your innovation journey? How do you create and nurture the intimate space that enables the two of you to go where you would never go alone? How do you move between collaboration in a large community, and pair collaboration?

    This speech will tell you the unveiled secrets of many innovation leaders: the capability to pick and work with an inspiring sparring partner.

  • Design-Driven Transformation

    Leaders know how difficult it is to drive transformation in an organization. Traditional change management paradigms promoted a classic top-down approach, assuming that people is unwilling to change: they suggest the creation of a burning platform, the communication of a change program, and the extrinsic motivation of people. And they fail.

    Design Thinking is offering leaders a totally new perspective on how do drive transformation: an engaging bottom up approach, pervasive, inspired by purpose and meaning, centred on users. With Design Thinking people drive change rather than being driven into change. This speech explains why Design Thinking is the next revolution in the theories of business transformation. It shows how it works and how you can use it to become a pioneer in leadership and growth.

Read More +

Roberto Verganti Videos

Creating Customer Value by Forging Meaning

Creating Customer Value by Forging Meaning

Prof. Roberto Verganti w Concordia Design - wykład

Prof. Roberto Verganti w Concordia Design - wykład

Meaningful innovation in a World awash with ideas

Meaningful innovation in a World awash with ideas

In world overcrowded by opportunities, value comes by the capability to craft a meaningful vision. The art of criticism, which has been labeled as...

See All Videos »

Overcrowded Designing Meaningful Products in a World Awash with Ideas
Overcrowded Designing Meaningful Products in a World Awash with Ideas
Design-driven Innovation Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovating what Things Mean
Design-driven Innovation Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovating what Things Mean

  • How do I book Roberto Verganti to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Roberto Verganti for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Roberto Verganti, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Roberto Verganti or any other speaker of your choice.

  • What are the speaker fees for Roberto Verganti

    Speaking fees for Roberto Verganti, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Roberto Verganti are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and under $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Roberto Verganti, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

  • What topics does Roberto Verganti speak about?

    Roberto Verganti is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Art & Design, Author, Business Consulting, Business Leadership, College, Creativity, Disruptive Thinking, Education, Innovation, Leadership, Professors, Strategic Leadership, Thought Leadership

  • Where does Roberto Verganti travel from?

    Roberto Verganti generally travels from Stockholm, Sweden, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.

  • Who is Roberto Verganti’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Roberto Verganti for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Roberto Verganti for your next private or corporate function.

  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Roberto Verganti or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Roberto Verganti is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as "What? You too?” - The power of pairs in innovation , Design-Driven Transformation and Overcrowded - Designing Meaningful Innovations in a World Awash with Ideas. The estimated speaking fee range to book Roberto Verganti for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Roberto Verganti generally travels from Stockholm, Sweden and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Richard Florida, Behnam Tabrizi, Paul Redmond, George Nagle and Christopher Bell. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Roberto Verganti for an upcoming live or virtual event.

BOOK Roberto Verganti

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.
Please Select Event Budget
Please enter your message
Please Enter Your Name
Please Enter Your Email

  • Customized Service

    Our agents find the right fit for your event

  • Unparalleled Database

    Full access to all speakers & celebrities

  • One Stop Shopping

    A reliable and unbiased point of contact

  • Logistics Management

    Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details

Need Quick Answers?

We are happy to help! Call us to speak with a booking agent about your event or specific speaker request.

1.800.698.2536

Our celebrity booking agents can:

  • Gauge interest and check availability for speaking engagements, appearances or corporate events

  • Provide you with the speaking fee to book Roberto Verganti or other celebrity appearance fees

  • Give you personal recommendations for the best keynote speakers or celebrities

  • Assist you with any questions you have throughout the talent booking process

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

1.800.698.2536
Contact Us

TOP