The Sweeney Agency

About Frans Johansson - Speaker on Diversity and Innovation:

Frans Johansson is the best-selling author of The Medici Effect: Breakthrough Insights at the Intersection of Ideas, Concepts and Cultures. Translated into 18 languages, The Medici Effect was named one of the top 10 best business books by Amazon.com. Known for his provocative, high-octane delivery style, Johansson is a widely sought-after keynote speaker. His presentations cover topics such as: how to successfully execute innovative ideas; leverage different perspectives in an organization to create and execute new ideas; how to apply ideas from other industries and cultures to drive innovation, growth and profit; and why and how diversity drives innovation.

In his book and in his presentations, Johansson clearly shows how the best ideas and innovation come from collaboration between people with diverse experiences, skills, expertise, perspectives, backgrounds and cultures. Simply stated, Johansson is known for making the business case for diversity. He packs his programs with plenty of examples and gives people what they need to know and what they need to do to break down silos and bring out the best that everyone has to give to any challenge or opportunity. Regardless of rank or where they reside on the org chart—even if they are not on it.

Johansson has lived all his life at the intersection where ideas from different fields and cultures meet and collide. He was raised in Sweden by his African- American-Cherokee mother and Swedish father. Johansson earned his B.S. in Environmental Science from Brown University and his MBA from Harvard Business School. He founded both a Boston-based software company and a medical device company operating out of Baltimore and Stockholm, Sweden. He has written articles on healthcare, information technology and the science of sport fishing and has been featured on CNN’s AC360, ABC’s Early Morning Show and CNBC’s The Business of Innovation series along with Jack Welch and Muhammad Yunus.

The Click of the Moment: Seizing Opportunity in an Unpredictable World is Johansson's latest book.