Dr Ian David Pearson BSc DSc CITP FBCS FWAAS FRSA FIN FWIF

Curriculum vitae

Roles & Accreditations

Independent Futurologist

BT‘s Futurologist until end 2007

Principal Consultant, conference speaker

Chartered Fellow of the British Computer Society

Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts

Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Nanotechnology

Fellow of the World Innovation Foundation

Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Westminster

Author and freelance writer

Consultant editor of The Communications Network Journal, Foresight, ShapingTomorrow.com

Advisory Board of the Lifeboat Foundation

Advisory Board of IT in the Community

Advisory Board of International Longevity Centre

 

Contact details

Email: idpearson@gmail.com

Telephone: +44 1473 710870

Address: On request

Main web page: www.btinternet.com/~ian.pearson

 

Education

Queen's University of Belfast, BSc Joint Hons. in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics 1978 - 1981
4 'A' Levels, 10 'O' Levels

 

Overview

I am an independent futurologist, advising and speaking on all aspects of the future, across the whole field of industry and commerce, government and society. I am sought after internationally as a conference speaker, where I deliver provocative views on the impact of future technology on business and society, and I attract much media attention. Most of my audiences comprise CXOs and my customers include many Blue Chip companies and governments.

My customers look to me to identify threats and opportunities that others have missed. I am also recognised as being creative, so am often involved in shorter consultancy jobs and workshops for other business areas. My output is used extensively throughout the business at all levels of management.

I have made almost 400 TV and radio appearances, with thousands of printed press articles. I co-authored ‘Business 2010’ with Michael Lyons, and 'Where's IT going?' with Chris Winter and have made contributions to many other books. I edited The Macmillan Atlas of the Future, now available in six languages, and was the consultant for the Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Guide to the future.

I was BT's Futurologist for 16 years until the end of 2007 (when I went independent), keeping track of developments across the whole field of technology and informing BT on emerging opportunities and threats.

My current research includes conscious computing, human evolution, women’s’ issues, ageing issues and other social trends.

I have made many inventions across a range of IT fields.

My publications have always been well received and I have been given the following awards:

 

Prizes and awards (most recent first)

  1. Honorary Doctor of Science from University of Westminster, Dec 2007
  2. Highly Commended for “The role of future ICT in city development”, Foresight Volume 8 Issue 3, 2007
  3. BT’s ‘best external thought leader’, 2005
  4. Highly commended for ‘Living in an uncertain world’, Foresight, Vol 6 No 2, 2004
  5. Best Paper award for 'Engineering and Future Social Problems - the need for responsible development', BT Engineering Journal, Oct 2001
  6. Runner up award for Cyberspace - from order to chaos and back, British Telecommunications Engineering Journal, Vol 1, No1, Jan-Mar 2000, with David Greenop and Michael Lyons
  7. ACE Thankyou award, Jul 2000
  8. ACE Thankyou award, Mar 2000
  9. Best Paper Award for 'Who Cares? Future of Telemedical Technology', British Telecommunications Engineering Journal, Vol 14, part 3, with Peter Cochrane & Dave Heatley, October 1996
  10. Thank You Award from BT Centre for Human Communications, for publicising BT Laboratories, June 1996
  11. Highly Commended for '200 Futures for 2020', British Telecommunications Engineering Journal, Vol 13, part 4, with Peter Cochrane, October 1995
  12. Certificate of Merit for 'Broadband services, their markets and requirements', presented at EFOC & N 95, Brighton
  13. 'Most promising young engineer' for 'East meets west in cyberspace', 33rd FITCE European Telecommunications Congress, Dresden, August 30 1994, with Jon Chalmers and Jeremy Barnes
  14. Highly Commended for 'Broadband - Liberating the Customer' update issued in BT Engineering Journal, Vol 12, Part 4 January 1994, with Dave Greenop and Trevor Johnson
  15. IERE Benefactors Premium for 'Optical Telecommunications - Future Prospects', published in IEE Electronics and Communication Engineering Journal, Vol 5, No. 4, August 1993, pp. 221-232, with Peter Cochrane, David J T Heatley and Peter P Smyth
  16. Best Overall Paper for 'Broadband - Liberating the Customer', 32nd FITCE European Telecommunications Congress, Antwerp, 4 September 1993, with Dave Greenop and Trevor Johnson

 

Memberships

Advisory Board of the International Longevity Centre

Fellow of the British Computer Society and Chartered IT Professional

Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts

Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Nanotechnology

Fellow of the World Innovation Foundation

Consultant editor of TCN Journal

Board of Editors of CIO Quarterly

Boards of Editors of 'Foresight', Shaping Tomorrow, 'Wireless Business and Technology', & the TCN Journal

Advisory Board of The Lifeboat Foundation

Founder member of the Association of Professional Futurists (expired)

World Futures Society

Institute of BT Engineers

Institute of Physics

FITCE

Professional history

Dates

Jan 2008 – present

 

Position

Futurologist

As an independent futurologist, my role is to formulate a consistent view of the future and advise my many diverse customers on the many diverse threats and opportunities they face. I am an internationally respected consultant and speaker in the field of future technology, and its business and social impact. My output is used extensively by all levels of management across the whole of industry, government and society, globally.

I am regularly involved in trying to further science and technology education and public awareness. This involves frequent media appearances and a great deal of writing.

My main work is keynote speaking at conferences. I also undertake a variety of consultancy engagements, such as commissioned writing, workshops, and giving face to face advice to senior managers and government ministers.

I generally work alone but often undertake work in futurology and management teams.

Dates

Jul 98 – end of 2007

 

Position

Futurologist, Principal Consultant, BT

 

My role here was to formulate a consistent view of the future for use by other parts of BT and it's customers. I became an internationally respected consultant and speaker in the field of future technology, and its business and social impact. My output was used extensively by management at all levels up to board level both inside and outside BT, often abroad. I was used regularly as "BT's Futurologist" by marketing to improve BT's image with our customers and have helped win and retain many important contracts.

My work on forecasting future technological developments regularly attracted international media attention - I made over 400 TV and radio appearances and appeared in the press almost daily. My technology calendars alone have been requested by thousands of companies and individuals. I represented BT on several external collaborative ventures with other Blue Chip companies.

I edited the 'Atlas of the Future', now available in six languages, and was consultant on the 'Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Guide to the Future'. My most recent book is ‘Business 2010’ co-authored with Michael Lyons. I also wrote 'Where's IT going?' with Chris Winter. I have provided chapters for many other books.

Jan 98 - Jun 98

Strategy Analysis Manager, BTUK

 

My time here was brief but useful. I provided the technology input into BT's UK strategy review and analysed existing UK strategy from a technology viewpoint. However, this job only ever consumed a fraction of my time and the rest was basically continuation of my old futurologist role. After four months, various management environment factors stimulated my return to the research area.

Nov 1991 - Dec 97:

Futurologist, Applied Research and Technology Department

 

My job description here was almost the same as my current one, at a lower grade, but based on the Engineering Advisor role. I was an international consultant and speaker in the field of future technology, and its business and social impact. My output was used extensively by management at all levels up to board level both inside and outside BT, often abroad. I wasused regularly as "BT's Futurologist" by marketing to improve BT's image with our customers and have helped win and retain many important contracts.

My work on forecasting future technological developments regularly attracted international media attention - I made over 60 TV and radio appearances in the last two years of this post and appeared in the press almost weekly. My technology calendars alone were requested by thousands of companies and individuals and attracted over a million pounds worth of publicity to date.

My project work in ART spanned the whole of information technology with studies on future computing, services, potential markets, network evolution and the future social impacts of technology. I have managed several sub-projects. Most of my work was for Global Technical Strategy, who look to me for the more radical views of the threats and opportunities facing our business. I was often involved in shorter consultancy jobs for other business areas, as a future technology expert. For instance, I was called in to assist in winning a joint venture with Banco Santander. These roles involved keeping track of developments across a very wide area. I invented many new services and IT devices, with several patent applications.

Unlike my previous roles in BT, working in ART permitted me to publish my work, so I wrote many papers and conference presentations, seven of which have won awards.

I represented BT on several external collaborative ventures with other Blue Chip companies and have stood in for our head of department at a number of external meetings. I wasregularly involved in trying to further science and technology education and public awareness.

Finally, I was a monthly columnist for Business and Technology Magazine, mostly read by senior management, and edited the Macmillan Atlas of the Future, as well as writing parts of several other books on the future of technology.

Mar 1990 - Nov 1991:

Senior Evolution Consultant, Network Studies Unit, BT Labs
Part of my work in this group was aimed at recommending smooth evolution paths from today's networks to the far future. The rest looked at the impacts of various factors on network evolution, mainly computing and information technology, taking account of social and demographic trends. My main areas of specialism were in future services and their needs, advanced computing, interfaces and broadband communications. I generated many ideas for new network solutions, interfaces, and services. I applied for patents on two novel computer interface devices.

Jul 1988 - Mar 1990:

Senior Engineer, Local Access Division, BT Labs
In the Local Access division, I managed four people studying ATM transmission over passive optical networks; our design has now been downstreamed. I also studied wavelength multiplexing and mobile communications. I obtained my first patent here, for 'addressed time slicing', designed a hybrid local access carrier and contributed various hardware implementation ideas.

Jul 1985 - Jul 1988:

Performance Engineer, Performance Engineering Division, BT Labs
In BT's Performance Engineering Division, I analysed various performance issues of computing and telecommunications systems, including exchange design, protocols, office automation and CTI systems. After being promoted, I ran a sub-project analysing Open Systems architecture, and managed two new graduates in studies of packet switching, performance evaluation of various architecture implementations and predictions of future traffic levels. I also learned and wrote progams in several computer langauages.

Sep 1981 - Jul 1985:

Systems Engineer, Shorts Missile Systems
After graduation I worked for four years at Shorts (now Bombardier-Shorts). I worked in almost every department - mechanics, hydraulics, testing, guidance, aerodynamics, propulsion, lethality, tactics analysis, performance and reliability. This varied experience was invaluable training, equipping me with systems engineering skills and programming skills in several languages.