JON ALEXANDER
author, reformed advertising exec, changemaker
SELECTED SPEAKING TOPICS:
Democracy: What does it mean in 2025?
The Role of Businesses in Strengthening Democracy:
From Consumerism to Citizenship
Reimagining Democracy for the 21st Century
Achievements
Jon Alexander’s book Citizens has been awarded:
• McKinsey's 'Must Read' list for 2022, calling it 'a book of hope’
• The Financial Times 'Top 5 Political Books', calling it 'an underground hit'.
• 'Book of the Year' by Country & Townhouse.
• Brian Eno wrote the foreword for CITIZENS and it has been reprinted 3 times in 6 months.
Jon’s Awards & Recognition
• Big Idea of the Year by Brand Republic
• The European Academy of Business Innovation Award
• Ashridge EABIS Sustainable Innovation Award
• Young Foundation’s Beyond Meritocracy Prize.
• A major contributor to the bestseller New Power, shortlisted for Financial Times Book of the Year 2018 (by Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms).
'In the decade or so since meeting Jon, I've never been more convinced he has one of the few big ideas that's easily applied, fundamentally needed and genuinely offers a chance of change. Get on board for his new work, now. I am.'
- Sam Conniff, Author, Be More Pirate -
Jon Alexander is the author of CITIZENS: Why the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us - a book that seeks to reframe the moment in time we're living in as one of huge opportunity, not just crisis and collapse, and in doing so opens up a world of possibility for organisations and leaders across sectors and across the world.
Jon is co-founder of the New Citizenship Project (B-Corp), a strategy and innovation consultancy that aims to shift the dominant story of the individual in society from Consumer to Citizen. NCP’s client list includes The Guardian, the European Central Bank, BBC, National Trust, the Food Ethics Council and the European Journalism Centre.
Having begun his career with a decade in the advertising industry at agencies including BBDO and Fallon, Jon is a proud former winner of Brand Republic’s Big Idea of the Year Award for creating the concept of MyFarm in 2011: handing over decision-making on a real working farm to the public by online vote and debate as a way of engaging people with sustainable food production.
Jon holds three Masters degrees in disciplines spanning humanities and business and has presented at the Athens Democracy Forum 2020 and 2021, TEDxCardiff 2020, Impact 2020, Brand Week Istanbul 2019, Meaning Conference 2019, Food Citizenship Conference 2019, YPO Athens, European Journalism Centre, eCampaigning Forum Europe, Communicating The Museum, NotWestminster, and TEDxUCL, among many other events.
’Every great transformation requires a new story. A story that reveals new possibilities and points toward an optimistic alternative to the current situation. Citizens presents just such a story and if we respond to its challenge we may just manage to navigate our way out of the mess we have created for ourselves.’
- Tim Brown, Chair of IDEO and author of Change By Design -
Selected Press Coverage: World Economic Forum, NY Times, Athens Democracy Forum, Topia, Financial Times, BBC, McKinsey, Prospect, Engage Liverpool
Democracy is Dead, Long Live Democracy: In this powerful session Jon Alexander advocates for a transformative shift from the consumer age to the citizen age. Alexander explores why the prevailing narrative of people as mere consumers limits true progress, and argues that only by embracing a participatory citizen mindset can we build a resilient and inclusive future. Alexander illustrates the potential of a “citizen story,” sharing examples from Ireland’s citizens’ assemblies to Nigeria’s crowdsourced infrastructure, each showing how empowering citizens to engage can restore trust and cooperation. He also warns of the dangers in neglecting this change, pointing to the divisive narratives that can arise when people feel excluded. With practical insights and real-world cases, Alexander reveals how organisations and leaders can foster environments for true participation, shifting from passive feedback to genuine engagement. WATCH to discover how we can all play a part in shaping a revitalised, democratic society.
Purpose Disruptors: Conversation with Brian Eno
Next Hamburg - Ways of Being
Royal Society of the Arts London
Athens Democracy Forum