Mark Little
Tech entrepreneur, Former Foreign Affairs Broadcaster & Journalist
why book mark?
- Mark Little combines the authority of an award-winning journalist with the insight of a tech entrepreneur who founded two global media companies
- He has reported from war zones, interviewed world leaders, and navigated the challenges of leadership in big tech.
- Mark inspires audiences with a rare blend of global perspective, sharp analysis, and dynamic presentation.
“Mark made it an EVENT — contagious energy and brilliant clarity.”
Enterprise Ireland
Biography
Mark Little is an entrepreneur and journalist working to understand the impact of technology on media and democracy. He is the co-founder of Kinzen, which combines AI and human analysis to detect online harms, and the founder of Storyful, the world’s first social news agency. Mark has worked on trust and safety issues at Spotify, and developed media partnerships for Twitter. He is a former TV presenter and foreign correspondent for RTÉ, and was a member of the Future of Media Commission, tasked with mapping the future of public media in Ireland.
The search for truth is the lifeblood of Mark Little’s multifaceted career, which has seen him progress from being an award-winning young journalist to a successful tech entrepreneur and a powerful speaker on leadership, disinformation and innovation who gets stellar reviews.
Mark believes that we should draw on lessons from the past as they are a rich reservoir of guidance for the future. In early 2023, in collaboration with Trinity College, he co-hosted The History of the Future podcast, a six-part series exploring the intersection of media, technology, and democracy.
A graduate of Trinity College Dublin, for years Mark worked for the Sunday Business Post before becoming RTÉ’s first Washington Correspondent, in 1995. Six years later he returned to Ireland as their Foreign Correspondent, and in the same year won TV Journalist of the Year in the ESB National Media Awards. From there he went on to co-present Ireland’s flagship current affairs programme, Prime Time, for eight years.
In 2009 Mark took a year’s leave of absence from RTÉ to pursue a project. In 2010 that project was launched as the social news agency Storyful, which in 2013 he sold to News International. Two years later he joined Twitter, first as vice president of media and partnerships in Europe and then as managing director of Twitter in Ireland. He resigned in 2016 to set up the media company Kinzen with entrepreneur, journalist & speaker Áine Kerr.
Mark’s varied expertise is remarkable – everything from interviewing world leaders like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, to reporting from war zones in Iraq. He has also written three books.
As a speaker, Mark invites his audience to think about the future, and shares his experiences with energy and currency. His incisive thinking and broad worldview make him an agile chairman and a versatile keynote speaker who can command a room with ease.
Disruption:
Topics
Future Proof:
Lessons For Leadership In An Age Of Constant Change
Today’s leaders face an impossible task; managing their teams through unprecedented uncertainty, while simultaneously preparing for exponential disruption in their industries. One thing is for sure: change is a constant. With that in mind, how do leaders position their organisations for future success? How do they turn a struggle for survival into the superpower of resilience?
In this talk, Mark Little helps leaders and teams embrace the future by sharing his personal experience of leading through change, and exploring the strategies that helped him become future-proof. His unique journey along the fault lines of big tech, entrepreneurship and global politics will help the audience re-imagine leadership in an age of constant change, and understand how great organisations turn fear of change into a passionate embrace of the future.
Innovation:
Making Innovation And Risk-Taking A Game Everyone Can Play
In this talk, Mark looks at how we can reduce risk by unearthing the wisdom we already have, freeing us up to innovate effectively.
AI Unveiled:
Navigating Hype, Reality, and the Future of Leadership
In his keynote, Mark Little explores the evolving world of artificial intelligence and its impact on leadership. He urges leaders to separate hype from practical application, adopt a grounded approach to integrating AI, and continuously upskill to stay ahead. Drawing on his experience in media and technology, Mark highlights the ethical responsibilities of leadership, advocating for innovation that serves both organisations and society.
Disinformation:
Take The Contamination Out Of The Information Ecosystem
How individuals and organisations can fight back against ‘fake news’ and ensure they get the facts they need to make the best decisions.
Leadership:
How To Be An Effective, Trusted Leader In An Era Of Constant Risk
Drawing on his own experience, Mark urges leaders to acknowledge their own frailties and ‘failures’ so that theirs becomes a work culture where a growth mindset is the norm.
Mark Little
Masterclasses
You may want to go deeper with your audience. Masterclasses can be tailored and developed to suit your audience needs, be it a 90-minute Masterclass, a half-day or full-day workshop or a full online or face-to-face programme. Please contact one of our expert team to discuss.
Resources
Podcasts
Books
“The perfect chairperson — intelligent, witty, and the glue that held the day together.”
SFA Annual Conference
testimonials
“Mark made it an EVENT, he injected an energy that was contagious – taking in the scientific jargon and translating it into real life. A fantastic day! We’ll be back…!”
Dr. Imelda Lambki, National Director for FP7, Enterprise Ireland
“The Conference went extremely well. We were delighted with it and the feedback to date has been fantastic. Mark was great and as always extremely professional.”
Avine McNally, Acting Director, Small Firms Association
“Well done on another top class performance, and loving the witty asides also! Really excellent command and interaction.”
Jane Devitt, McConnells Advertising
“Mark went down an absolute treat – he was fantastic and the pitch was right on the money for the theme of the day.”
Tara Whaley, BT
“We are basking in the glory of a very successful event last Wednesday. Feedback has been very strong – in no small part attributed to your presentation. A number of our clients sought us out to comment that “it was a great choice”, “very interesting guy”, “well done – great idea” and so on. So on behalf of the team here at SSGA Ireland, I would like to thank you for helping us mark this event down as a great success. I look forward to working with you again in the future.”
State Street
“The perfect chairperson — intelligent, witty, and the glue that held the day together.”
SFA Annual Conference
“Mark Little was an excellent chairperson at the SFA Annual Conference. He was the glue that held the day together. His relaxed, flexible, informative, witty & intelligent approach to the day was really appreciated by all the speakers and delegates. He excelled at time-management throughout the day, and his research into the speakers and topics really shone through. Feedback from all involved has been terrific.”
Patricia Callan, Director, Small Firms Association
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