Dean Brown

My entire career has centred on building products, services, and businesses that give people the skills they need to succeed. I love to apply technology as an accelerator or a differentiator. The technology doesn't replace the human element, but it certainly can improve the interactions and the scale of change possible.

Early in my career I helped build a global consulting company focused on change management, business process redesign, and eduction for companies implementing massive changes associated with ERP implementations. Later, I moved into product management where my teams and I built (or rebuilt) learning, assessment, and talent management systems for amazing companies like ACT, Thomson, and Pearson. And, I've always been lucky enough to have one foot in the product camp and one foot in "the business." Because I've always been responsible for the product and the P&L, I learned early on how to run and grow a business. So far I've helped take one company public, sell another one, and finally start one!

Lately, I've been helping start and run a great business called Next University. We're developing online education programs to help accelerate job opportunities for the middle class in emerging markets. But once again, the trick is to figure out the balance of technology like predictive analytics and human interaction!

Many people resist change. I try to embrace it. I've lived in five countries, worked in more cities and countries than I can count. Trust me, change can be good. It can be an accelerator toward better things.