PhD // keynote speaker and facilitator
Innovation.
Business design.
AI strategy.
Keynotes and workshops for leaders navigating innovation, AI and complex change.
Book a talkTrusted by leading Norwegian organisations
About Ranvir Rai
Combining research on innovation with hands-on experience from complex transformation projects.
Ranvir Rai gives engaging talks on innovation, design thinking and the strategic use of AI. With humour, energy and clear examples, he makes complex topics understandable and relevant for leaders and professionals.
He has more than 20 years of experience as a leader, innovation adviser and project manager.
Ranvir has worked across the public and private sectors, including leading the development of the future vision for Norway's next-generation emergency communications network and advising organisations such as the Norwegian Directorate of Health, Equinor and Gjensidige. He has helped organisations undergoing complex transformation develop new services, strategic direction and future scenarios.
Audiences leave with clearer concepts, sharper questions and a more realistic understanding of what innovation takes in practice.
Credentials
- Associate Professor, Kristiania University College, Department of Leadership and Innovation. Affiliated with the University of Stavanger.
- Design Director and Head of Studio Oslo at These Ways, a Norwegian design and strategy consultancy.
- PhD in innovation, BI Norwegian Business School. Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business.
- Designed Norway's first Bachelor's programme in Service Design.
- Former adviser and manager at Accenture, EY and Designit.
Books and research
Talks by Ranvir Rai
Every talk is tailored to your industry and gives the audience a realistic, practical toolkit.
How to innovate in turbulent times
Technology, business models and customer needs are changing faster than ever – and many leaders have to deliver results amid growing uncertainty. This popular talk shows how to create structure, direction and more confident priorities when everything around you is shifting.
Drawing on examples from different sectors, Ranvir shows how leaders can navigate pressure and risk by combining clearer priorities, smarter decisions and a pace of innovation the organisation can actually sustain.
Ideal for: leadership teams, leadership offsites and conferences
AI + Innovation: from hype to action
Concrete, understandable and relevant for organisations that want direction and results, not hype. Learn how AI can support strategic priorities and improve decision-making.
Shows how AI can be tied to business strategy to create shared direction, and what practical steps leaders can take to introduce AI safely and in a structured way – from pilots to scale.
Ideal for: leadership teams in the private and public sectors
Design thinking as a strategic competitive advantage
Used well, design thinking is not just a creative method but a strategic framework that helps organisations make better decisions and work across disciplines to create measurable value.
Ranvir shows what organisations that succeed with design thinking do differently from those that just “try it out”, and how the method leads to better decisions, better solutions and a stronger capacity for innovation.
Ideal for: leaders, specialist teams and innovation teams
Disruptive innovation – WTF?!?
Disruptive innovation is often confused with “big breakthroughs”, but in practice it is about structural shifts that gradually change the rules of an industry. This talk makes the phenomenon concrete and understandable – without academic jargon.
- Spot early signals of industry change
- Assess the threats to your own business model
- See the opportunities before your competitors do
Ideal for: conferences, industry events and boards
Workshops for leadership teams
When a talk is not enough: interactive deep dives where leadership teams work on their own challenges.
Design Your Fiercest Competitor
The leadership team designs the competitor most capable of challenging the business, then uses it to see their own organisation from the outside. An energising exercise that makes strategic vulnerabilities and opportunities tangible.
- Design the competitor
- Test where it hits
- Turn the lessons into strategic moves
AI in practice: from strategy to first steps
A structured deep dive in which the leadership team links AI to its strategy, prioritises concrete use cases and agrees on how to pilot safely.
- Where does AI create strategic value for us?
- Prioritising use cases
- Plan for piloting and buy-in
Ranvir in action 🤓
What clients say
Selected reviews from Norwegian clients via Talerlisten, shown in the original language.
Tomasz Frelek
Engasjerende foredrag om hvordan man kan balansere drift og utvikling. Kombinerte solid teori med konkrete eksempler fra praksis. Profesjonell, tydelig og godt tilpasset våre behov. Høyeste score!
Kjersti Nordmo
Engasjerende, relevant og fullt av perspektiver vi kjente igjen. Ranvir gjorde et stort og komplekst tema konkret og anvendbart. Workshopen i etterkant ga oss flere konkrete tiltak som vi har tatt med videre i roadmap og handlingsplaner.
Ole-Marthin Hexeberg
Foredraget var både engasjerende og relevant. Gjennom mange gode og praktiske eksempler klarte han å gjøre temaet konkret. Vi satt igjen med både motivasjon og verktøy.
Tomas Oberg
Ranvir holdt et engasjerende og faglig godt foredrag for nærmere 500 lydhøre i salen. De responderte særdeles bra i etterkant. Vi anbefaler Ranvir på alle måter.
Nancy Walderhaug
Tok oss gjennom et svært spennende og tankevekkende foredrag. Han inspirerte, fikk oss til å reflektere og kom med gode eksempler på teknologi som var relevant for oss!
Toril Lysaker
Skreddersydd til vår virkelighet. Han evnet å trekke frem Innovasjon, AI, og design thinking uten å komplisere. Presenterer med letthet og glimt i øyet. Ypperlig levert!
Michelle Stefansen
Inspirerende og innsiktsfullt. Fra start til slutt engasjerte han med dyktig formidlingsevne, humor og et solid akademisk fundament. Foredraget passer for både nybegynnere og eksperter.
June H. Meum-Larsen
Inspirerende foredrag rundt temaet tjenestedesign for Seksjon Prosjektledelse. Gode eksempler og praktisk oppgave engasjerte deltakerne. Håper vi får høre ham igjen.
Øyvind Rage
Sterk formidlingsevne, interessante perspektiver og eksempler som fanger oppmerksomheten. Jeg dro derifra med økt forståelse for temaet og en mersmak til å lære mer.
Turid Kristoffersen
Svært engasjerende presentasjon. Profesjonell, kompetent og didaktisk suveren. Gode illustrasjoner, med humoristiske betraktninger. Dette var inspirasjon pur.
Erik Haagensen
Formidler komplekse problemstillinger gjennom praktiske eksempler, pakket inn i humor. Hvis du jakter en der forsamlingen glemmer tiden, og samtidig får råd til eftertanke, har du funnet rett mann!
Carina Louise Dale
Han tar scenen, engasjerer og inspirerer. Han var løsningsorientert, leverte fra A-Å og kan anbefales på det sterkeste. Faglig sterk, glimt i øyet, og gjør teori til praksis i særklasse.
