Global Foresight Advisory Council
The Global Foresight Advisory Council supports The Futures School’s mission of ethically democratizing the future around the world. In addition to offering mentorship and guidance, the Council also serves as the accrediting body for The Futures School Professional Foresight Certification.
This international group of visionaries are redefining their industries, intrinsically guided by an innate futurist mindset. As multidisciplinary luminaries they are uniquely positioned to guide and expand this movement into the future with the right balance of practical experience and provocative thinking.
GFAC Areas of Focus
Guided by the framework of the competency domains and supported by the foundation of the core beliefs, the Global Foresight Advisory Council organizes its ongoing efforts in terms of the following three areas of focus:
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Products and Experiences
What ideas and objectives does the GFAC want to develop in terms of training individuals and groups that will reinforce the core principles and democratize the future?
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Thought Leadership
How will the GFAC inspire transformational and aspirational action fueled by foresight?
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Recognition and Credentialing
How will the GFAC promote the mindsets that lead to democratizing the future among individuals and groups around the world?
Read More About the GFAC's Charter

Seema Chawla
VP and Head of Marketing, Hike - India
Seema is a Marketing Leader from India with over 20 years of experience across Entertainment, Consumer Goods and Consumer Tech businesses working with brands like Disney, Mattel, AJIO.com & Hotstar. She is currently VP Marketing at Hike – the world’s first, mobile-first avatar social world. She began her Futures journey with Kedge in 2014 while at The Walt Disney Company and became an Advanced Practitioner over the course of 2 years. She continues to incorporate Futures Thinking as a way of life in her professional life.

Isabel de Salas
Strategy Director, Picnic - Spain
Isabel’s career is focused on helping business leaders to take better decisions in high-complexity moments, contributing tools, processes and knowledge that help identify the opportunities ahead. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Management from ESADE Business School, and also studied Disruptive Strategy at the Harvard Business School.

Anita Dinshaw
Strategy Manager, The Walt Disney Company - Australia
Anita is responsible for supporting the planning, evaluation, development and tactical implementation of business initiatives in Australia and New Zealand for The Walt Disney Company. Prior to her current role, Anita was an Equity Research Analyst at Goldman Sachs. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne.

Diane Edwards
Director and Principal Consultant, Zuri Limited - New Zealand
Diane’s career spans roles in a diverse range of positions including teaching, management, accounting, business reengineering, IT, L&D, HR, and change management. She has worked within multiple sectors and has overseas experience in the UK, USA, Australia, India and Tanzania. She is the recipient of multiple national and international awards in NZ and Australia.

Boel Ferguson
Executive Board Advisor, Red Badger Consulting - United Kingdom
As a Board Advisor at Red Badger, a digital consultancy, Boel is working for a company at the forefront of cross sector digital transformation. In her previous role as VP & GM, at Disney EMEA she led and developed teams to grow entertainment businesses – ranging from TV, games to digital platforms. Specializing in leading businesses through change, she has delivered major strategic change projects in large matrix organizations across EMEA. Boel holds a Masters in Economics and Business Administration.

Lori Heino-Royer
Co-CEO, CEOX - USA
Lori started her career as an accountant, quickly realizing that she was more interested in delivering results than accounting for them. In her nearly 20 years at Daimler Trucks, she held executive roles in technology, strategy and innovation and developed a deep knowledge in the transportation industry. Currently she works with startups as an investor, advisor, board member and coach with a focus on commercialization, analytics, and strategy.

Trish Long
Vice President & General Manager, Walt Disney Studios - Ireland
Trish is Vice President & GM of Walt Disney Studios, Ireland and has held a variety of roles in Disney since 1994. She has core responsibility for WDS in Ireland, across Disney Animation Studios; Disney Live Action; Pixar; Marvel & Lucas Films plus Twentieth Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures. As part of the UK & Ireland Senior Leadership team, she helps identify and develop new business opportunities. She has a history in activism relating to Gender and social issues. Boards include: Irish Film and Television Academy; University of Limerick; Medicinema; Troy Film Studios.

John McCabe
Director, Advanced Concepts, Branch Technology - USA
John thrives at the intersection of design, technology, social innovation, and education. He currently leads the Advanced Concepts Team at Branch Technology, an advanced manufacturing company envisioning and developing construction-scale 3D printing solutions for on and off-world clients. During the past 20 years, John has been recognized with 35 international awards for his contributions to non-traditional university partnerships, design and research ventures, and multidisciplinary educational initiatives with BMW, NASA, IBM, Reebok, Disney, US Airforce, Dell, Google, and many others.

Kelsey McMehan
Market Development Manager, Eastman - USA
Kelsey is a blockchain enthusiast and courageous leader who is known for turning future dreams into product innovations today. Her strengths lie in her use of foresight training to create strategies around the future of mobility, and she is a vocal advocate for the value of Eastman’s digital journey.

Lea Plato
Industrial Design Project Lead, Milwaukee Tool - USA
Lea is a strategic and future forward Design Leader at Milwaukee Tool, focused on front end innovation. She has successfully launched over 20 products, along with award winning products that have won IDEA Silver, IDEA Honorable mention, Edison Award, Popular Science Best Innovations Award, and the Chicago Innovation award.

Sean Svendsen
Sr. Industrial Designer, Priority Designs - USA
Sean has over 25 years of experience in award-winning, game-changing, sales-leading product design and brand development. He is a multi-time IDSA IDEA award winner and is credited on over 70 U.S. design patents. His background includes developing products, packaging, displays, and environments for such diverse clients as Nike, Lowe’s, Stanley Black & Decker, and Cardinal Health.

Iris Stein
Product Marketing Manager, Stratasys - Israel
Iris combines her 15+ years of experience in competitive intelligence and strategy formation to help organizations achieve the agility and flexibility needed to succeed in today’s business world. Her current focus is on the future of artificial intelligence and other emergent technologies.

Ytasha Womack
Author, Afrofuturist, Director - USA
Ytasha is a critically acclaimed author, filmmaker, independent scholar, and dance therapist. Her book Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci Fi & Fantasy Culture is a leading primer on African/African diasporic cultures, identity, and futures. She lectures on Afrofuturism and the imagination at conferences, universities, and comic book conventions around the world. Other works include Post Black, Rayla 2212, and A Spaceship in Bronzeville. She was a writer in residence at Emerson College, a creative in residence at Kickstarter, and an inaugural resident at Black Rock Senegal helmed by celebrated artist Kehende Wiley.
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