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Safi Bahcall - Presbourg Speakers

Safi Bahcall

Renowned physicist, biotech entrepreneur, and former CEO known for his expertise in strategy and innovation. With an impressive academic background, he advises CEOs and offers captivating keynote speeches on driving innovation and transformation.

Categories

Suggested Topics

  • Loonshots: Imagining the Impossible
  • The Three Zones of Leadership
  • Chasing Anomalies in Science, Business, and Medicine
  • Workshops – Building an innovation operating system

Books

Loonshots

Language (s)

English

Travels From

Washington DC

Engagement Fee

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Biography

Safi is an accomplished second-generation physicist, biotech entrepreneur, and former public-company CEO renowned for his expertise in strategy and innovation. He holds a BA summa cum laude from Harvard and a PhD in physics from Stanford, where he worked alongside illustrious figures in the fields of particle physics and condensed matter physics. Following a successful stint with McKinsey, he co-founded a biotechnology company focused on developing groundbreaking cancer drugs, leading it through a successful IPO and serving as CEO for 13 years. Recognized for his achievements, Safi was named E&Y New England Biotechnology Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008 and contributed to President Obama’s council of science advisors (PCAST) on national research in 2011.

Safi’s impact extends beyond the lab and boardroom—it is felt in the realm of literature as well. His first book, “Loonshots,” has garnered international acclaim, translated into 21 languages, and selected as a best business book of the year by notable publications such as Amazon, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Forbes, Inc., and the Washington Post. With glowing recommendations from luminaries like Bill Gates, Daniel Kahneman, Malcolm Gladwell, and many others, the book has left an indelible mark on the business world.

Drawing on his rich experience, Safi advises CEOs and leadership teams on strategy and innovation, delivering captivating keynote presentations at prestigious industry conferences, investor events, leadership retreats, medical meetings, and esteemed academic institutions worldwide. His insightful guidance has propelled organizations to new heights, fostering a culture of innovation and driving meaningful change.

In addition to presenting at Fortune 500 companies including Amazon, Google, Goldman Sachs, Johnson + Johnson, Microsoft, Viacom and others, Safi has presented to or advised hypergrowth startups, investment funds, the CIA, the US Air Force, and the US Navy, as well as spoken at business schools and science, mathematics, or medical departments at Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, UC Berkeley, Caltech, Cornell, Bell Labs, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, the National Institutes of Health, and others.
Safi is a member of the MG100 group of senior executive coaches. In addition to speaking and leading workshops, Safi works 1-1 with a small number of CEOs as well as leaders of government agencies on strategy and innovation.

Safi Bahcall in Action

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Testimonials

The best content, best delivered of all the sessions — the only one where totally immersed engagement was the default rather than something that took effort.

Gartner

Safi set the conference alight with his talk … one of the most captivating speakers I have ever heard … gripping style! … Pitch perfect

Applied Materials

One of the smartest, most innovative, actionable talks I have heard in a long time. The book is also a breakthrough intertwined with some wonderful story telling.

Verizon

This is the best GTM [talk] we’ve ever had … Everything Safi said resonated with me … I was taking notes the whole time!

US Navy

A perfect example of how an opening keynote should impact a meeting and set the tone. Having a message that will resonate with those who came to the event is always key … As a keynote speaker myself, I am hyper critical of events that are not focused on the need of audience. Too often conference keynote slots are just a box check. This session was meaty and worth the price of admission … [I took] 5 pages of notes

American Society of Association Executives

One of the best keynote speeches I have ever heard … the positive feedback we have received has been overwhelming

Fortune 500 Insurance Company

I can honestly say you were the best speaker I have listened to in my time at Kraft Heinz

Safi seamlessly merged best practices in engineering with successful business strategies … I’ve listened to it three times and am still picking up new things … I already hear Safi’s themes echoing in meetings!

Applied Materials

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