Inspiring Speakers

Get ready to be inspired. At Confluence, we bring together bold visionaries, industry trailblazers, and transformative thinkers shaping what’s next. This year’s speaker lineup promises fresh perspectives, powerful ideas, and conversations that challenge convention. Stay tuned- because you won’t want to miss what’s coming.

Boris Becker

Tennis Legend and 6-time Grand Slam Champion

Boris Franz Becker (born 22 November 1967) is a German former professional tennis player, coach, and commentator. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential tennis players of his generation and one of the defining figures in men’s tennis of the late 20th century. Becker was ranked world No. 1 in men’s singles and won six Grand Slam singles titles: three at Wimbledon (1985, 1986, 1989), two at the Australian Open (1991, 1996), and one at the US Open (1989).

Becker achieved international prominence in 1985 when, aged 17, he became the youngest ever men’s singles champion at Wimbledon and the first unseeded player to win the title. His breakthrough victory is widely regarded as a landmark moment in modern tennis, contributing to the sport’s global popularity and redefining expectations of power, athleticism, and attacking play on grass courts. Known for his powerful serve, aggressive net play and dynamic movement, Becker played a significant role in shaping attacking tennis during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Over the course of his playing career, Becker won 49 singles titles and 15 doubles titles on the ATP Tour. He was a key member of Germany’s Davis Cup-winning teams in 1988 and 1989, helping establish Germany as a leading nation in men’s tennis during that period.

After retiring from professional tennis in 1999, Becker remained closely involved in the sport as a commentator, analyst and coach. From 2013 to 2016, he served as head coach of Novak Djokovic. During this period, Djokovic won six Grand Slam singles titles and consolidated his position as world No. 1, holding the ranking for a record number of weeks.

In 2023, Becker briefly served as coach to Danish player Holger Rune, collaborating with him during part of the ATP Tour season.

From 2017 to 2021, Becker served as head of men’s tennis in Germany, overseeing the national men’s programme, including the Davis Cup team. During this time, he also acted as a mentor to Alexander Zverev, working closely with him during a formative period of his professional career.

Becker has continued to work as a tennis analyst and commentator for international broadcasters and has published several books reflecting on his sporting career, professional experiences, and public life.

Björn Ulvaeus

Founding Member of ABBA, Songwriter, Producer & Entertainment Entrepreneur

Björn Ulvaeus is a Swedish singer, songwriter, and producer. Björn’s fame skyrocketed with the creation of ABBA in 1972, dominating the music scene for a decade. Alongside Benny Andersson, he wrote the hit musical “Chess” in the 1980s and “Kristina from Duvemåla” in 1995. Björn also produced the iconic musical “Mamma Mia!” and its subsequent adaptations.

As the president of CISAC, Björn Ulvaeus leads an organisation supporting songwriters worldwide, and is deeply involved in developing new rules around the use of AI in music.

In 2021, ABBA announced their comeback with the release of the album “Voyage” alongside a groundbreaking virtual stage show ABBA Voyage in London with ticket sales in excess of 2 million in its first 19 months.

Björn Ulvaeus co-founded Pophouse in 2014 together with EQT founder Conni Jonsson. Pophouse acquires and develops entertainment brands within music, podcast and gaming, and the company began a serious venture into music catalogue investments in 2022.

Salil Parekh

CEO & MD, Infosys

Salil Parekh, as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, sets and evolves the strategic direction for the company and its portfolio of offerings, while nurturing a strong leadership team to drive its execution. Salil has nearly three decades of global experience in the IT services industry with a strong track record of driving digital transformation for enterprises, executing business turnarounds and managing successful acquisitions. He is a member of the National Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Salil topped the IT services ranking in Brand Finance's Brand Guardianship Index (BGI) 2024 for the role of CEO as brand custodian and steward of long-term shareholder value.

Elif Shafak

Award-winning Novelist & Essayist

Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish novelist and storyteller. She has published 21 books, 13 of which are novels and her books have been translated into 58 languages.The Island of Missing Trees was a finalist for the Costa Award, British Book Awards, RSL Ondaatje Prize and Women’s Prize for Fiction and was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and RSL Ondaatje Prize; and was Blackwell’s Book of the Year. The Forty Rules of Love was chosen by BBC among the 100 Novels that Shaped Our World. The Architect’s Apprentice was chosen for The Queen’s Reading Room. There are Rivers in the Sky won the Edward Stanford Award 2025, Prix Fragonard de Littérature Étrangère, and was a finalist for the Prix Fémina Étranger and The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. Her upcoming novel, In One Brief Moment All Eternity, will be published on 15 October.

Shafak holds a PhD in political science, and she has taught at various universities in Turkey, the US and the UK, including St Anne's College, Oxford University, where she is an honorary fellow. She also holds an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Bard College. Shafak is a Fellow and President of the Royal Society of Literature and has been chosen among BBC’s 100 most inspiring and influential women. She is a Public Humanities Fellow at the School of Advanced Studies (SAS) in recognition of her work to shape the future of Public Humanities, deepen its reach and expand its impact.

An advocate for women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights and freedom of expression, Shafak is an inspiring public speaker and twice TED Global speaker. She contributes to major publications around the world, and she was awarded the medal of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In 2017 she was chosen by Politico as one of the twelve people “who will give you a much-needed lift of the heart”. She has judged numerous literary prizes, including The PEN Nabokov Prize and has chaired the Wellcome Prize. Shafak is the recipient of the Halldór Laxness International Literature Prize for her contribution to 'the renewal of the art of storytelling. In 2024, Shafak was awarded the British Academy President's Medal for 'her excellent body of work which demonstrates an incredible intercultural range. Her website can be found at www.elifshafak.com and her Substack is called "Unmapped Storylands".

Jesper Brodin

Chair of The Earthshot Prize,
Senior Advisor IKEA Foundation, Former CEO of IKEA

Jesper Brodin is the Management Board Member of Ingka Group | IKEA and the former CEO of the company. He left the role in November 2025 and continued in this capacity until February 2026. His career within IKEA spans over 30 years, and during the last 8 years he has held the role as CEO for the Group. Before being appointed CEO, Jesper was Managing Director at IKEA of Sweden/Range & Supply, meaning he was responsible for the development of the product range and supply chain of the IKEA Brand.

Jesper’s career at IKEA started in Pakistan 1995 as a purchase manager; not long after he became Regional Purchase Manager for Southeast Asia. In 1999, he took on the assignment of assistant, both to IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad and to Anders Dahlvig, who was CEO at that time.

As a leader, Jesper is known for his belief in values-based leadership and for his emphasis on togetherness, saying: “The power is where the people are. Believe in yourself and your strengths, but don’t forget to rely on other people’s strengths, too. Because we’re truly stronger together.” Jesper has a strong commitment and experience of the intersection between business and sustainability and holds the role as Chair of the B Team as well as the Co-Chair role for UN Global Compact – advocating for future where purpose and profit go hand in hand. In 2024 he was named one of the 100 most influential people of by TIME.

In March 2026, Jesper Brodin was appointed Chair of the Board of The Earthshot Prize, founded by HRH Prince William, succeeding Christiana Figueres. As Chair, he will help guide the world’s leading environmental prize at the midway point of its ten-year mission to accelerate and scale bold solutions to repair the planet. His appointment reflects his long-standing commitment to demonstrating that what is good for the planet is also good for business, and his belief in mobilising business, government and innovators to drive impact at scale.

More recently, Jesper joined the ITU/UN Global Commission on AI for Good as a Commissioner, contributing to its work developing recommendations around emerging technologies and their impact on society.

Jesper was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, and holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. Married with three children, he fills his spare time with sailing and music: “To play the guitar is my yoga. I do it every day.”

Katharina Moser

Master Of Ceremonies

Katharina has designed, organized, and moderated around 300 events. Since 2020 she has specialised in the design and moderation of in-person, hybrid and online events with a focus on how to make them more human. 2022 she joined the Executive Board of the Inner Development Goals, leading the summit 2023.

Previously, she worked for the Austrian Foreign Ministry, the British Council, and the European Forum Alpbach, before she founded the creative agency MOSAIK in 2015. (one of her projects was awarded the State Prize on Europe).

She is on the board of Bürgerforum Europa; the Austrian Society for European Politics, a founding member of Alliance4Europe, and a member of the BMW Responsible Leaders Network.

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