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Vikram Mansharamani        

Academic Author, Advisor, Global Trend-Watcher & Lecturer at Harvard University

Vikram Mansharamani is a global trend-watcher who shows people how to anticipate the future, manage risk, and spot opportunities. He is an academic, advisor, and author as well as a frequently sought-after speaker. Mansharamani adopts a uniquely global approach to his work, having worked on every continent other than Antarctica (it’s on his to-do list).

He has been a regular commentator on issues driving disruption in the global business environment. His ideas and writings have also appeared in a long list of publications and he’s been honored by LinkedIn as one of their Top Voices and Worth Magazine as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Global Finance. Millions of readers have enjoyed his unique multi-lens approach to connecting seemingly irrelevant dots.

As an advisor, Mansharamani assists numerous boards and c-suites navigate today’s overwhelming uncertainty. He helps his clients analyze the business impact of global trends, with an emphasis on economic, political, and social risks that might generate instability. His thematic analysis and risk management is always focused on identifying opportunities within the risks.

Mansharamani is the author of "Think For Yourself: Restoring Common Sense in an Age of Experts and Artificial Intelligence" (HBR Press, 2020) and "Boombustology: Spotting Financial Bubbles Before They Burst" (Wiley, 2011, 2019). He is currently a lecturer at Harvard University, where he teaches students how to make tough decisions by using multiple perspectives and systems thinking to guide their processes. Mansharamani has a PhD and two Masters degrees from MIT and a Bachelors degree from Yale University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife, son, daughter, golden retriever, and two cats, one of which he believes is clairvoyant.

Speech Topics

Boom or Bust: Spotting Bubbles Before They Burst

Our dynamic global economy seems to be producing boom and bust cycles more frequently than in the past. There’s always something that seems ahead of itself, having reached unsustainable levels. In direct contrast to the prevailing academic thinking, Dr. Vikram Mansharamani believes it’s possible to identify financial (and other) bubbles before they burst. Drawing on entertaining examples from art markets, architecture, and popular culture (as well as economics and politics), he powerfully demonstrates that you need not be an expert to anticipate the future. Audiences leave this talk feeling empowered to think independently and connect the obvious dots to generate not-so-obvious conclusions.

Think For Yourself

In a fast-paced world driven by complex and changing factors, connecting the dots is often more important than developing them. As a result of the overwhelming flood of information that pours at us daily, we run headlong into the arms of experts and technologies. We’ve stopped thinking for ourselves and now habitually – perhaps unconsciously – outsource our thinking about important decisions. Rather than turn to specialists, Dr. Mansharamani guides us to think bigger and look across the silos of expertise, leaving listeners empowered and energized to think for themselves. This memorable talk is filled with stories from a variety of industries and settings about how we got to where we are and how we can reclaim control.

Navigating Uncertainty: An Unconventional Approach

In this stimulating and entertaining talk, Dr. Vikram Mansharamani applies a unique combination of practitioner experience and academic perspective to help audiences navigate the seemingly unending crosscurrents of global economic, financial and geopolitical uncertainty. He explains how we got to the current world of protectionism, nationalism, populism, and currency conflicts and explores how the combination of political, social, technological, demographic, and economic pressures will impact future trends. After presenting several scenarios, he considers the risks and opportunities emerging from a recession or an escalation of global tensions. While audiences often find themselves agreeing with Dr. Mansharamani each step of the way, they’re frequently surprised by what turn out to be unconventional conclusions.

News

Think for yourself: how to judge expertise in a time of conflicting opinions
Mansharamani believes that because we're overloaded with information, we frequently "turn to experts and technologies that can help us filter the information, decide what's important, and help us optimize our decision making process. However, in the process we find we give up our autonomy and there are some costs to doing so and that's really what I'm concerned about." He spoke with Spark host Nora Young about why he believes we've mindlessly turned over our thinking to technology, experts and rules.
The Lost Art of Thinking for Yourself
Our systems of higher education and employment have increasingly evolved towards valuing a deeply focused specialization of knowledge and ability. But trend analyst Vikram Mansharamani argues that cultivating the knowledge and skills of a generalist can help preserve our autonomy and self-determination.
Column: What’s missing in our economy? Inflation
The labor market is tightening. Wages are rising. And yet, despite very aggressive monetary policy efforts, United States central bankers have been unable to hit their inflation target. For more than four straight years, the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation has been below its target of 2 percent. This has happened despite an explosion of assets on the balance sheet of the Federal Reserve, which rose from 6 percent of GDP to 24 percent between 2008 and 2016.
Column: This South Korean shipping company’s collapse could affect you
Last week, I went to the BJ’s Wholesale Club near my house. Unsurprisingly, Halloween decorations, candy and costumes greeted me as I entered. But the next two aisles, to my amazement, were filled with Christmas stuff. At the time, it was still September!
Global investors turn 'neutral' on Indian stock markets: Vikram Mansharamani, Lecturer, Yale University
I have been paying attention to the most markets around the world for many years and the quick comment I would make regarding the Indian equities specifically is that they are not exactly cheap....

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