Clem Sunter is a world renowned Professional Speaker, Scenario Planner and the author of many books including ‘The Mind of a Fox: Scenario Planning in Action’, ‘Socrates & the Fox: A Strategic Dialogue’, ‘Games Foxes Play: Planning for Extraordinary Times’, ‘The High Road: Where are we now?’, ‘AIDS: The Challenge for South Africa’ and ‘Pretoria […]
Clem Sunter is a world renowned Professional Speaker, Scenario Planner and the author of many books including ‘The Mind of a Fox: Scenario Planning in Action’, ‘Socrates & the Fox: A Strategic Dialogue’, ‘Games Foxes Play: Planning for Extraordinary Times’, ‘The High Road: Where are we now?’, ‘AIDS: The Challenge for South Africa’ and ‘Pretoria Will Provide’ amongst others.
Clem was born in Suffolk in 1944 and he was educated at Winchester College.
He went to Oxford where he studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics before joining Charter Consolidated as a Management Trainee in 1966.
In 1971, Clem Sunter moved to Lusaka in Zambia to work for the Anglo American Corporation (Central Africa) and in 1973, he was transferred to the head office of the Anglo American Corporation (South Africa) in Johannesburg.
Clem Sunter spent most of his career in the Gold and Uranium division, serving as Chairman from 1990 to 1996. He was Chairman of the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund which was rated as the ‘premier corporate social responsibility fund in South Africa’.
In the early 1980’s, he established a scenario-planning function in Anglo with teams in London and Johannesburg. Two of the members were Pierre Wack and Ted Newland, who had previously headed up the Scenario Planning Department at Royal Dutch Shell. After retiring, the two acted as consultants to Anglo for over a decade.
Using material from these two teams, Clem Sunter put together a presentation entitled: ‘The World and South Africa in the 1990’s’ which became very popular within South Africa.
Clem’s Keynote Addresses:
‘The World and South Africa Beyond 2013: The Latest Scenarios, Flags & Probabilities’
Clem Sunter says: “In South Africa, people are used to uncertainty and we tend to reflect the environment we’re brought up in.
The world has grown in the last 50 years and we are in for some turbulent times. This calls for a system that can handle these surprises and that can put them into an operational context.
We need to have practical and down-to-earth measures to deal with them”.
Clem Sunter has defined seven principles of strategy, applied during the session:
· Strategy is direction. Tactics are how to get there.
· Strategy formulated without first consulting the context will probably end up being bad strategy.
· Strategy is as much about ruling in potential paths that fit your scope as ruling out others that don’t.
· Good strategy can be turned into bad strategy by a future change in the context. Scenarios are a way of exploring alternative futures, which might necessitate a change in strategy.
· Bad tactics can destroy goo strategy but no tactic can rescue bad strategy.
· Good strategy has a greater chance of being converted into good results if tactic are accompanied by a set of measurable outcomes to which people can aspire.
· Above all, strategy is about understanding what you do and don’t control and what is certain (and uncertain) about the future – knowing when to change direction to avert unintended and possibly tragic consequences.
The strategic conversation Clem Sunter facilitates is in two parts: firstly defining the game and secondly playing the game. The first part has six steps and the second has four as indicated in the model below:
Defining the Game
The first step in defining the game is to review its evolution in recent years and where it stands today – together with your status as a player.
Clem Sunter has identified three kinds of rules that you need to establish in order to understand the DNA of your game.
Contact us at Speakers Inc and subscribe to our YouTube channel
In order to view the below you must be logged in.
Shakes Dlutu, affectionately known as “Shakes,” has devoted his life to empowering others through motivation, emotional intelligence, and youth engagement. With over a decade of experience in the fields of personal development, mentorship, and life skills, Shakes has become a sought-after motivational speaker for his unique ability to connect with audiences from all walks of […]
Faf de Klerk is a celebrated South African rugby icon whose tenacity, leadership, and vision have defined an era of Springbok success. Renowned for his speed, tactical awareness, and indomitable spirit, Faf is more than just a world-class scrum-half—he is a symbol of resilience and determination on and off the field. His dynamic performances in […]
Tim Cohen, a seasoned business editor and journalist, has profoundly shaped South Africa’s economic reporting landscape with his incisive analysis and commitment to truth. Before joining the highly respected Daily Maverick as Business Editor, Cohen served as the editor of Business Day, one of South Africa’s premier financial newspapers. His career began on the pages […]
Mi Casa with their signature soulful sound and unparalleled creativity, South African house music group has skyrocketed to success since 2010. They challenge audiences around the globe to take an interest in their unique sound that is hailed truly Global soulful house genre. The trio comprises of 3 highly talented musos: Mo T Mo-T Mi […]
Paula Quinsee is a passionate advocate for positive and healthy relationships, personal development, well-being and GBV and empowering others with insights and tools to have the relationships and life they desire. Imago Relationship Therapy was my turning point When I was introduced to Imago Relationship Therapy in 2006, I had hit rock bottom (listen to […]
No results available
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by Speakers Inc.
All talent fees exclude VAT, travel and accommodation where required.
Our Mission
Our Mission:
© All rights reserved 2025. Designed using Voxel