John Howkins is a leading figure in the global development of the creative economy.  His book, ‘The Creative Economy’, published in 2001, was the first account of the new economy.  

As a Director of ITR & Co, John has advised ABC, BBC, CBS, European Commission, IBM, News Corp, NHK, RAI, Shanghai Creative Industries Association, Sky TV, Sony, Time Warner, Universal Studios and other clients. He has worked in over 30 countries including Australia, Canada, China, France, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Poland, Singapore, UK and USA.

Howkins is a Visiting Professor at the Shanghai School of Creativity, China, and Lincoln University, England.

He is the founder and Director of the Adelphi Charter on Creativity, Innovation and Intellectual Property. He is Director of HandMade plc, a films and rights owner listed on London’s AIM market. He was associated with HBO Inc and Time Warner Inc from 1982 to1996 with responsibilities for TV businesses in Europe.

Howkins is Deputy Chairman of the British Screen Advisory Council (BSAC).  He is a Member of the United Nations Advisory Committee on the Creative Economy.  He is a former Chairman of the London Film School and Vice Chairman of the Association of Independent Producers.   He is a former Executive Director of the International Institute of Communications (IIC).

John Howkins’ other books include ‘Communications in China’, ‘Four Global Scenarios for Information’ and ‘CODE’.