In Conversation with Jon Geldart, Director General, Institute of Directors

Please note that registration for this event closes at 5pm on Wednesday, 12th November 2025.

To register to attend after this date, please contact the External Engagement team at [email protected].

The Corporate Wisdom series

Our flagship event series welcomes talks from key business figures from across the globe, representing a variety of sectors, who offer expert knowledge and insight into a range of current issues affecting business leaders today. They also offer an excellent opportunity for networking in an informal environment

In Conversation with Jon Geldart, General Director of the Institute of Directors

We are delighted to welcome Jon Geldart, Director General of the Institute of Directors, to the next event in our Corporate Wisdom series. Jon will join us for a conversation on leadership, innovation, and the evolving role of directors in shaping the future of business.

Jonathan was appointed Director General of the Institute of Directors in October 2019. Prior to this, he spent 30 years working in the professional services sector, most recently at Grant Thornton International Ltd, where he was responsible for the organisation’s interests in China and previously served as a global board member overseeing brand strategy.

He has a long-standing connection with the IoD, having chaired the Yorkshire and North East region before his appointment as Director General. Jonathan is the author of three books on China and is a Fellow of both the Institute of Directors and the Royal Geographical Society.

He studied Geography and Archaeology at the University of St Andrews, specialising in underwater archaeology. Outside of work, his interests include hill walking and fell running. He was the navigator in a rally team for 20 years, is a qualified UK Mountain Leader, and has walked unsupported to the North Pole, as well as completed expeditions in Norway, the Canadian Arctic, and the Everest region.

Jon is an active member of the Leeds University Business School's International Advisory Board.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

University House, University House, Woodhouse, United Kingdom

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