Cape Town based Mitch Ilbury is a leading scenario strategist, entrepreneur, and co-author of the bestselling book Thinking the Future: New Perspectives from the Shoulders of Giants (Penguin Random House, 2021), written with Clem Sunter. As a keynote speaker and facilitator, Mitch helps corporate audiences navigate uncertainty, think strategically, and lead in complexity.

He is a director of Mindofafox, the renowned scenario planning consultancy, and founder of Growing Foxes, an education company that equips young people across South Africa, Australia, and Zimbabwe with tools for future-focused decision-making. His work blends academic rigour with real-world insight, empowering both executive teams and emerging leaders to make better long-term choices.

Mitch has designed and facilitated strategic foresight sessions for clients across a wide range of sectors; from finance, mining, and agriculture to education and government, in South Africa, the UK, Australia, and beyond. He also works closely with the African Union in Ethiopia, where he leads the design and facilitation of the AU Emerging Leaders’ Programme – an annual leadership initiative for high-potential individuals from all 55 member states.

In 2020, Mitch led the scenario development team for the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) Vision 2050, shaping policy foresight across political, economic, and social domains for the region.

A published thought leader, Mitch contributed to Fake News: A Roadmap (NATO StratCom COE, 2017), which was cited in the UK Parliament’s inquiry into disinformation. He is a regular analyst on Cape Talk and 702, and has written for Business Day and other leading platforms on issues of strategic foresight and decision-making under uncertainty.

Mitch holds an Honours degree in Philosophy and Politics from the University of Cape Town (cum laude) and a Master’s in Intelligence and International Security (with Distinction) from King’s College London. His research examined how scenario planning is used by the U.S. National Intelligence Council to inform policymaking.

He is an engaging and forward-thinking speaker whose sessions leave audiences better equipped to make sense of, and shape, the future.