The future of work: role of the freelancer

The biggest change since the industrial revolution

Dr James Bellini

Evolving trends completely reshaping the notion of business and why individuals in the new economy will be as important as a big company.

James Bellini is a respected futurologist, broadcaster and author focusing on socio-economic trends up to Horizon 2025. He is also Director of Content for www.talentfoundation.com, a cyber-clubhouse for individuals and businesses to discuss issues affecting talent management in the future.

Envisaging multiple future worlds

Jon Andrews

A look at three possible ‘worlds’ that could emerge by 2020: how these scenarios will affect the way we work and the way businesses compete.

Jon leads PwC’s Human Resources Management practice in the UK for financial services clients and co-authored the report ‘Managing Tomorrows People’, which examines how business will be redefined by global forces.

Optimistic about the future

Sir Tom Farmer

Sir Tom reflects on the role of freelancers in the success of the Kwik-Fit group and explains why for companies in the future "bigger" may in fact be "dimmer".

Sir Tom set up his first business in the motor trade in 1964. In 1971 he founded Kwik-Fit, which he later sold to the Ford Motor Company for over £1 billion. He is one of Britain’s foremost entrepreneurs and now oversees a portfolio of business investments.

It’s about choice and balance

Michael van Swaaij

Skype and eBay’s experiences of striking the balance between a core internal team and expert help from outside, and why it is in everybody’s interest to let people choose how they want to work.

Michael is a global technology leader, currently Chairman of Skype and investor in www.crunch.co.uk. He was formerly the managing director of eBay Europe, where he started up and ran their European operations – it now has over 10 billion Euros per year in trade.

Views from the marketplace

Various commentators

A number of people share their perspectives of the current state of the freelance market. Commentators include freelancers, managers of businesses from small to very large, as well as the freelance trade association PCG.

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