Richard Thieme

About Richard Thieme

Richard Thieme is an author and professional speaker, a pioneer and a prophet with a long reach. In the 1980s-and-90s he illuminated how society, identity, and intelligence and security work would change as new information and communication technologies reshaped the substance of relationships - and would change us, from individuals up to geopolitical structures. While some thought his projections were \"crazy,\" now he is called “a prophet who saw it all from the beginning.” As a result of speaking at global conferences - he has keynoted security conferences in 15 countries - and reaching more on YouTube and through 13 books, he has built a reputation for far-seeing insights, a powerful articulate speaking ability, and documented acclaim from audiences that range from NSA, the Secret Service and the FBI to Bank of America, Microsoft, GE, and Medtronic and 26 straight years at Def Con where he was designated an \"uber contributor\" in 2022.A fan said, “Your mind is a door I didn\'t know existed” - which is echoed by many beyond his niche. He lives in Minneapolis but travels the world, a thought leader known for imagination.Ever since a senior colleague at NSA said, “You can\'t discuss what we talk about unless you write fiction. Fiction is the only way you can tell the truth,” he has published 37 short stories, 19 of which were collected in “Mind Games” (2010), and four novels, “FOAM” (2015) and The Mobius Trilogy:\"Mobius: A Memoir\"(2021),\"The Mobius Vector: The Long Road Home,\"(2022), and \"Mobius: Out of Time (2023). All have received rave reviews. A lifetime of speaking experience - as an instructor in English literature and writing at the U of Illinois, an Episcopal clergyman for sixteen years, and an author and speaker for 30 years - plus an ability to cross-reference salient ideas from diverse fields - make for fascinating presentations on diverse subjects.For more details, written works, and links to speeches - see thiemeworks.com.

Experience

1. Keynote Speaker

   Govcert.Nl

   Oct 1993 — Present

   tweets during the ITWEB Security Summit in Johannesburg SA 2011Thuthuka.Sithole:\"Listening to Richard Thieme: GENIUS\"angusclarke: Richard has my attention. superolz: ok converted! Richard has serious valid points!Visi_Ace: This is deep stuff.swan_e: Richard\'s talk is *packed* with info! Definitely need to touch base with him! From a letter from Rob McNie, Catalyst IT, New Zealand:Richard has the ability to make you think. Not just think, but think beyond your normal comfortable boundaries. That he keeps getting invited back to speak at the same high profile conferences speaks volumes for his qualities. His vendor independence is also very redeeming. After sitting through countless speakers and death by power point it is very refreshing to put down the pens, listen, think and be challenged. I have heard Richard four times and each time I have been challenged to think. After the Wellington session I contacted many of the attendees and they all found it a similar experience and would by happy to hear him speak again. Richard fits into a small bracket of speakers that I find inspirational rather than just very interesting. I have been on the organising committee of eight conferences and I would put Richard into the top keynote speaker either to open or close the conference with no hesitation.And from Stefan Strobel, IT Defense, Berlin:We invited Richard to be a speaker at IT-Defense, the most respected commercial IT-security conference in Germany. Richard gave a keynote speech. His presentation stood out because he managed to make the audience think beyond their normal environment. His presentation got the best feedback from attendees and motivated a lot of discussion.He is open to new ideas, one of very few people that can stand in front of an audience without PowerPoint slides or technical details and get the attention of people from a completely different background. I recommend him for other conferences without hesitation.

Education

• University of Chicago

  M. A., English literature

  1966 — 1967

• Northwestern University

  B. A., English lit and writing

  1962 — 1965

• Seabury-Western Theological Seminary

  M. Div., Theology/Theological Studies

  1974 — 1977

Skills

• Journalism
• Computer Security
• Science Fiction
• Writing
• Internet Security
• Books
• Information Security
• Storytelling
• Content Development
• Leadership
• Network Security
• Content Management
• Business Coaching
• Security
• Research
• Identity Management
• Creative Writing
• Information Technology
• Poetry
• Magazines
• Ethics
• General Awesomeness
• Newspapers
• Strategy
• E-Commerce
• Motivational Speaking
• Ebooks
• Published Author
• Publishing
• Freelance Writing
• Magazine Articles
• Fantasy
• Blogging
• Consulting
• Feature Articles
• Online Publishing
• Fiction
• Technology
• Identity
• Online Journalism