Nicholas Thompson has occupied the most prestigious positions in the world of tech writing and journalism, staking out a bold, optimistic vision for what our future will look like. His bite-sized LinkedIn series, #MostInterestingThingInTech, breaks down what you need to know in the tech world every day. His relevant insights have garnered him +1.6 million followers on LinkedIn, and counting. Nick also moderated several talks with tech leaders like Geoffrey Hinton, the “godfather of AI,” drawing powerful insights that he shares in his keynotes and LinkedIn series.

He currently serves as CEO of The Atlantic. Since he joined, the magazine earned the top honor of General Excellence at the National Magazine Awards in 2022 and 2023, and was named Digiday’s Publisher of the Year in 2022. This journalistic excellence has been paired with growth across the company, including record subscriber growth for the third straight year. As the Editor-in-Chief of WIRED, Nicholas broke massive stories about Facebook’s hidden flaws, cyber-warfare, the Robert Mueller investigation, and numerous other topics. His ground-breaking investigative reporting on Facebook was a finalist for a 2020 Loeb Award, and he oversaw work that won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Magazine Award and has even led to Oscar-winning films.

At The New Yorker, Nicholas served as editor of the magazine’s digital platforms, breaking new ground with stories about his friendship with Joseph Stalin’s daughter, how our lives are forever changed by the consumer drone industry, and arson amid the election cycle. 

Nicholas is also an accomplished runner and is currently the American record holder for men over age 45 in the 50k. He is also ranked in the top ten marathoners in the world for his age group. He can show you how the lessons he’s learned from running are also applicable to business, and every other field. The discipline and grit put into this solo sport are undeniably influential on productivity, creativity, and purpose. To Nicholas, running is not a matter of physical talent, but a matter of mental strength.

Nicholas is a former Senior Editor at Legal Affairsand a former contributor at CBS. With a massive and vigilant following on social media, he’s one of LinkedIn’s most-followed individuals. He earned the 21st Century Leader Award from The National Committee on American Foreign Policy, was a Future Tense Fellow at the New America Foundation, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He’s also the author of the critically acclaimed biography The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War.

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