Dr. C. Otto Scharmer is a Senior Lecturer at MIT and the founding chair of ELIAS (Emerging Leaders Innovate Across Sectors). He also is the chair of the Presencing Institute and a visiting professor at the Center for Innovation and Knowledge Research, Helsinki School of Economics. Scharmer has consulted with global companies, international institutions, and cross-sector change initiatives in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

He has co-designed and delivered award-winning leadership programs for client organizations including Daimler, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Fujitsu. He introduced the theoretical framework and practice called "presencing" in Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges (2007), and in Presence: An Exploration of Profound Change in People, Organizations, and Society (2005), co-authored with Peter Senge, Joseph Jaworski, and Betty Sue Flowers. More information about Scharmer and his work can be found www.ottoscharmer.com and www.presencing.com