CREATIVITY
INNOVATION
JEAN DAVID
Biography
A native of Quebec City, Jean David is an independent communication researcher, creativity and innovation consultant, professional speaker, and visionary entrepreneur. He was one of the pioneers and builders of Cirque du Soleil, serving as Vice President of Marketing for fifteen years from 1984 to 1999. In this role, he helped shape one of the most original creative, cultural, and entrepreneurial adventures of its generation, leading the international marketing of the Big Top and introducing this unique experience to diverse cultures across four continents. His pivotal role in this journey is highlighted in the book Blue Ocean Strategy, which cites Cirque du Soleil as a landmark example of creating a new strategic space.
Throughout his career, Jean David has developed a deep philosophy regarding creativity, innovation, and human mobilization. To him, innovation is more than just a management method, a technical process, or the domain of experts. It is, first and foremost, a living, evolving, and collective force. It arises when individuals feel invested, empowered, and mobilized to imagine what does not yet exist.
This conviction has led him to work in various contexts where creativity serves as a catalyst for transformation. Notably, he led a pre-feasibility study for the ESSEL Group in Mumbai, India, and spearheaded the Mumbai International Creative Centre project—an initiative aimed at creating an international hub and theme park dedicated to creativity and creative thinking processes.
A self-taught thinker and author of Quel Cirque!, Jean David shares his perspective on the Cirque du Soleil adventure while articulating a broader vision for society: a world where creativity is not reserved for artists, experts, or exceptional organizations, but becomes a collective capability that is better recognized, better mobilized, and more effectively put into motion.
Building on this vision, he is currently developing Le Grand Jeu, a public collective intelligence event designed to invite citizens to come together, engage in dialogue, and share their values, aspirations, and ideas for the future.
Rather than pursuing a purely academic research project, Jean David’s approach focuses on designing event architecture, a collective experience, and a "human technology" of participation.
Le Grand Jeu thus extends the central question of his life's work: how can we create the conditions for a group, an organization, or a community to rediscover its capacity to imagine, contribute, and act together?
Welcome to my site, which presents the services I offer to companies and organizations in order to bring out innovative and profitable ideas. You will find four professional aspects that fascinate me: Professional Speaker, Business Coaching, Marketing and Public Innovation.
Feel free to contact me for more details or to get an evaluation based on specific needs.
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