Chris Rawlinson

Chris Rawlinson is an expert in digital marketing, innovation, and education, and the founder of the learning platform 42courses, an official partner of Cannes Lions. He is the creator of the world’s first brand to grow entirely through social media marketing — the South African winery Stormhoek.

Chris previously served as Head of Innovation at Ogilvy & Mather Africa, where he established the Digital Marketing Academy, and later led the global innovation stream Stream within the WPP network. His expertise has earned him a place on juries of prestigious awards such as the Webby Awards.

42courses, the platform he founded, offers practical online courses in collaboration with Cannes Lions and leading industry professionals. Chris is an active speaker, startup mentor with Google and Techstars, and consultant in storytelling, consumer behavior, and creative thinking.

His career began unconventionally — building smart homes in London and earning a commercial pilot license in South Africa. Chris’s journey is a vivid example of how creativity, technology, and education can reshape industries and inspire new approaches to learning and communication.