Zahaan Bharmal

Zahaan Bharmal is a physicist, author and communicator who bridges the rigorous logic of science with the messy realities of human decision-making and behaviour. His career spans government, global technology companies and science communication, giving him a perspective on the sometimes surprising ways organisations innovate, plan and lead under uncertainty.

For more than fifteen years, Zahaan has held senior roles at Google, including Chief of Staff to the company’s Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Strategy at Google DeepMind. He now serves as a Senior Director at Google, responsible for how AI products are communicated and understood across the EMEA region. Working at the forefront of innovation, he sees first-hand how ideas move from research labs into the real world, and why some succeed while others struggle.

Before joining Google, Zahaan worked in government as a policy advisor and speechwriter. He crafted speeches for political leaders including Tony Blair, Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela, developing an understanding of how complex ideas shape policy, opinion and outcomes.

Zahaan considers how the same principles that underpin physics also apply to decision-making, problem-solving and innovation in business and in life. Drawing on examples ranging from how NASA cracked the challenge of landing safely on Mars, to the ideas behind DeepMind, to how government policy is formed and implemented, he shows how reducing problems to their fundamentals avoids inertia, creates momentum and prevents leaders from being overwhelmed by information and options. He explores themes of uncertainty, instability, resilience and complexity, offering practical frameworks to quickly strip complex decisions down, break chaotic problems into manageable patterns, use substitutes and randomness to out-think perfectionists, and opt for ‘good enough’ without settling for compromises. His work demonstrates how resilient strategies outperform elegant models when conditions suddenly change.

Alongside his corporate, Zahaan is the author of The Art of Physics, an acclaimed book that explores the hidden, beautiful and surprising ways physics can help us make sense of life and work. He also founded YouTube Space Lab, the world’s largest space science competition, inspiring millions of young people to engage with science, and earning NASA’s Exceptional Public Achievement Medal.

Engaging and thoughtful, Zahaan speaks in a personal capacity, combining science, storytelling and practical wisdom. With stories from Google, DeepMind and Downing Street, he provides leaders with tools they can apply immediately in their work, as well as a new way of thinking that helps organisations make better decisions, build resilience, and innovate with confidence in an uncertain world.