This weekend, Jurga Zilinskiene MBE and I attended the Lithuanian City of London Club's (LCLC) 20th Anniversary celebrations, from a thought-provoking afternoon at 22 Bishopsgate to a wonderful black-tie gala at the Institute of Directors. It was full of ideas, inspiration and friendship — but above all, it was a celebration of people.
Friday's discussions explored AI, education, leadership, resilience and Europe's future. One idea stayed with me: the “Five Cs” — creativity, curiosity, communication, collaboration and critical thinking. These are the qualities that make us human, and they may become even more valuable as technology advances.
From left to right: Jurga Zilinskiene MBE. Dalia Ibelhauptaitė, Dexter Fletcher, David Clarke.
Listening to two remarkable people, Dalia Ibelhauptaitė and Dexter Fletcher speak after dinner was an absolute delight.
Dalia has built an extraordinary international reputation through opera and theatre, while Dexter's career spans acclaimed acting roles and directing films such as Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody. Yet what mattered most was not the fame, but the story of how they met.
When Dexter first met Dalia's father, neither had much of the other's language. Fortunately, Armenian brandy did the translating. Each time Dalia and her mother went into the kitchen, Dexter's glass was quietly topped up, and before long the language barrier had vanished.
The room laughed, but beneath the humour was something beautiful: family, acceptance, trust and two cultures coming together through warmth and affection.
What touched me even more was the respect they clearly have for each other. Dalia spoke warmly about Dexter, and he about her.
When Dexter made the leap from acting into directing, Dalia backed him completely. It reminded me that behind many successful people stands someone who believed in them before anyone else did.
Discovering something we had in common
I felt slightly in awe being in the company of someone whose films I have enjoyed for years. Then I realised Dexter and I shared something important: we both fell deeply in love with remarkable Lithuanian women.
Nearly twenty-seven years ago I met Jurga, and that single encounter changed the course of my life.
Over the last quarter of a century I have watched her build Guildhawk from a small entrepreneurial idea into a respected Queen’s Award winning international business helping organisations communicate across languages, cultures and industries. Her achievements are impressive, but what impresses me most is the hard work behind them. That brings me to what I believe is Lithuania's secret skill.
YouTube videos of David Clarke speaking at the Lithuanian Conference. Left: English; Right: Lithuanian Dubbing
After nearly three decades surrounded by Lithuanians, I have come to believe they possess a remarkable quality: part resilience, part creativity, part determination and part humility. Lithuanians rarely tell you how amazing they are. They simply get on and do extraordinary things — in business, the arts, science, exploration and everyday life.
Perhaps that is the Lithuanian superpower.
As the weekend ended, I found myself reflecting on how much the world has changed.
When Jurga and I met in the late 1990s, artificial intelligence belonged in science fiction. Today, Guildhawk uses AI to help people communicate in ways that would once have seemed magical.
My Lithuanian remains embarrassingly awful, so I have relied on Guildhawk's AI video production tools (verified by humans) to help translate my feelings into words that non-English speakers can understand. Alongside this article, I will share a video message where my words are translated and spoken in multiple languages.
But the weekend also reminded me of something more important: technology may be advancing at breathtaking speed, but the things that truly matter remain unchanged.
Art, music, science, creativity, curiosity, communication, collaboration, critical thinking — and above all, love.
The love that inspires people to create, gives them courage, and builds families, friendships, businesses and communities.
No machine will ever replace that. And thank goodness for it.
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