Mike Walsh

Now is the time for transformational leadership. Customers are changing, generational priorities are shifting, and industries are being reshaped by the collision of AI and data-driven business models. In this new world, only organizations willing to adapt, experiment and embrace learning at scale will succeed.

There is nothing inevitable about progress. The status quo is the path of least resistance. A better, brighter future is the direct result of radical reinvention not incremental improvement. Too often we fail to commit energy and resources to the real drivers of difference: projects that depart from the norm, products or services that never existed before, and technologies combined in new and unexpected ways.

Transformation is a path not a plan. It could be the courageous decision to back a provocative idea from an unexpected source or the recognition that a broken rule might be a smarter way of doing things. It could be as big as merging with a disruptive competitor or as simple as hiring someone whose thinking challenges what you know to be true. The future is not an upgrade on the familiar, it is a world built by the bold.

Based on Mike Walsh’s extensive research into the habits and mindsets of the world’s most dynamic organizations and leaders, this keynote will not only inspire your teams to embrace a new approach to change but will also empower them with a robust set of next actions personalized for their specific challenges, pain points and growth opportunities.

In this keynote, attendees will learn:
• The bold believe that ‘more is different’ not ‘less is more’
• The bold believe that failure is free, and success is expensive
• The bold have a bias for action, even when the future is uncertain

We live in an age of wonder – cars that drive themselves, platforms that anticipate our needs, and robots capable ofdictionary-lores everything from advanced manufacturing to complex surgery. Automation, algorithms and AI are transforming not only business, but every facet of daily life. While many fear that robots will take their jobs, the rise of machine intelligence begs a more important question: what is the true potential of human intelligence in the 21st century?

In this inspiring keynote, Mike Walsh, futurist and author of ‘The Dictionary Of Dangerous Ideas’ will present a vivid portrait of a brave new world orchestrated by machines that think, and how tomorrow’s leaders can upgrade their capabilities to survive and thrive in an age of accelerating technology.

Audiences will walk away with an insight into the companies, technologies and global forces shaping the age of machine intelligence, as well as a set of tailored next actions on how to redesign their organizations, reimagine their roles and reinvent the way they make decisions.

‘Most companies are simply not designed to survive. They become successful on the basis of one big idea or breakthrough product,’ says CEO Mike Walsh of Tomorrow, a global consultancy that helps design 21st century businesses. ‘The companies that will thrive in the near future are the ones not only embracing change but breaking the rules.’

Companies built to survive the future are no accident. They are a result of deliberate business design decisions smart leaders are making today. In his ongoing research on the world’s most innovative companies, Mike has organized these decisions into seven strategic priorities – that he will explore with audiences as a roadmap for their own reinvention.

In this keynote, Walsh will outline the mega-trends shaping the future of business and consumer behaviour, and the lessons learned from successful Fortune 500 companies on leveraging disruptive innovation, adopting a data-driven mindset and leading change through digital transformation.

COVID-19 is not only changing our way of life, it will hasten the arrival of a radical new future of work. While for many of us working from home has been a new and unexpected challenge – that is just the start of a much bigger transformation set to reshape the nature of business itself.

In order to survive, every organization will have to virtualize. Whether it be serving customers through digital channels or leveraging AI, algorithms and automation to ensure business continuity – we are likely to experience in the next twelve months, a decade’s worth of change.

Not every business will make it, but those that do will never be the same again. And for leaders, now more than ever, is a time to upgrade their capabilities, embrace new technologies, and reimagine what they do.

Mike Walsh’s inspiring new keynote presentation will offer audiences an insight into the organizations and leaders that are successfully navigating this period of change, and how to create a playbook for their own transformation.

Becoming future-proof is more than just about getting through the current crisis – it is about being ready for the new world that awaits us on the other side.

The next generation of consumers will not only be radically different to anything we have known, they will reshape the future in their own image. Forget Millennials. It is their kids we should be worrying about.
Generation AI, born between 2010 and 2025, are the first generation natural born to the Algorithmic Age, a world in which all of their experiences have been personalized and designed for them with data and artificial intelligence.

As young consumers today they are behind the meteoric rise of Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, TikTok and YouTube Kids. As young adults in the 2030s, their expectations and behavioral patterns will transform everything from healthcare to retail, education to financial services. This is their story.

In this keynote, attendees will learn:

• What makes Generation AI so different, and their unique approach to play, entertainment and learning.
• Life in the 2030s, and what a decade of accelerated innovation means for the future of interfaces, experiences and interactions.
• The new skills and capabilities we will need, not only to parent this generation, but to engage them as our customers.