NSB Logo Mike Walsh Mike Walsh

Mike Walsh

Speaker

New York, NY, USA

Technology & Innovation Futurist

Mike is the CEO of Tomorrow, a global consultancy on designing companies for the 21st century. He advises leaders on how to thrive in the current era of disruptive technological change. Mike’s latest book, The Algorithmic Leader: How to be smart when machines are smarter than you, offers a hopeful and practical guide for reinventing leadership and organizations. Each week he interviews provocative thinkers, innovators and troublemakers on his weekly podcast, ‘Between Worlds’. A true nomad, Mike travels over 300 days a year worldwide, researching trends, collecting innovation case studies and presenting on the future of business.

Keynote Speeches

The Algorithmic Leader

We live in an age of wonder – cars that drive themselves, platforms that anticipate our needs, and robots capable of 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 presents 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.

Attendees will learn:
– Why competing in an age of AI requires a radically new approach to delivering data-driven experiences and personalized services.
– What it takes to accelerate your journey to becoming an AI-powered organization, and how to lead a successful process of digital transformation.
– How to unlock the new skills, capabilities and mindsets that your leaders will need to survive and thrive in the future

 

Designing Your Business For the 21st Century

‘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 megatrends 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.

Attendees will learn:
– How to leverage technology, and data to become truly AI-powered
– How to make culture your operating system and redesign the way your teams work
– How to become a better data-driven decision maker, and reimagine your role as a leader

The AI Powered Organization

AI-powered organizations will be different, just not in the ways you might expect. When evaluating the impact of new technology, business leaders often focus on the wrong criteria. The real issue is not whether there is a sound business case for cutting costs or increasing productivity through AI and automation, but rather, frankly assessing the disruptive potential of these very same tools and platforms to reshape the dynamics of your market. If not by you, then by who? If not now – then when?

Here is the right place to start: what is now possible in an age of AI that was not before? Organizations that find compelling answers to that question will undoubtedly find faster, smarter, and more effective ways of doing things. But that’s not the point. They will also be in the best position to not only streamline their traditional operating models but also pioneer the creation of entirely new digital marketplaces, data-driven products and services, and radical new business models.

In this enlightening keynote, Walsh examines three significant shifts that will define AI-powered competition in the next five to ten years:

  1. The shift from business to platforms
  2. The shift from transactions to experiences
  3. The shift from data to insights

See a short clip of this keynote here.

New Rules For A New World

The pandemic not only changed our way of life, it accelerated the arrival of a radical new future of business. While for many of us hybrid work is a new and unexpected challenge –  it is just the start of a much bigger transformation set to reshape the nature of organizations themselves.

This is a new world, and one that will run on very new rules. Whether it be engaging customers through digital channels or leveraging AI, algorithms and automation to reinvent how we deliver value – we are likely to experience in the next decade, a century’s worth of change. Not every organization will make it, but those that do will never be the same again. And for leaders, now more than ever, it is a time to upgrade their capabilities, embrace new technologies, and reimagine what they do.

This keynote will offer insurance professionals and financial advisors 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 a crisis – it is about being ready for the new world that awaits us on the other side.

Attendees will learn:

  • Why there is no such thing as digital disruption, just digital delivery
  • Why there is no remote work, just work
  • Why AI is not here to destroy our jobs, but it will change them
What Leaders Need To Know About The Metaverse

The Metaverse is more than a gold rush; it is an alchemical transformation in how the world works.. Over the next few years, we will see a rapid convergence between the digital and real world driven by increasingly sophisticated devices, decentralized blockchain technologies and AI platforms capable of generating persistent, immersive and collaborative experiences indistinguishable from reality.

This keynote will demystify core Metaverse technologies and concepts. In addition, with a playbook style approach, he will provide insights into what it will take to pioneer Metaverse applications, experiment with new ways of working, and attract and develop the right kind of talent to help you achieve your goals.

The time for action is now. Every organization and industry will be impacted by the next iteration of the Web and its radical interfaces, infrastructure and investment models. The question for leaders is no longer what is the Metaverse, but rather – what is our plan for it?

Attendees will learn:
– Successful case studies of how both existing brands and disruptive new entrants are leveraging Web3 technologies to reinvent customer experiences, create engaged communities and unlock new value creation opportunities.
– What the Metaverse means for enterprises and how we work – whether it be personal avatars in hybrid workspaces, digital twins on the factory floor, or smart contracts in the supply chain.
– A Metaverse toolkit for leaders to understand and navigate emerging ethical and strategic issues like privacy, fraud, user safety, sustainability, governance and control.
The Future Favors The Bold

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 and 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

The Rise Of Generation AI

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.

Platform Plus Presentations

Unique formats and ways to connect with audiences.
Workshop | Design Your Company for the Future
What does it take to lead a 21st century company? New technology is not only an opportunity to improve productivity, it invites us to ask a much bigger question – can we re-imagine the way we do business? Forces of change surround us. Whether it be generational turnover, the Cloud, mobile work, or the rise of the social enterprise – the companies that thrive in the near future will be the ones that not only embrace change but are the first to break the rules. With a focus on not just big ideas but practical tools, this workshop will provide business leaders with a roadmap for your company’s future and the capabilities you will need to take it there.

Audience reviews:

  • Mike was not only responsive and delightful to work with, but incredibly diligent in learning about the top technology and business issues on the minds of our audience of Chief Information Officers and IT leaders. Consequently, his presentation was beautifully tailored to CIOs and their concerns. They especially liked the way he included thought-provoking questions (his “mind grenades”) as well as “next action” ideas and concrete suggestions with each of the big concepts he covered in his talk. The presentation was fascinating in its variety, enhanced with short videos and gorgeous imagery, and his delivery throughout was conversational and entertaining. In all the uncertainty and challenges ahead for us all in the future, he was reassuring and upbeat... it was an outstanding way to kick off a conference that was all about innovation and business value.

    - Editor in Chief, CIO 100 Symposium
  • Mike was a pleasure to work with. His presentation was perfectly pitched reflecting his research prior to the event to tailor his presentation to our audience and he also took the time to meet with some of them prior to the presentation. We would highly recommend Mike to anyone interested and would love to work with him again.

    - Roche Products Pty Limited
  • Dynamic, highly relevant and stimulating, with fresh and unique insights.

    - Chairman & CEO - Grey Group Asia Pacific
  • Mike has a unique insight into how tomorrow will change today. His eye opening content and engaging presentation make him a must see for anyone who wants to know what lies ahead. A brilliant presentation

    - Managing Director, Fuji Xerox Australia
  • Amazing! I have found that some futurists and speakers simply regurgitate other people’s work without much original thought. Mike’s session was the contrary – full of original insights and humour – it gave me a number of genuinely new insights. He was also on-point during the subsequent panel discussion and complemented the other speakers.

    - Clients & Markets | Regional Head Middle East, Grant Thornton International

Speaker Biography

Mike’s best-selling book Futuretainment was the winner of the design award by the Art Director’s Club in New York. Mike’s latest book is The Dictionary Of Dangerous Ideas. Each week he interviews provocative thinkers, innovators and troublemakers on his weekly podcast, ‘Between Worlds’. A true nomad, Mike travels over 300 days a year worldwide, researching trends, collecting innovation case studies and presenting on the future of business.

Prior to being a CEO of Tomorrow, Mike was a pioneer in the digital space since the 1990s, running both successful start-up ventures as well as holding senior leadership positions in established media organizations. With a background in corporate law and management consulting, he began his career at XT3, a spin out from McKinsey and one of the first digital consulting firms created to help major companies embrace the embryonic Web.

During the first digital boom, Mike launched the technology publishing group internet.com in Australia, which went on to become the leading local technology news and events platform in the country. He also founded and ran Jupiter Research in the Asia Pacific, one of the first research agencies to track the early adoption of e-commerce and digital business models by online consumers. During this period, he was recognized as one of Australia’s ‘Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30’. Mike then spent five years in senior strategy roles at News Corporation where he helped shape the digital strategy for both their Australian newspaper and Asian TV divisions. Directly engaged by the CEO of Star TV to provide the company with a digital roadmap for their operations, he began his in-depth research into the fast growth markets of Asia, which became the inspiration for his first book, ‘Futuretainment’.