Mike Walsh

Speaking topics

Presentations listed below include in-person and virtual keynotes, as well as workshops, fireside chats, and other presentation formats.

• The AI-Powered Organization

  There has never been a more important time to reinvent the organization. Remote work and the rise of generative AI platforms are just the beginning of a much bigger revolution that is set to reshape the future of work itself.

  Rapid shifts in technology, customer needs, and competitor dynamics are a prescription for a more agile, adaptive, and resilient type of firm capable of integrating not only cutting-edge technologies, but also embracing a new generation of talent as well.

  Whether it be how we engage our customers, how we automate our processes, or even how we make decisions as leaders — the ability to effectively transform data into value will be at the heart of 21st century business. However, simply engaging on digital channels will no longer be enough for a company’s future survival — the real challenge is knowing how to build an AI-powered organization.

  In this keynote, attendees will learn:

  • Why AI will change the dynamics of every industry and the delivery of even the most traditional products and services.
  • How to harness new ways of working, integrating the best of humans and algorithmic platforms.
  • What it takes to identify and develop the capabilities that the future will demand from tomorrow’s leaders and teams.

• 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 a century’s worth of change in the next decade. Not every organization will make it, but those that do will never be the same . And for leaders, now more than ever, it is a time to upgrade their capabilities, embrace new technologies, and reimagine what they do.

  Mike Walsh’s keynote presentation provides audiences with insight into the organizations and leaders that are successfully navigating this period of change, while sharing how they can create a playbook for their own transformation. Becoming future-proof is more than just getting through a crisis — it’s about being ready for the new world that awaits us on the other side.

• What Leaders Need to Know About the Metaverse

  The Metaverse is more than a gold rush; it will be an alchemical transformation in the way 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.

  Mike Walsh 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?

  In this keynote, 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 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?

  Based on his bestselling book, The Algorithmic Leader, Mike Walsh 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.

  In this keynote, 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.

• The Future Favours 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 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 behavioural 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.

• 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 but then fail to evolve and change. One out of three public companies will cease to exist in their current form over the next five years. 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 Walsh has organized these decisions into strategic priorities that he will explore with audiences as a roadmap for their own reinvention.

  Walsh will outline the forces 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.

  In this keynote, 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.