SPEAKER PROFILE

• Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
• Business and Commerce
• Digital Transformation
• Marketing and Advertising
• Society, Culture and Politics
• Technology and Software
• Telecom and Media (TMT)
• The Internet of Things (IoT)
• Work, Jobs and Employment

Actionable Futurist and former IBM Global Managing Partner Andrew Grill is a popular and sought-after keynote speaker and trusted board-level technology advisor.

With a broad career spanning over 30 years in large corporates such as IBM, British Aerospace and Telstra, as well as 12 years running technology start-ups, Andrew is a highly experienced authority on a wide range of topics related to technology trends and the digital world.

Unlike traditional Futurists who paint a picture of the future in 10, 20 or even 50 years’ time, Andrew delivers practical and immediately actionable insights in every session.

A strong digital advocate and former engineer, Andrew believes that “to get digital you need to be digital”, and his engaging keynotes provide actionable insights on how to harness digital technologies to achieve corporate goals on a global and long-lasting scale.

Andrew has spoken in over 40 countries worldwide. Recent clients include senior executives from DHL, Nike, Nestlé, Adobe, Worldpay, Barclays, Euler Hermes, Mars, Vodafone, Arriva, Johnson Matthey, Taylor Wessing, Bunzl, De Beers, Sanofi, NHS, Thomson Reuters, Royal London, ANZ, KPMG, Schroders, Mercer, British Airways, Finnair, UK Government, Westpac, Qantas, Aon, American Airlines, and Shell.

Andrew’s first book “Digitally Curious” will be published by Wiley in 2023, and will provide actionable advice on what’s now and what’s next when it comes to technology and business.

He also delivers workshops and provides strategic advice at the C-suite and Board levels, carefully crafting every keynote with his audience in mind.

He is also a seasoned TEDx speaker, having presented at 5 separate TEDx events.

All of Andrew’s talks can be delivered via Zoom, Microsoft Teams or virtually any webcast or collaboration platform from his HD studio in London.

Andrew’s first-hand experience of the digital world and his in-depth understanding of new technologies spans over three decades and can be traced back to the early 1980s when he found himself online via bulletin boards, the precursor to email. His early training and formal qualifications as an engineer ensure that he is up-to-date with the latest technologies and can confidently present complex concepts in a business-friendly way to any audience.

His experience running 6 high-tech start-ups over a 12-year period in the US, UK, and Australia means that he not only “thinks like a start-up” but can provide strategic and actionable advice for companies on how to think and act in an agile way. His passion and involvement in the digital world spans over 30 years and includes launching Australia’s largest commercial property website, PropertyLook, and Australian location technology company Seeker Wireless to the world stage.

Prior to his role at IBM, he was head of the international client strategy for Visible Technologies, owned by WPP, and he has also held senior positions with Australian telecommunication companies Telstra and Optus.

Andrew is regularly asked to contribute to a wide range of media outlets including The Drum, Barclays Labs, Changeboard and ANZ BlueNotes, and has appeared on Sky News and in the Guardian.

Keynote Topics

• Web3, The Metaverse, Crypto, NFTs & Blockchain explained: Do you have a Web3 strategy, and do you need one? Topics such as Web3, Metaverse, Crypto, NFTs, and Blockchain are all over the media – so what does it all mean, and what should you be doing?
• Workplace Of The Future: The nature of work is changing and becoming distributed, so how can you and your employees adapt and build a human-centric workplace fit for the future?
• Becoming Digitally Curious: Do you lean forward when the latest piece of technology is discussed? This talk will equip you with ways to better use and understand technology and be ready for a digital-first world.
• Disrupt Or Be Disrupted: Digital disruption is happening now, but what does it mean for you and your business? This talk covers topics such as what is digital disruption and how companies can transform.
• Are You Ready for Generative AI?: In this rapidly changing world, artificial intelligence is having an impact everywhere. The arrival of new generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT will deeply disrupt industries everywhere, from education to finance. Are you ready for these changes, and what can you and your firm do to adapt?

More of Andrew Grill’s Speaking Topics

• Brand Advocates: How your best advocates are already on the payroll and how you can harness them for mutual benefit
• Big Data in the age of Cognitive: How big data + cognitive + IoT is the future and what you need to know
• Digital diversity: Why you need experienced digital practitioners on your board & how to find them
• Millennials: Finding, managing and motivating them in large and small companies
• Eminence & Influence in a Digital World: How you can build and drive an eminence and influencer program for your company
• Think and act like a start-up: Andrew’s experience running 6 start-ups over 12 years will help you think and act in an agile way.
• New technology trends: Social Business, IoT, Cognitive computing – what’s next?

Andrew Grill on the Web
Showreel: https://actionablefuturist.com/showreel
Speaking Portfolio: https://actionablefuturist.com/speaking
Headshot: https://actionablefuturist.com/headshot
Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewgrill
Blog: https://actionablefuturist.com/blog
LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/andrewgrill

Videos

Testimonials

• BBC – Never seen a more practical, useful, and actionable session. Andrew challenges and inspires audiences to think about the real impact of the future of work on their lives.
• Nestlé – Your session met and exceeded all our expectations. We had a quick chat afterward and the consensus was “when can we have him back?”
• DHL – A very inspiring and thought-provoking presentation, you have given us a lot to think about!
• LinkedIn – We aim to inspire, educate and entertain our guests, and Andrew’s keynote delivered exactly that. It’s a pleasure to work with Andrew, he is a professional, delivering great content with an easy stage presence.
• Mars – Your session was outstanding and provided our team with new thoughts and new challenges. Your talk was inspiring, provocative, and scary in the right way.
• Royal London – You were one of the highlights of the day! Your session on disruption was beautifully choreographed and to the point! Word has spread like wildfire about you within Royal London and more divisions want to book you to speak at their events.
• Worldpay – We began discussions before the pandemic to have Andrew deliver a physical keynote at our Rethink Global event. He was able to pivot to fully virtual with complete flexibility and delivered a thought-provoking presentation providing practical insights to help our audience become more “digitally curious”.
• International Cooperative & Mutual Insurance Federation – Andrew was a fantastic keynote speaker to open our Conference with an international audience of 350 insurance C-suite delegates. His presentation was professional, engaging, interesting, and his insights introduced thoughts and discussions that were covered in the rest of the conference.
• Morrison & Foerster Lawyers – We worked with Andrew on a virtual event from conception to delivery, and he had so many ideas and tailored his content specifically to our audience. He was fantastic at engaging the ‘room’ and we have thoroughly enjoyed working with him and look forward to future collaborations together!
• University of Teeside – From the very first communication with Andrew, there was no doubt that he was the right choice to launch our inaugural event. He took the time to ask the right questions, and got to know me and, crucially, my clients’ needs. Andrew is Actionable, full of energy, enthused and truly engaged his audience. Without hesitation, I would recommend Andrew.
• 2020 Innovation – Andrew provided an outstanding and thought-provoking keynote session at our Annual Conference. A true professional: taking the time to understand our business, customers & exhibitors to deliver a tailored presentation that resonated with the audience. Feedback from delegates has been excellent.
• Midlands Chamber of Commerce – We’re still receiving amazingly positive feedback from Andrew’s keynotes. I’ve booked other keynote speakers in the past who have delivered their talks and left – Andrew stayed for the whole day and took part in multiple sessions. I would have absolutely no hesitation in hiring Andrew again he constantly delivers and has never let us down.
• Helen Traverso, Senior Marketing Operational Manager, Linedata – Andrew delivered valuable information and analysis in an inspiring and entertaining manner at this year’s Linedata Exchange Europe. Spending time with our audience and being involved in industry debates throughout the day meant our audience was really able to engage with Andrew. I would have no hesitation in utilising Andrew at future events.
• Freddie Ossberg, Founder & CEO, Raconteur – I realise what a speaking circuit superstar I luckily convinced to come to speak at our event. He is the best event speaker I have come across to date.
• Sabrina Hadek, Senior Conference Producer, Uniglobal Research – Addictively energetic and with incessant optimism, Andrew adds enormous vigor and enthusiasm to any audience. Full of energy and ideas, supportive, and dedicated to his work, he’s an inspiring speaker and I absolutely loved working with him!
• Peter Warne, Nestlé SA, A V-P, Nestlé Investor Relations – I have used Andrew twice as a consultant to help us overhaul mobile and social strategy, first for the Nestlé corporate site and then for our Investor Relations section. I would say he saved us 18 months. I would recommend him without hesitation.
• Niki Holzhey, Client Relationship Manager at Templeton & Partners – Andrew was highly engaging both during and after the event and worked the room to ensure everyone got a chance to immerse themselves in the content and air their views directly. Our first event was a huge success, most of the attendees ended up staying 2 hours past the finish time, I owe all of this to Andrew.