Gihan Perera

Gihan Perera's Biography

Gihan Perera is a futurist, conference speaker, online presenter, and author who shows you how to be fit for the future in a fast-changing world.

Has disruption – from employee burnout, hybrid work, AI, global uncertainty, and more – shaken up your world? Are your people looking for clear leadership in this time of massive change? Do you want to be more confident in chaos and uncertainty?

Gihan Perera is a business futurist, conference speaker, AI researcher, and author who shows you how to be fit for the future in a fast-changing world.

For more than 25 years, he has worked with organisations and leaders throughout Australia and the world, helping them to lead in uncertainty, act with clarity and confidence, and thrive in a fast-changing world.

He is the author of Disrupted, Disruption By Design, The Future of Leadership, and ten other books.

Through his keynote presentations, interactive masterclasses, and in-depth leadership programs, he shares future trends and thought-provoking insights – delivered with interaction, engagement, and humour – that leave people feeling positive, empowered, and optimistic about their future.

Forbes magazine rated him the #5 social media influencer in the world (and #1 in Australia) in his area of expertise.

He has always taken the lead in embracing emerging technologies and trends, from his university thesis in AI more than 30 years ago, to leading a software development team building the infrastructure for the early Internet, founding one of Australia’s first Web development companies in 1996, teaching thought leaders how to create e-learning platforms, and helping business leaders with scenario planning to lead their teams into the future.

Gihan is one of Australia’s leading online presenters, and has been delivering online presentations since 2009. Citrix (the company behind GoToWebinar) engaged him to teach their clients around the world how to run better online presentations. Garr Reynolds, author of the world-renowned bestseller Presentation Zen, asked him to write the online presentations section for the book.

He is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), the only internationally recognised designation for professional speakers, and was awarded 2024 Educator Of The Year from Professional Speakers Australia.

His formal background is in science and AI, with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Western Australia. But he’s always been interested in people and the way they communicate – and how to become fit for the future, so they embrace change, act on opportunities, and live happier lives.

To enquire about Gihan for your next event contact Helene Greenham directly – helene@platinumspeakers.com.au

Speaking Topics Include

Leveraging AI - Humans and Machines – Better Together

The robots are not coming – they are already here! AI has been simmering away in the background for decades, and ChatGPT was the tipping point that made it mainstream.

The AI revolution is here, and will continue to shape the way we live and work. If you’re not already engaging with AI, you’re falling behind. But it’s not as simple as just switching it on and hoping for the best!

In this engaging and eye-opening presentation, you’ll understand how to leverage AI – to enhance your customer experience, empower your team to collaborate with AI, and elevate productivity and performance to stay ahead of the game.

Key Messages

See real-world case studies showcasing AI in use

Understand some of the ethical considerations and challenges

Develop a well-rounded perspective on AI that balances its potential and limitations

Explore the potential benefits and opportunities of AI for your organisation

Learn how to identify and engage ‘AI champions’ in your team

Fit for the Future - Thriving, not just surviving, in a disrupted world

The world is changing faster than ever before. Digital disruption, global reach, and the changing workplace affect us all, and at all levels – individual, team, organisation, and community.

In the past, it was possible to resist the change and just get by, but that’s no longer an option because the changes affect us in so many ways. That’s bad news if you think you can get by with what has always worked before. But it’s exciting news if you’re willing to embrace the new opportunities.

Broadly, our world has changed in three big ways – it’s Fast, Flat and Free: Change is happening faster than ever before, we’re breaking down hierarchies and control, and prices are falling and competition is rising.  These changes have had a profound impact on us all.

The world’s economic power is shifting from North to South, and from West to East, which means the 21st century is the “Asian Century”. Countries like Australia – with the right time zone, established relationships, and a better understanding of the region than the rest of the world – are perfectly placed to take advantage of these opportunities.

Take an inspiring, eye-opening, and engaging ride into the future to learn about the global megatrends shaping your industry, the mindset that helps you lead the change, and the skills you need to get things done in a fast-changing world.

Key Messages

The global megatrends shaping business and society

Influence and power in the Age of Access

Change is the new normal

Take more control of your own future

Future-Ready Leaders - From Chaos and Confusion to Clarity and Confidence

COVID-19 changed our lives in ways we couldn’t imagine, and the real disruption is still to come. The future of work will be even more disruptive and uncertain – influenced by climate change, working from home, diversity and inclusion, Generation Z in the workforce, AI and automation, changes in global economic power, and more.

If your people are burnt out, fed up, falling behind, and pushing back, you’re not alone! More than ever, we need leaders to step up and lead the way – providing clarity and confidence when they face chaos and confusion.

The future of work is about skills, not jobs; diversity, not hierarchy; and meaning, not just money.

If you think there’s been a war for talent, you ain’t seen nothing yet! The best people can – and will – choose where, when, how, and for whom they work. Will you create the sort of workplace that will attract and keep them? And are you the sort of leader they want to follow?

In this keynote presentation for leaders and managers, you will understand the key elements of the future of work, discover the most important skills for the future, and learn what it takes to create the best workplace on earth.

Key Messages

• Understand how COVID-19 changed employee priorities, expectations, and power
• Discover how smart, savvy leaders are thriving through crisis, recovery, and growth
• Learn how to leverage individual skills and talents to create a more agile, resilient, and ‘antifragile’ organisation
• Know the five things the best employees want from their workplace
• Adopt a mindset of an active learner and possibility thinker

Seeing into the Future – Practical Foresight For A Fast-Changing World

Welcome to a world where uncertainty, change, and disruption rule! External pressures beyond our control have a massive impact on lives, and we’ve all seen this in the last few years.

We would love to have certainty about our future, but that’s impossible in a fast-changing world. Don’t step back and make your plans shorter and your goals smaller. Instead, learn to think like a futurist, so you can think ahead to see what’s around the corner and over the horizon.

Discover how to anticipate trends, spot opportunities, and prepare today for an uncertain tomorrow. The best leaders don’t promise certainty, but they offer more clarity and confidence so we can all make better, more well-informed decisions now.

In this compelling keynote for forward-thinking leaders at all levels, learn the essentials of futurist thinking so you can inspire, motivate, and lead your team through an uncertain – and exciting – future.

Key Messages:

Understand the key external factors that could affect your short-term, medium-term, and long-term plans

Broaden your thinking to have an external perspective

Engage the diversity and different perspectives of the entire team

Adopt the mindset of an active learner and possibility thinker

Stay relevant, flexible, and resilient in your planning

Customers On Your Side - Leverage AI To Put Customers First

The world is in flux, and so are your customers. In a world of shifting expectations, brand fatigue, and diverse wants and needs, you need to change – fast! Are you keeping up?

Your customers won’t wait. They scroll, swipe, search – and will leave in a heartbeat. If you’re still serving yesterday’s customer, you’re already behind.

Fortunately, AI unlocks new ways for you to engage, serve, and build long-term loyalty. At every touchpoint, AI can help you engage more deeply, tailor offerings to suit your customer’s needs, and provide high-quality support and service.

AI doesn’t replace your people. Instead, it supports and empowers them, reducing their workload so they can do what they do best: deliver a superior customer experience with a real human connection.

In this engaging and eye-opening presentation, you will see how to leverage AI to stay truly customer-centric. Discover how to blend empathy, innovation, and the power of AI to reach, win, and retain customers – and stay ahead of the game.

Key Messages

• Know the key shifts reshaping customer expectations in an AI-powered world
• Understand how AI is changing the customer journey – and how to use it to your advantage
• Build stronger emotional and digital connections using AI-powered personalisation
• Learn how AI can co-create smarter, faster, more relevant solutions with your customers
• Combine diverse human perspectives and machine insights to meet evolving customer needs

Bright Sparks - Building a Culture of Change Agents

Disruption and innovation are two sides of the same coin: They are both about change, but it’s disruption when change happens to you and innovation when you create the change yourself. We have all faced massive disruption, and it’s now time to start being proactive. The teams and organisations that will succeed in the future are those who create a culture that welcomes and embraces change and innovation.

Innovation is everybody’s business now, but innovation doesn’t mean you have to invent the next iPhone, find a COVID-19 vaccine, or plan a mission to Mars. The best teams engage in everyday innovation – with an environment that encourages change, respect and trust for the diverse experience and expertise of everybody in the team, conversations that matter for the future, and systems and processes that make change and innovation part of everyday work.

Key Messages

• Understand the five key mindsets for future success
• Learn what leaders often say that block change and innovation (you’ve probably said them yourself!)
• Boost trust, judgement, and independence in hybrid teams
• Encourage a learning and growth mindset
• Make innovation and change an everyday habit, not an optional extra
• Take more control of your own future