Matthew Michalewicz Travels from Australia
Fee Range: POA
Matthew Michalewicz 's Biography
He has established boards that include former heads of state, Nobel Peace Prize winners, and Fortune 500 CEOs, and has a 20-year track record of starting, growing, and exiting high growth businesses. He is currently the CEO of Complexica, an early-stage company specialising in cognitive computing.
From 2005 – 2012, Matthew was the co-founder and CEO of SolveIT Software, a supply chain optimisation business he grew from zero to almost 180 employees and $20 million in revenue before selling the business to Schneider Electric. Under his leadership, SolveIT Software became the 3rd fastest-growing company in Australia in 2012, as ranked by Deloitte. The company won numerous awards, and counted among its customers some of the largest corporations in the world, including Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, and Xstrata.
From 1999 - 2003, Matthew was the co-founder and CEO of NuTech Solutions in the USA, where he raised more than US$15 million in venture capital and grew the business to almost 200 employees in six international offices. Matthew established an “A-list” board of directors, which included former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Lech Walesa, former Bank of America Chairman and CEO, Hugh McColl Jr., world-renowned fraud expert and subject of Steven Spielberg's blockbuster "Catch Me if You Can," Frank Abagnale, and briefly (as board advisor), former National Security Advisor to the President of the United States, Zbigniew Brzezinski. NuTech Solutions was acquired by Netezza Corporation, which was subsequently acquired by IBM Global Services.
From 1994 – 1999, Matthew was the founder and operator of Fitness Forever, a personal training business, and later, the co-founder of CFG Investments, a money management and financial planning company with more than $150 million under management.
Matthew’s business achievements have been featured in numerous television shows and publications, including Time Magazine, Newsweek, and Forbes. He was named the Pearcey Foundation "Entrepreneur of the Year", Business Journal "40 under 40" list of accomplished business leaders, University of North Carolina "Alumnus of the Year", and Ernst and Young "Entrepreneur of the Year" finalist.
Matthew is the author of several books, including "Life in Half a Second", "Winning Credibility", "Puzzle-Based Learning", and "Adaptive Business Intelligence". He is also a Visiting Fellow at the University of Adelaide where he lectures on the subject of technology commercialisation, and an investor and Limited Partner in Blackbird Ventures, an Australian early-stage venture capital fund.
Speaking Topics Include
The Science of Success
The problem with success is that everybody has an opinion on how to achieve it. These opinions are usually based on personal experiences within a specific industry, time period, and geography, and can often be contradictory or irrelevant. In the "Science of Success", Matthew presents the five fundamental drivers of success that are evidence-based and proven through thousands of studies and decades of scientific research. Free from opinion and bias, he explains the mechanics of each driver, why it works, and how it can be applied for attaining business, career, and personal goals. Matthew's talk is often included as a keynote presentation in conferences, corporate events, and professional development programs, and is based on his groundbreaking book Life in Half a Second.
From Starvation to Success: How to improve small business performance
Most small businesses are stuck in a perpetual state of 'survival', never quite able to achieve the financial success their products and services deserve. Matthew's presentation pulls focus on the critical factors that make the difference between starvation and success in any small business. Based on real-life examples and case studies, participants are provides with knowledge, insights, and action items to improve their top and bottom line performance, along with insights into Matthew's approach to fast-tracking business growth. Matthew has started, grown, and sold four companies during a 20-year period, with his last venture being ranked by Deloitte as the third fastest growing company in Australia in 2012.
From Cradle to Grave: How to foster innovation within any organisation
Why innovate? To gain differentiation, competitive advantage, increased productivity - the list is endless. The problem large organisations face is how to approach innovation - which is typically an unstructured discipline - in a structured manner. Matthew presents different innovation models for, from cultural and KPI-driving innovation, through to think tanks, strategic alliances, spin-ins, and strategic investments, and how they have been applied in various industries.
Commercialising Tomorrow's Technology
Bringing new innovations to market is both exciting and potentially very rewarding. However, there is often a funding and knowledge gap that has to be overcome when bringing new technologies to market. Using case studies and real-world examples, Matthew explains what it takes to bridge these gaps. His presentation also provides practical guidance that all businesses can apply to maximise their chances of achieving successful commercialisation outcomes.