Gihan Perera

Gihan Perera's Biography

Digital disruption, the global pandemic, and the changing workplace affect us all, and at all levels – individual, team, organisation, and community. Gihan Perera is a futurist, online presenter, conference speaker, and author who gives you a glimpse into what’s ahead – and shows you how to become fit for the future and be successful in a fast-changing world.

Since 1997, he has worked with organisations and leaders throughout Australia, as well as in New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, and North America.

He is the author of “The Future of Leadership”, “Disruption By Design”, and 10 other books. Forbes magazine rated him the #5 social media influencer in the world (and #1 in Australia) in his area of expertise.

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 has always taken the lead in embracing emerging technologies and trends, from his university thesis in robotics and artificial intelligence, 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.

He is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), the only internationally recognised designation for professional speakers. His formal background is in science and technology, 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 ft for the future, so they embrace change, act on opportunities, and live happier lives.

Speaking Topics Include

Competing In The Age Of AI

The robots are not coming – they are already here! Artificial intelligence has been simmering away in the background for decades, and ChatGPT was the tipping point that made it mainstream. AI already plays a big part in our personal and professional lives, and will continue to shape the way we live and work. If you’re not already engaging with AI in your organisation, 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, engage your team in working side-by-side with AI, and transform productivity and performance to stay ahead of the game.

Seeing Into The Future

Welcome to a world where uncertainty, change, and disruption rule! Disruption is more common than ever, and external pressures beyond our control can have a massive impact on our professional and personal lives. If we didn’t know this before COVID-19, we definitely know it now. We would love to have certainty about our future, but that’s impossible in a fast-changing world. Unfortunately, when faced with uncertainty, many leaders fall into the trap of thinking smaller and only making short-term plans. But that’s risky and dangerous. We definitely want to reduce risk, but we should do that by increasing knowledge, not by pulling back.

In this keynote presentation for leaders, you will learn to think like a futurist. You will understand how to think ahead to see what’s around the corner and over the horizon, look out for opportunities and possibility, and step up to provide clarity and confidence to make better, more well-informed decisions to create the future.

 

Disruption By Design - Innovate from the inside out

Most disruption happens from new competitors, and often even from outside your industry. Innovation and disruption are two sides of the same coin: Disruption is when change happens to you, innovation is when you lead the change yourself.

Innovation is everybody’s business now, and the best organisations and teams foster a culture of ongoing innovation. Successful teams make innovation a habit, so it becomes embedded into everyday work and an important part of the culture.

 

 

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

Style and Duration

This 45-60 minute keynote is Gihan’s most-booked presentation, and is suitable for all audiences. Use this for a high-impact opening keynote, an inspiring closing keynote, or the opening session the morning after the Gala Dinner.

 

The Future of Leadership - Building high-performance teams in a VUCA world

Our volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world needs a new kind of leadership. The world is changing so fast that “command and control” leadership no longer works. The most successful organisations and teams move fast, change quickly, and adapt to their environment faster than anybody else.

The future of leadership is individual mastery. Your team members are smarter, more savvy, and more influential than ever before. They have a voice and want it heard; they want work that gives them meaning, not just money; they want mentoring, not just training; and they want to express their individuality and bring their unique skills into the workplace.

The future of work is not about technical, task-oriented skills – because they will be automated, outsourced, and become obsolete. Instead, successful leaders will build individuals and teams who manage chaos without being overwhelmed, harness change to spur innovation, and reach out to collaborate with the best in the world.

In this relevant and engaging presentation, Gihan – the author of “The Future of Leadership” – shares insights and ideas mined from 20 years’ experience working with business leaders, thought leaders and change agents from around the world – as well as his unique ability to assimilate, filter, integrate and share global leadership trends that boost performance, attract and retain the best people, and ensure ongoing success.

Key Messages

The six things employees want now from their workplace

Accelerating the experience curve in your team members

Finding talent everywhere with virtual and distributed teams

A personal brand that positions you as a future-ready leader

Style and Duration

This presentation is ideal for leaders at all levels – including internal leaders in an organisation, emerging leaders, business owners, and entrepreneurs. Available as a   45-60 minute keynote or a more interactive 90-minute presentation.

 

 

The Future of Innovation - Using foresight to stay ahead of the game

In a fast, flat and free world, innovation is not just valuable – it’s essential. Innovation today is far removed from the old idea of R&D silos, driven by structure, hierarchy, and striving to beat traditional competitors.

That doesn’t work anymore, and most disruption happens from new competitors, and often even from outside your industry. In fact, innovation and disruption are two sides of the same coin: Disruption is when change happens to you, innovation is when you embrace and lead change yourself.  Innovation is everybody’s business now – leaders, team members, customers, clients, and the outside world. People are smarter, more savvy, and more diverse than ever before, and the best organisations and teams foster a culture of ongoing innovation.

Successful teams make innovation a habit, so it becomes embedded into everyday work and an important part of the culture.  The best teams also look into the future first, to focus their innovation and drive compelling change.

In this engaging, highly relevant and stimulating presentation, Gihan shows how business innovation has changed – from structured and steady to flexible and disruptive, from occasional breakthroughs to continuous improvement, and from top-down processes to bottom-up ideas.

Key Messages

Fostering a culture of innovation in your team

Engaging clients and customers in innovation and change

Making time for innovation in a busy workplace

Simple, practical techniques for generating ideas and taking action

Style and Duration

Typically a 90-minute extended keynote, with interactive activities and processes that shift thinking, spark conversations, and generate practical ideas. Also available as a   45-60 minute high-impact keynote.

 

 

Think Sharper (workshop)

Successful decision-making needs three elements: ideas, action, and foresight. And the key is to start with foresight.

The Think Sharper program teaches you how to think like a futurist, so you can apply foresight to your everyday decision-making and performance. You will build a habit of innovation and change in your team and organisation, so that innovation happens all the time and not just “when things quieten down” (which of course never happens!). Think healthy lifestyle, not crash diet.

This is for you if:

Your industry is changing fast, and you don’t know what’s around the corner

You don’t want to be caught napping when your business or industry is disrupted

You want to attract the best people – and keep the best people you have

You want to get your people out of their old ways of thinking

You don’t know how to get them thinking differently

You want to motivate your “star” employees

You will learn how to:

Identify the six kinds of disruptive forces that could affect your business

Scan the environment for trends and technology you can apply in your work

Evaluate the biggest threats and most exciting opportunities for the highest ROI

Turn your existing strengths and weaknesses into tools for embracing change

Understand the 10 key skills you need to thrive in the future workplace

Above all, you and your people will learn how to stay ahead of the game, make better decisions, and make them faster.