Mike Walsh

Mike Walsh's Biography

Mike Walsh delivers an engaging blend of first hand stories, global case studies and cutting edge research into consumer and technology trends. His presentations on the future of business and technology are provoking and inspiring, providing trans-formative advice for many industry sectors from finance to telecommunications and retail. Mike has the ability to bring the future alive for his audiences making his keynote presentations and workshops memorable and valuable.

Constantly traveling the world for the best ideas, Mike distils the most relevant insights into tailored keynotes that allow any audience to not only understand, but also start to influence the future direction of their industry. Rather than focusing on the distant future, Mike focuses on the next five years - scanning the near horizon for disruptive technologies and consumer innovations on the verge of hitting critical mass, and then translating these into usable business strategies.

Author of the best selling book ‘Futuretainment’ and publisher of the ‘Disruptive Future’ newsletter read by thousands of professionals in the media and entertainment space, Mike's unique insights and operating experience in emerging markets makes him an expert on the growing influence of consumers in BRIC countries on breakthrough innovation and business transformation.

Mike has been a pioneer in the digital space since the 1990s, running both successful start-up ventures as well as holding senior leadership positions in established media organisations. With a background in corporate law and management consulting, Mike began his career at XT3, a spin out from McKinsey and one of the first digital consulting firms created to help major companies embrace the embroynic Web. During the first dotcom boom, Mike launched the technology publishing group internet.com in Australia, which went on to become the leading local technology news and events platform in the country. He also founded and ran Jupiter Research in the Asia Pacific, one of the first research agencies to track the early adoption of e-commerce and digital business models by online consumers. During this period, he was recognised as one of Australia’s “Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30” by the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age Newspaper.

After his experiences in the Web space, Mike spent five years in senior strategy roles at News Corporation where he helped shape the digital strategy for both their Australian newspaper and Asian TV divisions. Directly engaged by the CEO of Star TV to provide the company with a digital roadmap for their operations, he began his in-depth research into the fast growth markets of Asia.

While in Hong Kong and inspired by the dramatic changes taking place in China and India, Mike founded his latest venture, Tomorrow - an innovation research lab focused on emerging technology and disruptive consumer behaviour. Always in demand for his fresh insights and practical future focused strategies - Mike has advised the CEOs and senior management teams at multinational companies include the BBC, Fujifilm, Richemont, MSN, Star TV, Televisa, Philips, and HSBC.

Mike’s new book, "The Divergence" (published 2012), charts the rise of online consumers in these emerging markets, and shows that tomorrow's Web will be radically different to conventional Western models and will require entirely new engagement strategies. Mike’s views have appeared in a wide range of international publications including Business Week, Forbes and Wallpaper Magazine.

Mike is a dynamic and high energy presenter, blending a multimedia feast of video, high impact visuals and mind blowing case studies of innovation from his personal experiences in cutting edge global markets. Whether a conference, strategy offsite or an intimate boardroom discussion - Mike's presentations act as a powerful catalyst for innovation, strategic planning and brand inspiration.

"Rather than a technologist, I see myself as an anthropologist looking at the disruptive impact of innovation on consumer behaviour."- Mike Walsh

Speaking Topics Include

Mike Walsh helps prepare business leaders for what's next. With an engaging blend of first hand stories, global case studies and cutting edge research into consumer and technology trends - Mike can bring the future to life for you and your audience. His three core programs are:

FUTURETAINMENT (what's next for your customers?)

FLEX (what's next for your enterprise?)

THE FUGUE (what's next for the world?)

You can experience these topics as either a high impact 50 minute keynote or a half day workshop with interactive exercises and facilitated discussion.

Supported by a global network of analysts and researchers - Mike takes the time to work with you and your team to tailor his presentations to directly address the issues directly relevant to your company and industry.

FUTURETAINMENT - Yesterday the World Changed, Now It’s Your Turn

The balance of power has shifted and consumers have taken control. How we buy, sell and engage customers with our brands is being transformed by powerful new forces - both technological and anthropological.

Based on Mike Walsh's best selling book, FUTURETAINMENT is a fast paced tour of the latest technologies, global trends, and case studies that will forever change the way you think about your relationship with your customers.

In this session Mike shares:

• The most disruptive trends for 2012 specifically researched for your industry
• Products and promotions that will engage the next generation of consumers
• Consumer innovations from fast growth emerging markets - The value of big data, compelling content and next generation behavioral analytics
• Global best practices in mobile applications and platforms
• Original video interviews with the scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs whose ideas will drive the future of your business
  

FLEX - Business Re-Imagined
What does it take to lead a 21st century company? New technology is not only an opportunity to improve productivity, it invites us to ask a much bigger question - can we re-imagine the way we do business?

Forces of change surround us. Whether it be generational turnover, the Cloud, mobile work, or the rise of the social enterprise - the companies that thrive in the near future will be the ones that not only embrace change but are the first to break the rules.

With original consumer market research, practical evaluations of next generational enterprise tools and case studies from some of the world’s most innovative firms - you will have everything you need to start thinking like a FLEX firm.

In this session Mike shares:

• The new digital platforms and enterprise tools that can change the relationship you have with your customers and competitors
• The worldview of your next generation of staff and the new management styles necessary to lead them through disruptive times
• The new models of innovation suitable for the current, fast paced, uncertain global environment
• How consumerisation, enterprise mobility and the Cloud will change the way your teams collaborate and act on information
• Relevant case studies of the ‘winners circle’ of companies who have survived disruptive change
• A roadmap for your company's future and identify the capabilities you will need to take it there

WORLD NEXT - Your Roadmap to the Global Future

Social unrest, economic turmoil, rapid technological change - we live in a world seemingly dominated by crisis. And yet if you look more closely, you may also see a different set of patterns giving rise to new markets, new consumers and new ways to do business.

The future is already here, you just need to know where to look. From disruptive mobile technology from China to India's low cost business models, next generation mobile banking in Africa and social consumerism in South America - innovation is shifting to a new geography.

How we interact, transact and entertain ourselves in the future will be shaped by a billion new consumers from emerging markets. THE FUGUE is your roadmap to understanding and accessing the growth potential of tomorrow's world.

In this session Mike shares:

• How the Web of tomorrow will be different from the one we use today
• New markets, consumers and technology trends that will be essential for the global growth of your business
• Case studies of international companies who have successfully leveraged cultural forces for local market success
• The disruptive innovation models of your emerging market competitors - The new management styles necessary for leadership in fluid, hyper-competitive and uncertain global markets
• The winners and losers in the new digital world order and your company's readiness to survive or thrive
• Build an innovation radar for your company and identify the trends most likely to impact your core business
• Deploy simple collaboration and information sharing systems in your team to maximise your collective wisdom

BECOME AN INNOVISIONARY!
Great minds may think alike, but they also think better together. There are strategy workshops, brainstorming sessions and team bonding exercises. And then there is Innovision. When you invite your team to take part in an Innovision Workshop - you invite them into a fun and dynamic new way to think about what is coming next and what it means. Facilitated by Mike Walsh, author of Futuretainment and a leading global authority on consumer innovation - there are some surprises in store. But first a little homework....

Consider this simple question. What will the world be like in 2020, and what implications will that have for your company? Don't just consider issues of business and strategy. Think about how will we live, work, travel, socialise and shop? Mike will then invite your staff to come up with five fast trends and images that represent each one. From there the transformational thinking begins.