1300 314 788
Paul Higgins
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Testimonials for Paul Higgins
It was a genuine pleasure working with Paul Higgins (of Emergent Futures) on the energy security workshop for the Australian Sugar Milling Council recently. Paul brought incredible professionalism to the role - a great balance of foresight, planning, engagement and rigour, resulting in a well executed workshop. However the real value of Paul’s involvement was based on his willingness to dig deeper into the issue, challenge industry and individual thinking - right down to post workshop follow up, and providing further strategy clarification. I’d welcome the opportunity to work with Paul again.
Sharon Denny - Senior Executive Officer, Government & Business Development
Australian Sugar Milling Council
It was a great opportunity to have Paul present to the people in our organisation many new ideas and alternative perspectives about how we view the future. Paul left us with much to think about - a great way to challenge our thinking and refashion paradigms when considering our strategic direction.
Wayne Wallis, General Manager, Port Stephens Council
The attendees were blown away by the presentation and some perhaps even numbed (as expected). However after getting back to their farms it has been playing on their minds and are ‘drones’ are now featuring in their conversations. We have stimulated their thinking, which is exactly what we after. This is excellent feedback as far I am concerned…So again well done and many thanks Paul, you did a great job!
Gary Walton, Uptake Manager beef + lamb New Zealand
Fee Range: POA
Paul Higgins's Biography
Paul established his consulting company Emergent Futures Pty Ltd to combine his long experience in business with his training as a futurist to assist organisations and individuals in the creation of strategy. Paul believes that the application of foresight tools to the strategy process can give organisations a critical edge in a fast moving modern world.
He holds a First Class Honours Degree in Veterinary Science, a Bachelor of Animal Science, and a Masters Degree in Strategic Foresight. Paul is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Paul has been a dairy cattle veterinarian, an abattoir manager, a farmer, and an agribusiness consultant before becoming a futurist with Emergent Futures. He has also been involved in politics and agri-politics having been Chairman of the pork industry national body twice for a total of 10 years, and President of Country Labor in Victoria for 5 years. Paul recently retired from the board of Auspork after 16 years. Auspork is an unlisted public company that markets pork, beef, chicken and lamb, including branded retail ready packs of ready to eat meat products.
Paul is a graduate of the Leadership Victoria Program and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is also a guest lecturer at Victoria University on the disruptive effects of web technologies and a technology editor on Tumblr, the micro-blogging site sold to Yahoo in 2013 for US$1.1 billion. Paul is also a partner of Social Ventures Partners International (Melbourne Chapter) as well as being a member of their investment committee and the lead partner on their inaugural investment in 100 Story Building. Paul writes and presents regularly on future disruptions to business models, and consults to a range of organisations on how to think about the future.
Paul’s business experience has taught him that critical business decisions have as much impact on business success as long hours of focused execution. However he recognises that most people have little time to look around and think about what might be happening. Therefore the approaches that Emergent Futures uses align themselves to the reality of a fast moving, time critical modern world from quick scanning processes to longer strategic analysis.
His presentations match this approach and challenge audiences to look at their own blind spots and assumptions and look at the future differently.
Speaking Topics Include
Beyond cool - We go behind the cool to give you the principles that will affect your and your organisation so you walk away with frameworks to apply to future developments.
Why the interwebby thingamajig will change everything - The changes the internet will continue to wreck upon are almost unimaginable. Come on a journey of what those changes might look like.
Why forecasting is for chimps and what do about it - Paul will present ways of embracing uncertainty and integrating uncertainty into effective strategy.
Dinosaurs, foxes and hedgehogs: The future media landscapes - This provocative presentation predicts a major extinction event in the media, and what landscape might look like.
The future of medicine - We are moving into an area where the use of artificial intelligence in medicine will be the fastest technology adoption in human history. Come find out why.
The future of work - Will humans be pushed to one side by technology or are the luddites wrong again? What jobs will your children and grandchildren be focused on?
The rise of new social enterprise - New models of social enterprise businesses are being developed that will outcompete commercial businesses in several sectors of the economy. Will it affect you?
Leadership in the 21st century - Leaders in the 21st century will have to understand networks and ways of collaborating if they want to be effective at getting things done.