Stephen Scheeler

Stephen Scheeler stands as Australia’s premier AI authority, renowned as one of the nation’s most influential voices on artificial intelligence. His hands-on experience in pioneering AI enterprises, including his tenure as CEO of Facebook Australia & New Zealand and his role as Co-Founder and CEO of Omniscient Neurotechnology – often hailed as the OpenAI for the brain – has been instrumental in evolving businesses into robust AI-driven entities.

Through his visionary leadership and direct involvement in cutting-edge AI ventures, Stephen has adeptly steered companies toward becoming stalwarts in AI technology, showcasing his unparalleled expertise and transformative impact in the industry.

Stephen says, “AI is more than just a tool, it’s a creative partner – and with the expansion of open-source models including ChatGPT unleashing AI from the tech bubble, all businesses are now capable of harnessing AI for a multiverse of purposes creating a level playing field”.

However, there’s more to consider than just codes and algorithms. Stephen delves into all areas of our world riding the AI Odyssey.

Amidst the exponential change sweeping business today, one thing is certain: the demands of leadership today are far different than they were in the past. Companies like Google, Amazon, Apple & Facebook are not only masters of technology & business model innovation; they have also reimagined business culture & leadership in the 21st century.

In this keynote, Stephen shares insights from his own leadership journey at Facebook, and lessons he has learnt advising the leaders of companies large & small. From vision, humility & curiosity, to speed, transparency, data dexterity & customer obsession, Stephen offers practical advice for every business leader on how to remake themselves from corporate also-rans into leadership rock stars! Also available as a 1-day masterclass, “The Eight Elements of Disruptive Leadership”.

Who this is for: Relevant for a wide range of audiences, both senior & middle management, and a wide range of organisations, both large & small – anywhere that organisations or their leaders are being challenged by the demands of technology, competition, or rapid change.

Key Takeaways: This keynote is chock full of practical, real-life examples of how to evolve your leadership to tackle today’s business challenges: eg how to be more curious, how to be more humble & transparent, how to move faster, how to be more customer obsessed, how to work with data/A.I.

The 2020’s are fast-emerging as a key “inflection point” in the history of technology. A.I., blockchain, the metaverse & green tech are but a few of the technological frontiers advancing at lightspeed, underpinned by billions of dollars in investment. But what will the future truly look like in five, ten or twenty years? What should excite us? What should worry us? And what should we – as businesses, individuals & society – do now to prepare for the opportunities & challenges hurtling our way?

After helping to build one of the tech giants, Facebook, and now running one of the world’s most innovative A.I. companies, Omniscient A.I., Stephen Scheeler has insights into the future which few can match. With his unique humour & humility, Stephen debunks myths, inspires wonder and lights a clear path to what the future of technology will hold for all of us, and the practical, actionable things we need to do today to prepare for a better tomorrow.

Who this is for: Relevant for any organisation or team thinking about the future of technology, its impacts on business, society & individuals, and how to best prepare for it today.

Key Takeaways: Technology has always been with us – but the 2020’s promise to be a decade of rapid acceleration. Business, work & life in general are likely to operate very differently within the next decade as a result of breakthroughs in A.I., blockchain, the metaverse & other innovations. Much of this will be of immense benefit to business, society & human life. But preparing now is vital: for example, by deepening our understanding of data & A.I.; by considering the ethics & possible adverse impacts on individuals & groups; and, by establishing the guardrails necessary to maximise the benefits of the future & minimise the downsides.

Stephen Scheeler was born & raised in mid-20th century, rustbelt America, where working the blast furnace at the local steel mill was the pinnacle of career aspirations, and cutting-edge technology was a shiny new fax machine. Fast forward to the 2020’s, and Stephen has a resume of innovative leadership like few others: one of Facebook’s top global leaders, senior advisor to McKinsey, and CEO of revolutionary brain A.I. company, Omniscient. So how did a working-class kid from Buffalo, New York come to be Australia’s leading authority on digital disruption, technology & leadership? It’s a journey that includes hitchhiking across America, riding a horse through Tibet, auctioning off Mark Zuckerberg, stumbling his way on to the biggest TED talk stage, and decoding the dizzying complexity of the human brain. With rare insight, humour & humility, Stephen shares his story of failure & success, all the while learning that the greatest technologies are nothing without the imperfect humans that make the world go round.

Who this is for: Relevant for any organisation or team in need of inspiration about overcoming adversity, creating opportunities and changing the world.

Key Takeaways: Stephen distils his amazing life journey into clear, actionable key lessons, eg: (1) never underestimate the power of your own energy; (2) find great people & set them up for success; (3) listen, turn off, think; (4) technology is your friend, but so are real people; and (5) stay hungry to win every single day.

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