Keynote speeches

What we have to do now is prepare our organizations for these seismic shocks and their ensuing systemic shifts. Prepare them for an unpredictable world. Continuously changing consumer behavior, for instance, triggered a new way of performing business on the edge, permanently adapting. And so we have to become agile in capacity and resources. And this also means that we need a different type of skillset, different types of people and different types of organizations. Financial performance, too, has shifted, to one that is much more fluid and suitable for uncertainty.

This is a world in permanent flux. One where ‘normal’ keeps getting redefined. Are you ready for that? Is your organization? In this keynote, Peter Hinssen uncovers how companies, leaders and employees will need to adapt to survive and thrive in the Never Normal.

In this uniquely topical keynote, Peter starts by outlining the disruptive journey of Artificial Intelligence (AI) from its inception to the dawn of generative AI and beyond. He delves into some historical milestones, the resurgence of neural networks, and the advancements in machine learning and deep learning that have set the stage for the current era of AI. He also emphasizes the applications and implications of generative AI across various sectors, forecasting future innovations that promise to redefine the field.

Addressing the realities of AI, Peter debunks common myths, setting realistic expectations for AI's capabilities and limitations. He highlights the challenges of interpretability, biases, and privacy concerns in AI applications, advocating for responsible use through effective governance and ethical frameworks. This segment of his keynote underscores the critical balance between innovation and ethical considerations in leveraging AI's potential.

In guiding businesses on implementing AI, Peter provides a practical roadmap for leveraging AI to enhance operations, improve decision-making, and gain a competitive edge. He discusses assessing organizational readiness, selecting the right AI technologies, and fostering an AI-centric culture. The focus is on the strategic integration of AI, emphasizing data quality, model acquisition and overcoming operational and cultural challenges to foster innovation and growth.

Concluding with the transformative power of AI in this Never Normal era of constant change, Peter inspires businesses to embrace AI as a catalyst for radical innovation and continuous improvement. Through case studies of phoenix companies that have successfully leveraged AI, he illustrates its role in driving innovation, optimizing operations, and identifying market trends. In doing so, he encourages businesses to harness AI's potential, turning their current challenges into opportunities for innovation and growth.

Peter Hinssen sets the scene, taking his audience on a journey from AI's early days to the cutting-edge era of generative AI. He presents realistic expectations for AI's capabilities and limitations, while highlighting its transformative impact across sectors and the need for responsible implementation. He also offers a strategic roadmap for businesses to integrate AI, emphasizing the importance of organizational readiness, ethical use amidst growing concerns of interpretability, bias and privacy, and fostering an AI-centric culture. Through practical case stories from Walmart, JPMorgan, McKinsey and more Peter illustrates how AI can drive innovation, enhance operations, and secure a competitive advantage. His message is clear: AI is not just a technological advancement but a catalyst for radical change, empowering Phoenix businesses to rise in this Never Normal era of constant change, with newfound strength and innovation. His vision encourages leaders to view AI as an opportunity for growth, leveraging its capabilities to navigate the future confidently.

Pascal Coppens will present China as a compelling case study of how a nation's strategic investment in AI can redefine global standards of innovation and technology, while zooming in on what business leaders can learn from that. In 2015, China set its sights on becoming the global AI leader by 2030—a vision rapidly becoming reality as evidenced by the pioneering AI technologies of TikTok, Baidu's autonomous vehicles, and Ant Financial's payment systems. The US response, restricting China's access to AI resources in 2020, only underscored China's leading position in the AI race. With the rise of Generative AI, China surged ahead, supported by proactive government policies and achieving over 250 large language models (mostly B2B) by 2023, including Baidu's 'Ernie bot'. Pascal dives into China's transformation into a global AI innovation hub within just eight years. Through compelling stories from giants like Baidu, Huawei, and Ant Group, he'll explore how China is reshaping the landscapes of work, service, creation, and more—offering profound insights and scalable models for the global stage. China's journey illustrates not just technological advancement but a strategic playbook for leveraging AI to redefine industries and innovate at unprecedented scales.

This keynote is about understanding what is happening in a world of constant change. It’s about observing and trying to learn from the Unicorns. But primarily, it tells the story of how companies can ACT on their Day After Tomorrow, and how they can apply innovation as an antidote to a radically changing environment. It doesn’t just zoom in on WHAT you need to do in order to innovate, but also on HOW you can make innovation a reality in your organization.

From the deceivingly simple Hourglass model, to the types of innovation, company culture, organizational disruption, platforms, customer experience, organizational structure and many inspiring innovation cases: if you are working in a traditional business or market, this keynote will help you reinvent yourself like a Phoenix.

1. Innovation strategy

Innovation strategy and tech expert Peter Hinssen will help you uncover how your company can embrace this era of constant change and turn it into a competitive advantage, by:

• Fostering a Day After Tomorrow (long term oriented) mindset
• Building a Never Normal-proof innovation strategy
• Readjusting your leadership, culture and organizational structures
• Understanding and leveraging geopolitical risks and opportunities
• Becoming immune to disruption
• Reinventing your company like a Phoenix

2. Customer culture and strategy

Every company wants to be customer centric, yet few seem to succeed. Customer Experience expert Steven Van Belleghem will help you build an “Offer you can’t refuse” for your customers by redesigning your culture in an active way, by:

• Fostering a positive mindset through the ‘Top Gun Effect’
• Expanding your ‘Circle of Influence’
• Becoming a ‘Partner in Life’ for your customers
• Building real CX credibility towards your team
• Developing the ‘Customer Flywheel’
• Driving ‘Effective Empathy’
• Combining the power of technology with a deeply human approach

The Never Normal Masterclass is available in 3 formats:

• Turbo: an in-depth one day crash course, including all the topics described above.
• Supercharged: a more collaborative two day program, including tailored workshops.
• Condensed: a highly concentrated half day online course, containing all the necessary basics.

1. Understanding and Leading the Never Normal World

Pascal and Peter will fully immerse you in the Never Normal: what exactly is it, what are its ingredients, are these the same in the East as in the West and what are the risks and opportunities of this brand new era?

Some of the topics that will be discussed:

• The Ingredients of the Never Normal
• China’s Never Normal
• Geopolitical risks and opportunities
• Understanding and leveraging emerging technologies: AI, Big Data, Web3, AR/VR/XR, IoT, robotics, quantum computing, etc.
• Fostering a Day After Tomorrow (long term oriented) mindset
• Leadership and culture in the Never Normal
• Building a Never Normal-proof innovation strategy

2. Thriving in a Never Normal World

Above all, the aim of the Masterclass is to help you thrive in the Never Normal and design your own opportunities. Peter and Pascal will explain how you can build a resilient strategy and an organizational set-up that are fit for our current hyperfluid business reality.

Some of the topics that will be tackled:

• The best of both worlds: comparing the Silicon Valley and China approach
• Reinventing yourself like a Phoenix in the Never Normal
• How to structure and organize yourself for the Never Normal
• Methods for becoming immune to disruption
• How to design your business for both survival and success   

The Innovation Strategy Masterclass is available in three formats:

• Turbo: an in-depth one day crash course, including all the topics described above.
• Supercharged: a more collaborative two day program, including tailored workshops.
• Condensed: a highly concentrated half day online course, containing all the necessary basics