GEOFF COLVIN

Senior Editor-at-Large, Fortune; Bestselling Author –
Humans are Underrated, Talent is Overrated,
and The Upside of the Downturn

SPEAKS ABOUT

AI Business Transformation • Leadership • Innovation
Business Strategy • Business Model Innovation
Global Business • Government Regulation
Competition • Economic Update • Moderator/Host/Interviewer

“AI is doubling its capabilities every three months. At that rate, in five years it will be a million times more powerful. Leaders, workers, and companies need to get their imaginations in gear!”
– Geoff Colvin

Summary

FORTUNE SENIOR EDITOR-AT-LARGE.

• REPORTS FOR FORTUNE ON THE INFOTECH REVOLUTION, LEADERSHIP, BUSINESS STRATEGY, GLOBAL BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT REGULATION, COMPETITION, THE ECONOMY, WORKER/WORKFORCE ISSUES, AND RELATED TOPICS.

• AUTHOR OF THREE BESTSELLING BOOKS – HUMANS ARE UNDERRATED, TALENT IS OVERRATED, AND THE UPSIDE OF THE DOWNTURN.

• SINCE 1995, HOST OF REGULAR BUSINESS INSIGHTS ON THE CBS RADIO NETWORK WITH 7 MILLION LISTENERS.

• UNPACKS WHAT TOP LEADERS ARE THINKING, SEEING, AND DOING TO WIN IN SPITE OF RELENTLESS TECHNOLOGICAL, COMPETITIVE, ECONOMIC, AND WORKPLACE CHANGE.

READ MORE

SPEECH DESCRIPTIONS

3 KEYS TO WINNING IN AN AI FUTURE

It’s tempting to hold on to familiar ways. It’s also hazardous to business. The best adopters of AI are right now finding ways to do things that have never been done before – not just improving the things they already do. Geoff Colvin unpacks three interconnected priorities vital to staying relevant in this new business landscape: 1) finding advantage in an environment of AI and automation; 2) transforming business models and strategies to create value in new ways using AI; and 3) understanding the future of work and the role of people in an AI-drenched workplace. Yes, it’s challenging, and Geoff provides an upbeat and optimistic view of the AI future. He inspires leaders to stop protecting the past and use AI to invent their future.

HUMANS ARE (STILL) UNDERRATED

They used to be called “soft skills.” Now they’re called “durable skills” because the skills of human interaction are eternal. As the head-spinning advances of AI transform work, leaders and workers are wondering how people fit in – and whether they’ll fit in at all in five years. Geoff Colvin foresaw this moment since before his groundbreaking book Humans are Underrated was released in 2015. He’s long made the case, correctly, that innately human qualities – empathy, collaboration, creativity, communication, storytelling, and creating relationships – would be increasingly prized skills in this environment. In this talk, Geoff delivers insights and hard data examples from the biggest private equity firms and preeminent executive search firms showing how business leaders are prioritizing these skills to produce outsized financial results. In an AI world, the most-valued skills and traits for people are changing fast. You can’t afford to be left behind.

TODAY’S ECONOMY: NAVIGATING WHAT YOU CAN’T CONTROL

The changing of the guard in Washington ushers in a dramatic mix of drivers both good and bad for business and Wall Street. Geopolitics, regulatory change, trade wars, interest rates, and immigration are top issues worrying business and investors. Drawing on four decades covering eight presidents for Fortune, Geoff Colvin helps business leaders navigate unprecedented economic uncertainty. His approach is analytical and non-partisan; empowering audiences with information they can use to confront reality and anticipate and strategize effectively. Geoff helps audiences step back to see the long-view vision of a future. He’s optimistic that the best-informed businesspeople not only weather storms but also capitalize on emerging opportunities to create the future.

PANEL MODERATOR, DISCUSSION LEADER, EMCEE/HOST

Geoff Colvin’s unique gift is his ability to brilliantly moderate panels, lead onstage interviews, and host/emcee. He’s played these roles for more than three decades at Fortune conferences worldwide. Top companies and associations regularly utilize Geoff because he gets the most out of participants; he asks the right questions, listens intently to what’s being said on stage, and responds to that. He also connects ideas and insights across sessions, transforming a multi-part program into a satisfying, unified whole. He always keeps the discussion relevant and the energy high.

Resources

IN PRINT

TESTIMONIALS

 

“Geoff hit it out of the park!!! Sounded great, looked great, and wonderful insights.”

– RealPage (VIRTUAL EVENT)

“Avaya was thrilled, just thrilled with Geoff . They weren’t pleased , they were pleased squared! As the Marketing VP for LatAm said “Ese hombre es un sol”. It doesn’t translate that well (That man is a sun) but they mean he was marvelous!”

– James Maroney, Smart Speakers (VIRTUAL EVENT)

“We have had tons of great feedback. You helped companies get honest with themselves and to think of doing business differently.”

– Global Leaders Organization (VIRTUAL EVENT)

“Geoff did a fantastic job. We got terrific feedback from our CEOs, in particular, that thought it was refreshing to get a fresh, macro perspective of how companies can really thrive during difficult times.”

– McRock Capital (VIRTUAL EVENT)

“The amount of praise you received was incredible, to say the least. Many, many of our attendees expressed how moved they were with your presentation. Just a tremendous amount of praise is ALL I heard (more than any speaker we have ever had).”

– Executive Director, National Aircraft Finance Association (NAFA)

“Geoff hit a home run today!!!!!!!!!!!! Outstanding…”

– Head of Conf Planning & Travel, Putnam Investments

“Geoff, you were definitely the highlight of our conference. In reviewing our surveys today, you were overwhelmingly ranked as the favorite speaker and one they would most like to hear from again.”

– Lead Executive, Business Alliances & Ancillary Division, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield

“You hit it out of the park. We will ask you back.”

– CEO, American Pacific Mortgage

“I can’t tell you how many people, customers and employees, came up to me and said how good your session was. Honestly, it set a tone that I was hoping for so to me it was a huge win.”

– President and COO, SoftwareAG North America

“We were completely amazed with how incredible Geoff was with the five very unique sessions we had him lined up to moderate. He added a layer of additional perspective to each and every one of those sessions that we just would not have expected. Truly amazing.”

– Tax Senior Manager, National Growth Team, Deloitte Tax LLP

“… he was so awesome!!! Thank you so much for sending him to us! He was amazing.”

– Director of Economic Development Services, CareerSource Pinellas

“It was GREAT. We have only heard great things. Geoff tailored it to the audience. He is a gem!”

– Gala Organizer, Institute for Public Relations

“Geoff did a fantastic job and really set the stage for the remainder of the day and his perspectives were repeated during later sessions.”

– Group Communications Director, The Coca-Cola Company

“The consensus was: “He did a great job.” “He was dead-on.” “He said what we needed to here.” “Great job.” I truly didn’t hear one bad or negative comment. He was a total “hit”. He was a total delight to work with (as were all of you). Thank you for everything.”

– Assistant to the CEO and President, Vanguard Health Systems

“Geoff did an amazing job with our event. He was very thoughtful and thorough with his preparation and really hit the mark for us. He’s a wonderful moderator!”

– Marketing Manager, The Boston Consulting Group

“You are a star. All the comments have been stellar.”

– Partner, Pepper Hamilton LLP

“Geoff Colvin was fabulous! Thanks. Members thought he was the best speaker we have ever had.”

– President, Flexible Packaging Association

“In a word: fantastic! Geoff really was perfect for this. He kept the conversation lively. Geoff really knocked it out of the ballpark.”

– Microsoft