Geoff Colvin

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.

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.

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.

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.