Disruption isn't a threat, it's your greatest opportunity.
Stephen is Australia’s most authoritative voice on Digital Disruption, Transformation, AI, Culture & Leadership. His experience at the heart of Silicon Valley is truly unparalleled, and he has a unique ability to inspire audiences of all kinds with rare insight, humour & humility.
Stephen is the former Facebook CEO for ANZ, where he helped guide Facebook’s unprecedented rise from quirky Silicon Valley start-up to media & technology titan. Stephen’s acclaimed TEDx talk – The Oldest Guy at Facebook – recounts his amazing journey at the heart of one of the world’s most disruptive companies.
Today, Stephen is a frequent media commentator on AI and Digital Disruption – including TEDx, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, ABC, Sky News, The Project, Sunrise, The Today Show, The Australian & The Australian Financial Review. He is also a member of the Australian Prime Minister’s Knowledge Nation 100, top innovation leaders in Australia.
Stephen is also CEO of revolutionary AI start-up, Omniscient AI – the world leader in using AI to decode the human brain. Backed by some of Australia’s most iconic business names – including Gina Rinehart, Gretel Packer and Will Vicars – in 2022, Omniscient AI won the coveted South-by-Southwest (SXSW) Innovation Award for AI.
Stephen is one of Australia’s most sought-after speakers & advisors on digital disruption, transformation, culture & leadership, and the future of technology, data & AI.
Talking Points
THE AI TRANSFORMATION WITH STEPHEN SCHEELER
Stephen Scheeler is renowned as one of the Australia's most influential voices on AI. 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 AI – often hailed as the OpenAI for the brain – has been instrumental in evolving businesses into robust AI-driven entities.THE AI TRANSFORMATION WITH STEPHEN SCHEELER
Stephen dives into all elements impacted by The AI Transformation
LEADERSHIP Walk the Talk: Mastering the Eight Elements of Disruptive Leadership for the 21st Century
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”.LEADERSHIP Walk the Talk: Mastering the Eight Elements of Disruptive Leadership for the 21st Century
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.
FUTURE – Fear or Fascination?: The Future of Technology, Business & Human Life
The 2020’s are fast-emerging as a key “inflection point” in the history of technology. AI, 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 AI, 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.FUTURE – Fear or Fascination?: The Future of Technology, Business & Human Life
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.
PERSONAL JOURNEY – The Oldest Guy at Facebook: My Journey from Nowhere to the Heart of Silicon Valley
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.PERSONAL JOURNEY – The Oldest Guy at Facebook: My Journey from Nowhere to the Heart of Silicon Valley
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 and 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.
INNOVATIVE CULTURE – Start-Up DNA: How to Bake Silicon Valley Culture & Innovation into Your Business
Data-driven. Agile. Customer-obsessed. These are a few of the buzzwords surrounding the new wave of business innovation coming from the world’s leading tech companies. With deep pockets & cool campuses, businesses like Google, Facebook, Apple & Amazon built more than wildly-successful companies – they built fast-paced, innovative cultures which are the envy of the business world. But, far from the bright lights of California, how can you infuse Silicon Valley culture into the DNA of your own organisation or team?INNOVATIVE CULTURE – Start-Up DNA: How to Bake Silicon Valley Culture & Innovation into Your Business
In this keynote, Stephen shares his essential insights about how the Silicon Valley giants meticulously nurture a high-impact, innovative culture – from their unique approach to leadership & management, to talent development, work-life integration, mission, vision & values…and how all this links back to the strategy, profitability & growth which every company needs to drive.
Who this is for: Relevant for any organisation or management team trying to shift their culture to be more agile, fast-moving & customer-obsessed.
Key Takeaways: Stephen provides a Silicon Valley insider’s view of how to embed Silicon Valley DNA into any organisation’s culture, enlivened with his personal, real-world examples how “old school” organisations can make the transition to fast-moving, digital-first success stories.
Who this is for: Relevant for any organisation or management team dealing with the challenges presented by the new world of data-driven customer relationships and cyber-security threats.
Key Takeaways: Stephen provides a Silicon Valley insider's view on the current revolution in trust sweeping business and society, as well as practical advice for how individuals & organisations can manage trust in this new, hyper-connected world.
CYBER - How Avoiding Cyberattacks has Organisations Racing to Safety
Data breaches, cyber attacks, fake news, election hacking¦many of today's headlines share a common underpinning: the profound, technology-driven changes in our understanding of who we can trust. Facebook has been one of the companies at the centre of these headlines. In this keynote, Stephen shares his insider's view of how trust & identity are being redefined in a data-driven, digital-first world, how the future of trust is likely to unfold, and how individuals & organisations can come to terms with new definitions of trust, identity & privacy far different than those understood just a generation ago.CYBER - How Avoiding Cyberattacks has Organisations Racing to Safety
Who this is for: Relevant for any organisation or management team dealing with the challenges presented by the new world of data-driven customer relationships and cyber-security threats.
Key Takeaways: Stephen provides a Silicon Valley insider's view on the current revolution in trust sweeping business and society, as well as practical advice for how individuals & organisations can manage trust in this new, hyper-connected world.
TRUST – Have We Met Before? The Revolution of Trust, Identity & Privacy in a Cyber Unsecure World
In an era where data privacy and protection are at the forefront of consumer concerns, this keynote by Stephen offers a deep dive into the evolving dynamics of trust in relation to data and customer experience. Today, more business decisions are based on data and analytics than ever before – and the rise of cloud computing, unprecedented data sets (eg through the Internet of Things), machine learning and artificial intelligence means that in the future data will be a resource more precious than the gold or oil of previous industrial eras.TRUST – Have We Met Before? The Revolution of Trust, Identity & Privacy in a Cyber Unsecure World
In this impactful keynote, Stephen will explore the critical role of leadership in shaping and enforcing data privacy practices that not only comply with regulatory standards but also earn and maintain customer trust. Drawing from examples of companies like Facebook and his current role as CEO at Omniscient, he will illustrate the complexities and nuances of managing customer data responsibly in a digital-first world.
Who this is for: This presentation is tailored for organisations and management teams seeking to enhance their approach to data privacy and customer trust. It will delve into the importance of being transparent with customers about data usage, implementing ethical data practices, and the strategic value of prioritising customer privacy in business operations.
Key Takeaways: Attendees will gain insights into effective leadership strategies for data protection and privacy. Stephen will provide practical advice on how to build a customer-centric approach that not only safeguards data but also reinforces customer trust and loyalty. The session aims to equip leaders with the knowledge to navigate the delicate balance between leveraging data for business growth and respecting customer privacy, ultimately fostering a trustworthy and secure environment for their customers.
Video
Stephen Scheeler | Speaker Showreel | Saxtons
Stephen Scheeler is Australia’s most authoritative voice on digital disruption, transformation, culture & leadership. His experience at the heart of Silicon Valley is truly unparalleled, and he has a unique ability to inspire audiences of all kinds with rare insight, humour & humility.Stephen Scheeler | Introduction | Saxton Speakers
Stephen Scheeler is the former managing director of Facebook, Australia and New Zealand who is currently a special advisor to PwC's digital team. His insights into competing the age of tech giants, the rise of social media in business and the future of brand marketing in a digital age are insightful, informative and incredibly engaging.Stephen Scheeler | Digital Disruption | Saxton Speakers
Stephen Scheeler is the former managing director of Facebook, Australia and New Zealand who is currently a special advisor to PwC's digital team. His insights into competing the age of tech giants, the rise of social media in business and the future of brand marketing in a digital age are insightful, informative and incredibly engaging.Five things I learned from being the oldest employee at Facebook | Stephen Scheeler | TEDxSydney
Aged 47, Stephen Scheeler found himself the oldest hire at Facebook. Faced with a swirling hot tub of idealistic, ambitious millennials, Scheeler risked being dismissed as irrelevant. He set off on an ignorance tour – seeking to learn everything he could about the strange universe he had entered. Stephen Scheeler is the former Facebook CEO for Australia and New Zealand. His time at Facebook saw the Australia and New Zealand business grow from start-up to one of the most successful Facebook markets in the world.Stephen Scheeler | Today Show Australia What the Australian under-16 YouTube ban means for your kids
Stephen Scheeler discusses what the Australian under-16 YouTube ban means for your kids on the Today Show Australia.We had nine speakers today and Stephen was the highlight X10! His keynote really got the room thinking and talking in a way that a room full of accountants and lawyers rarely do! ... keep reading Australian Taxation Office
Your engaging personality and enthusiastic speech worked their magic to transform a usually silent audience of lawyers and accountants into an active and productive discussion about the future of the tax profession. Your insights and views brought up new perspectives from outside the tax bubble' and greatly contributed to building the bridges between tax and other areas of business. Your opening address was not just a speech, it was a masterclass on how to bring an audience together, and I've personally learned enormously from you today. As a lecturer and as a member of the organising committee of The Future of the Tax Profession Symposium, my big thanks to you!
Thanks so much, Stephen! It was a pleasure to work with you today. Everyone was raving about how fantastic you were and you were quoted for the rest of the day. Thanks again for sharing your insights. You were so interesting - undoubtedly the best session of the day!!!!!
Stephen was so engaging, warm, and entertaining. He blew people away with his knowledge and experience in AI, and also a lot of key takeaways when talking about our own performance and our own careers.
Your keynote was incredibly popular, it generated a real buzz and some phenomenal audience feedback, eg: ¢ Sensational! Fresh, proven, engaging and so very relevant and important ¢ Very useful - it's like a short guide to developing a business in a digital era ¢ The best reason for coming to this 2 day conference! ¢ Really relevant, very engaging and practical. Dramatically exceeded my expectations. Apart from Stephen being a great presenter and speaker, it is real world and talking to actual lessons and experience ¢ Content rich and practical presentation. Great insights. Really engaging. Best presentation so far, by a long way! ¢ Marvellous! Informative and so so relevant! ¢ I could listen to this guy for hours!
Stephen was brilliant to work with. He is clearly a seasoned speaker, who knows his topic inside and out. Our audience was glued to his talk and he kicked off our conference with gusto! An incredibly intelligent man, who was able to deliver his content with all in mind.
Stephen Scheeler is one of the most dynamic, engaging and authentic speakers I've had the pleasure to work with. Stephen connected brilliantly with our delegates as he delivered a talk on the Pivots' undertaken by Facebook during his time as CEO Australia/NZ. A relevant, captivating and effortlessly delivered presentation perfectly matched to our theme - so much so, that question time could have gone on for hours!
