Simon Banks
Creativity, Innovation and Design Specialist, Keynote Speaker & MC
Simon Banks is a creativity, innovation, and design specialist; international keynote speaker; author; podcaster and recovering professional artist. He’s delivered over 1400+ events on four continents for industry-leading companies including: Google; EY; Geoscience Australia and Volkswagen, to name a few. Simon’s geek out spot is the intersection of creativity and design, learning, people and passion which he sees as essential to the challenge facing future leaders: empowering people’s ability to reimagine what’s possible.
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Simon Banks describes his geek out spot as the intersection of creativity and design, learning, people and passion. He uses his artist’s curiosity combined with his 20-year corporate career to help build a more creative, innovative world. The aim is to help business thrive in the modern age through cutting-edge reimagination, co-creation and radical collaboration. To ignite results and keep innovation rolling. Drawing on the practical world of creativity and design, Simon’s big point of difference is an active, hands-on approach for everyone present and learning by doing, which is at the heart of how creativity works.
Simon has substantial experience, with over 1400+ events facilitated across Europe, Asia, America and Australia. He’s worked to turn creative thinking up to 11/10 and bring innovation out of teams with companies that include: Google; EY; The Federal Department of Industry, Innovation and Science; Geoscience Australia; Laing O’Rourke; and Volkswagen, to name a few. Simon’s clients span diverse industries, but they all value the biggest result he delivers: a shift in their thinking so they can reimagine what’s possible and then building the lasting innovation skills to deliver that change.
Creativity is at the heart of everything Simon does. He has exhibited his art across the globe, lectured at the National Gallery of England and developed and delivered programs for institutions such as The Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, Vivid Sydney and the Sydney Fringe Festival, and continues to have a foot firmly planted in both the creative and corporate worlds. (It’s his secret special sauce for empowering people to think differently.) It’s also why he loves drawing live in all of his keynotes.
Simon lives by the mantra, no one ever went to an event and said, ‘you know what? I wish I had a more boring time1’ Simon is known for his energy on stage and the question everyone asks is “where do you get it from?” He’s night quite sure but it’s definitely legal.
He prefers a moped to a Harley Davidson, and surfing over a corporate commute.
And the question that everyone asks? Yes, all drawings in his presentations are his own.
