Simon Banks
Creativity & Innovation Keynote Speaker & MC
Simon Banks helps organisations stop playing it safe and start getting dangerously curious. A high-energy keynote speaker and creativity geek, he equips teams to think differently, spark bold ideas and turn innovation into action.
Quick Contact
Simon Banks has been hooked on creativity and curiosity ever since he won a national “Design a Stamp” competition in primary school — and he’s been sparking ideas ever since.
Today, he’s a creativity and innovation nerd-in-chief, international keynote speaker, author of A Thousand Little Lightbulbs: How to Kickstart a Culture of Innovation in Your Organisation, co-host of the globally ranked podcast The Occupational Philosophers (Top 10%), and a happily recovering professional artist.
Simon works with organisations around the world, helping teams build creative confidence and shift from playing it safe to getting dangerously curious. He describes his geek-out spot as the intersection of creativity, design, curiosity and people — because tomorrow’s standout teams won’t win by working harder, but by thinking differently, staying curious and embracing new possibilities.
Bringing his artist’s curiosity and more than two decades of corporate experience, Simon helps teams get unstuck, spark ideas that matter, and turn imagination into action — fast. His work ignites strategic conversations, equips leaders to lead with curiosity, and challenges teams to rethink how they collaborate and innovate.
Whether delivering a high-energy keynote, facilitating a design thinking workshop, reimagining strategy or leading a large-scale conference event, Simon’s focus is consistent: shift people from playing it safe to dangerously curious.
His style is immersive, energetic, fast-paced and fun — think live illustration, compelling stories, strong research and zero dull moments. Simon’s unique point of difference is active participation. It’s learning by doing, not sitting through another five-point framework. Through co-creation, he gets everyone involved in the doing of innovation, helping people rediscover the creative intelligence they’ve been ignoring and walk away ready to lead meaningful change.
People often ask where he gets his energy from. He’s not quite sure — but he promises it’s legal.
And yes — all the drawings in his presentations are his own.
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Topics
Creativity, my old friend: I’ve come to talk to you again
Reclaiming the human edge in an AI-driven workplace
Guess what’s topping the World Economic Forum’s 2030 skills list? Not spreadsheets, not the metaverse or VR headsets. It’s creativity. The catch? Most of us have quietly let it slip away, traded for a full inbox and an ever-growing to-do list.
So what happened?
Remember that kid who could turn any corner into a possibility and make an adventure out of every chance? That wasn’t about being child-ish, it was about being child-like. Naturally imaginative, curious, and ready to reinvent with ease. Adults? We’ve built layers of filters, self-doubt, and organisational brick walls that slow creativity to a crawl. It’s high time we hit pause, listen to our old creative friend and rekindle those skills we left behind.
In the whirlwind of automation and AI taking over, the future of work is waving its hands desperately, shouting, “We need your creativity, like, yesterday!” It’s not asking politely; it’s practically on its knees. Creativity helps leaders navigate complexity, teams uncover fresh solutions, and organisations stay ahead of change. And here is the best bit: creativity isn’t one-size-fits-all. We each have our own creative intelligences, from storytelling to problem framing, from pattern spotting to visual thinking. Plural, not singular. That is what makes creative cultures so powerful, because everyone brings a different twist.
Through stories, science and creative frameworks, this keynote equips people to reclaim creative confidence, embrace novelty and turn ideas into outcomes. By the end of the session, participants will see creativity not as “something extra” but something they already own, ready whenever the next challenge arrives, and with a smile on their face.
By the end participants will:
- Understand the science behind creativity and why it makes us uniquely human
- Recognise their own creative intelligences and how to bring them to life wherever fresh thinking is needed
- Apply creative thinking to both simple and complex challenges
- Build creative confidence to push boundaries and bring ideas into the world
- Identify and reduce organisational barriers that block creative flow
Target Audience:
Leaders, managers, and teams who want to solve problems faster, adapt with confidence, and deliver bolder solutions.
Delivery Formats:
Keynote, half-day workshop, or full/multi day interactive program.
Curiosity may kill cats, definitely not humans
The secret to spotting opportunities others miss
Ever wonder what’s really going on around you? Are you the kind of curious cat who stops, explores, and takes in all the goodness life has to offer?
Curiosity is like your superhero cape, and the good news is that it’s available to anyone, anywhere, anytime. All it takes is a sprinkle of wonder and a dash of adventure and you’re good to go on a journey where the ordinary transforms into the remarkable.
The future belongs to the bold question-askers, the fearless explorers, and the daydreamers. Curiosity sparks discovery, customer centricity, and challenges the old ways of doing what’s always been done. These are the skills most in demand right now.
But how do you amp up your curiosity? Simple, it all starts with opening your eyes. When we do, we spot things others miss, things we didn’t even know were there. And that’s exciting.
Here’s the kicker: this isn’t a keynote like the ones you’ve seen before. You will develop your curiosity by embarking on an explorative quest into some of the most famous artworks of all time, digging into their hidden details, connections and stories. We’ll train our eyes to see the unseen, challenge paradigms, and uncover what usually speeds past us.
Grounded in neuroscience and inspired by Simon’s years as a lecturer at the National Gallery of England, this keynote fuses hard science with creative sparks, leaving audiences surprised, stretched and seeing the world differently.
Curious yet? You should be.
By the end participants will:
- Learn how to use visual intelligence to create new connections
- Discover how the neuroscience of curiosity leads to discovery
- Explore the crucial relationship between curiosity and critical thinking when solving complex problems
- Embrace curiosity as a foundation of lifelong learning and growth
- Shed the blinkers and paradigms that narrow thinking, and never look at a work of art the same way again
Target Audience:
Leaders and teams who need to spark curiosity, uncover what’s possible and find opportunities hiding in plain sight. Particularly relevant for leaders & senior creatives/designers who have ‘seen it all’ before!
Delivery Formats:
Keynote, half and full day interactive workshop
The art of Occupational Philosophy
Why better questions, not quick answers, power leadership in the age of AI.
The thinking that created today’s challenges won’t be the thinking that solves them. It’s crucial to challenge our biases and filters, let go of presumed knowledge and become comfortable in the grey areas of ambiguous scenarios, where multiple truths and correct answers coexist.
That’s where Occupational Philosophy comes in: a practical way to bring timeless wisdom into the workplace. Inspired by the ancient question “How should we live?” this keynote reframes it for modern leaders: “How should we work?” This provides practical ways to navigate uncertainty, make thoughtful choices in complex environments, and stay human in the age of AI and rapid change.
Instead of rushing to answers, audiences will discover the value of ditching quick answers for better questions. Many modern challenges do not come with a single right solution. In ambiguous environments, Occupational Philosophy becomes a compass to help organisations balance competing truths and make human-centred decisions grounded in humility and curiosity.
Packed with interactive twists and thought experiments, this keynote springs from 110+ episodes of Simon’s hit podcast The Occupational Philosophers, fuelled by conversations with curious minds and global guests who know how to see the world differently and help us do the same.
By the end participants will:
- Stay steady in environments when there’s no single right answer
- Shift from black-and-white thinking to navigating the in-between
- Make human-centred choices in a world shaped by AI and rapid change
- Gain a fresh point of view by reframing your questions
- Experiment with ideas daily and turn curiosity into a leadership strength
Target Audience Leaders:
Managers and organisations facing complexity, rapid change, and the need for more innovative and ethical decision-making. Especially relevant for teams who must make sense of situations with more than one valid answer.
Delivery Formats:
Keynote and half day workshop.
Leading with Innovation, now we’re talking!
Because innovation doesn’t start in a spreadsheet. It starts with your people.
Leading a continuous culture of innovation may seem daunting, but it does not have to be. You do not necessarily need to invest in bean bags, a ping pong table, or even set up a craft brewery in the lunchroom (unless that is your jam). Real innovation thrives in unexpected places, often in the small, everyday shifts that spark something bigger. Your organisation has potential itching to break free, and leadership is what brings it to life. Forget about being a leader of spreadsheets and Gantt charts; the true game changer has always been your people.
In his book A Thousand Little Lightbulbs, Simon Banks highlights that innovation is rarely about one breakthrough idea. It grows from many small sparks that build momentum, shift culture, and invite people to try, learn and grow. Organisations that nurture these everyday sparks create a steady flow of ideas that turn into progress and results. In this keynote, we also take a peek at what innovative companies are doing around the world, including those outside the usual suspects, proving that fresh ideas often come from the most surprising places.
This keynote is for those ready to spark and guide an innovative culture, unlock their organisation’s hidden powers, and ride the wave of constant “aha” moments that keep the progress train chugging along. (Whilst also delighting customers and smoking the competition). All aboard the innovation express!
By the end participants will:
- Reframe innovation from a hard task into a daily habit
- Foster a culture where authenticity fuels collaboration and bold ideas
- Create environments where people thrive and market-leading ideas take shape
- Remove barriers that block innovation with cost-effective strategies that work
- Generate a flow of ideas and transform them into actions that drive change
Target audience:
Executives and teams ready to trade stale playbooks and spreadsheets for a culture where innovation becomes second nature
Delivery Formats:
Keynote and half to two-day workshop. Often delivered as part of an Enterprise Leadership program
The Art of the Story
Because no one ever remembered bullet point 5, slide 13
Humans have been telling stories since day one. They are an essential part of how we connect. A good story makes us think, feel, and engage in ways that numbers and slides alone never will. In a business world drowning in information, the ability to tell stories that land has never been more critical.
Drawing on both the science of storytelling (why our brains are wired to remember and respond to stories) and the art of human connection, Simon shares practical tools and techniques that audiences can apply immediately. It gives your people a licence to do something different with how they communicate. Why? Because boring and bland is already taken.
You’ll see how simple visual storytelling can simplify complexity and why facts on their own are forgettable, but stories are what move people to action. With over 1,400 events delivered across industries, Simon brings credibility, humour and creativity in equal measure, ensuring this keynote is as engaging as it is practical.
If you are looking for a keynote that busts through corporate jargon and equips your people with tools to tell stories that stick, this session is for you. Stories make messages memorable, and even small tweaks can take you from zero to hero. It is a boost everyone can use, and something everyone can implement in the very next meeting.
By the end participants will:
- Understand the neuroscience of storytelling and why stories engage the brain more deeply than facts alone
- Master the art of designing slides people actually want to see
- Use the Pixar framework to design stories that move audiences
- Present with energy and positivity and leave every audience with a positive emotional legacy
- Embed storytelling at the heart of team culture and client connections
Target audience:
Anyone who presents, pitches, or communicates with others and wants to make their presentations memorable for all the right reasons.
Delivery Formats:
Keynote and two hour to full day workshop
MC
Simon has a track record of happy event host.
Whilst it may have something to do with his lifelong obsession with creativity, acting and his inability to sit still for longer than two minutes, it’s also his 20+ years of experience. This is the winning combo that makes Simon your ideal Master of Ceremonies.
It all ties in with Simon’s ‘big why’: to use his artist’s curiosity combined with his 20-year corporate career to build a more creative world and enable people and business to thrive in the modern age. His creative/corporate left-of-centre mix, along with his friendly style mean that the audience feel engaged immediately.
