Stephen Scheeler
Former Facebook CEO for Australia and New Zealand, Digital Transformation, Innovation & Leadership Speaker
Australia’s most authoritative voice on digital disruption, transformation, A.I., culture and leadership. Stephen Scheeler's 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 and humility.
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Stephen Scheeler is Australia’s most authoritative voice on AI, Leadership and Digital Disruption. The former CEO of Facebook ANZ, he helped guide Facebook’s unprecedented rise from quirky Silicon Valley start-up to media and 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.
Stephen is also Co-Founder and CEO of revolutionary artificial intelligence start up, Omniscient – 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 won the coveted SXSW Innovation Award for AI.
Stephen is a dynamic speaker and strategic advisor who captivates audiences of all sizes delivering insightful keynotes that earn high praise and repeat engagements, solidifying him as a sought-after expert in AI and Leadership. A native New Yorker, Stephen has spent over 25 years in Asia-Pacific, with deep experience across Asia & ANZ.
Topics
The AI Odyssey
From rust-belt America to the cutting edge of AI
A Silicon Valley Insider’s Guide to demystifying complex AI concepts. With 5 bespoke keynotes addressing AI for Business, Future, the Brain, Ethics & Trust and Society – These keynotes unveil how organisations can harness AI for a multiverse of purposes, illuminating a world enhanced by AI beyond the realm of technology.
AI for Business: Harnessing AI for Success
Who is this for:
Key Takeaways:
A straight-talking, demystification of AI: what is it good for, where does it fall short, and how should we think about maximising its potential and controlling its downsides – both for organisations, and for society at large.
AI for the Future of Business: Navigating the New Frontier
Stephen Scheeler, renowned for his direct involvement in pioneering AI ventures, presents a forward-thinking keynote on the future of business in an AI-driven era. Drawing from his experiences at the helm of Facebook Australia & New Zealand and Omniscient, Stephen offers a unique perspective on how AI is reshaping industries—from consumer products to healthcare. He outlines the new potentials AI presents for reimagining processes, products, and business models, emphasising the importance of understanding AI as both an opportunity and a challenge. Set within an easily understood framework where the possibilities of AI are considered under likeliness – allowing the audience to visualise a world of likely and possible probabilities due to the AI revolution.
Who is this for:
This keynote is essential for business leaders and organisations looking to leverage AI for competitive advantage by considering AI possibilities with all areas of strategic business importance.
Key Takeaways:
An insightful keynote empowering business leaders to navigate towards an AI-driven future, challenging conventional thinking and actions by presenting a vision of the transformative potential of AI.
AI for the Brain: Decoding the human brain with AI
Who is this for:
Key Takeaways:
Stephen unpacks Omniscient’s journey from cocktail napkin idea to global AI leader, he takes you under the bonnet of how their brain AI technology really works, and highlights the profound, paradigm-shifting impacts it is already having on medical science and everyday human lives.
AI for Ethics and Trust: Building an Ethical Landscape with AI
In his compelling keynote, Stephen delves into the critical intersection of AI, ethics, and trust, emphasising the indispensable role of an ethical compass in navigating the complex terrain of artificial intelligence. He believes that organisations are now at a pivotal juncture where balancing trust with AI technology has become a non-negotiable virtue. As AI systems become more integrated into the fabric of business operations, the imperative to align these technologies with ethical principles and trustworthiness is paramount. Stephen illuminates the path forward, offering insights into how businesses can foster a culture of ethical AI use that not only enhances operational efficiency but also builds a strong foundation of trust with stakeholders. By drawing on his extensive experience and real-world examples, Stephen provides actionable strategies for organisations to implement ethical AI frameworks that considers human values and societal well-being. This approach not only mitigates risks but also positions companies as leaders in the responsible use of AI, cultivating a competitive edge in an increasingly AI-driven marketplace.
Who is this for:
This talk is an essential guide for any business aiming to navigate the AI landscape with integrity, offering key takeaways that promise to transform their approach to technology and stakeholder engagement for the better.
Key Takeaways:
In this concise yet impactful keynote, Stephen unpacks the ‘how’ businesses can integrate AI with a strong ethical foundation, ensuring transparency and trust. Attendees will leave with clear, actionable strategies for deploying bias-free AI, fostering a culture of responsibility, and positioning their organisations at the forefront of ethical AI use.
AI for Society: Shaping a Better Tomorrow
In this insightful keynote, Stephen Scheeler, Australia’s leading AI authority, explores the transformative power of AI in shaping society for the better. With a rich background as the former CEO of Facebook Australia & New Zealand and Co-Founder and CEO of Omniscient, Stephen brings unparalleled expertise to the discourse of Shaping a Better Tomorrow with AI. He delves into how AI can revolutionise sectors like healthcare, education, and environmental conservation, while also addressing the ethical considerations and social challenges that accompany its adoption giving real life examples from his experience at Facebook. This talk is a deep dive into the potential of AI to enhance public services, safeguard privacy, and promote inclusivity, urging a collective move towards responsible AI development. Attendees will leave with a nuanced understanding of AI’s role in fostering a more equitable and sustainable future, inspired to contribute to a society where technology and human values coexist harmoniously.
Who is this for:
This keynote is essential for business leaders, executives, and managers seeking to understand how AI can drive societal transformation and shape the future of business strategy.
Key Takeaways:
Gain strategic insights into harnessing the transformative power of AI to drive positive change and foster inclusive growth while considering implications for society. Explore real-life examples from Stephen’s time at Facebook where AI technologies were utilised to both enhance and challenge societal norms and behaviours, providing valuable lessons for navigating the ethical considerations and social challenges associated with AI adoption.
Leadership
Walk the Talk: Mastering the Eight Elements of 21st Century Leadership
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”.
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. A.I., 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 A.I., 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.
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.
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 & 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?
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.
Cyber
How Avoiding Cyberattacks has Organisations Racing to Safety
In today’s digital age, where cyber attacks, data breaches, and digital threats are increasingly common, understanding and strategically addressing cybersecurity is essential for every business. In this insightful keynote, Stephen, a seasoned cybersecurity expert, will explore the critical role of leadership in navigating the complex landscape of cyber threats.
This presentation will delve into the latest trends in cyber attacks, highlighting the growing sophistication and frequency of these threats. Stephen will discuss how businesses, with companies like Facebook as case studies, are at the forefront of this battle, facing unique challenges and opportunities in cybersecurity.
Who this is for:
Targeted at organisations and management teams, this keynote will emphasise the strategic importance of cybersecurity in maintaining robust, data-driven customer relationships and business integrity. Stephen will draw upon his extensive experience to provide a comprehensive overview of the current cybersecurity landscape and its implications for businesses.
Key Takeaways:
Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the strategic importance of cybersecurity in today’s business world. The session will equip leaders with knowledge about emerging cyber threats and the necessary tools to develop proactive cybersecurity strategies. Stephen will offer practical advice on how businesses can fortify their defences against cyber threats, ensuring the safety and security of their digital assets and customer data.
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.
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.
