Peter Sheahan has spent a decade teaching business how to flip their thinking and find opportunity where others cannot. He believes that the real money gets made in the cracks, and that the opportunity for mind-blowing success is all around us. The problem is we get conditioned by our experience, blinded by our business models and conned by the popular media to believe success is a product of the economic conditions.
Peter will show you how to be up, in an upside-down world. He will not only help you and your people to develop the mindset required to find opportunity everywhere, he will mobilize you to exploit it.
Peter’s clients include Newscorp, Google, Hilton Hotels, GlaxoSmithKline, Harley Davidson, Cisco and Goldman Sachs. Many of which engage him on an ongoing basis to provoke their leaders to re-think their assumptions and challenge them to find innovative ways of doing business. He has been described by one of his clients as the “guy to call when you want your answers questioned.”
Peter’s success is driven by his ability to identify areas of untapped potential within organizations, develop the unique thought processes needed to profit from them, and then catalyze the key individuals to take the risks required to make it a reality. Clients consistently remark on the depth of his insight, the global nature of his business perspective and the comprehensive research he does into their industry, their organization, its model and the current threats and opportunities they face.
Peter’s fifth book Fl!p, an international best-seller available in 25 countries, emphasizes the need for leaders to have mindset flexibility. It explores the changing nature of leadership; evolving business models; and unpacks dozens of strategies for finding opportunity and making money in tough economic times.
Peter walks his talks, and can speak from personal experience. A former General Manager of a $10 million hotel business, Peter has established himself as highly successful entrepreneur. In addition to his world renowned thought leadership practice, Peter is also the CEO of the Centre for Skills Development (CSD). The CSD specializes in large scale social change projects and now runs the largest face-to-face financial literacy program for teenagers in the world. In partnership with Apple, the CSD developed and continues to run the ground breaking Beyond Chalk program, working with educators to create 21st Century learning environments. More recently the CSD has taken on IBM as a client and is running development programs in large corporations and Government departments teaching staff how to use technology to foster collaboration and drive productivity in their organizations.
In January 2010, Peter’s sixth book is due for release. With a working title of Market-Ability, this book will guide individuals through the 5 key strategies required to turn good ideas into great results. Or better said, turn opportunity into profit.
Peter’s outstanding achievements were first officially recognized in 2003 when Peter had the honor of being named Young Entrepreneur of the Year in his home state. He is best known though for his skills as a presenter and his ability to customize his expertise to meet the needs of the audience. He has delivered more than 2000 presentations to over 300,000 people in 15 different countries. In 2006, Peter was awarded the National Speakers Association Keynote Speaker of the Year, as voted by his peers.
Seen as a global thought leader, Peter’s insights into business trends and the changing needs of customers and staff make him a regular presenter on Fox Business, as well as appearing on ABC and the BBC as well. In 2008 Peter was a featured expert in a five-part global series on Innovation on CNBC, and he has been written up in the Washington Post and Fast Company Magazine.
Peter Sheahan is a unique and inspiring speaker whose ideas and experiences are changing the face of the business world. Don’t miss your chance to engage with this leading mind on innovative and entrepreneurial thinking!
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Speech Topics
All sessions are highly customized and detailed session descriptions follow initial briefing and background research.
Fl!p
How to find and exploit opportunities in an upside down-world Fl!p is your inspiring, future-focused strategy for finding opportunities in a down market through courageous leadership, innovation and change. To remain competitive, organizations not only need to shift the mindsets of their current leaders, but must also develop a deep understanding of the changing expectations of both customers and talent.
Emphasizing the need for mindset flexibility, Fl!p will reveal the changing nature of leadership; the evolution of business models; and deliver literally dozens of examples and strategies for finding opportunity and making money in tough economic times.
Fl!p is a philosophy not just for reacting to changing markets, but for being the force of change in your market.
X-Factor
Finding the NEW sources of competitive advantage by getting to the heart of why people buy, and what makes them refer Commoditization is not inevitable – or at least it doesn’t have to be. Today your sources of competitive advantage have moved from the traditional tangible categories of price, speed and quality into the intangible realm of story, relationships and social identity.
In tough economic times buyers will demand value more than ever. Knowing what value represents to the modern consumer, and to great talent as well, will be the secret to thriving while everyone else is focused on surviving. X-Factor will be your crash course in behavioral economics, brand development and the changing demands of customers and staff.
Next Gen Profits:
Attract, Manage and Profit from the Next Generation of Customers and Staff Generation Y (AKA Millennials) represents one the most lucrative opportunities open to business today. Whether you want to unleash their creativity at work, get your share of the $200bn they spend annually, or align yourself to profit from the$17.8 trillion they will inherit in the coming years, you will need a fresh approach to branding, sales and leadership.
Every generation sees the world in a unique way. Human needs never change, but our definitions of whether those needs are being met change dramatically based on how we were brought up and the environment that surrounded us. If you are going to attract and retain the new generation as customers, members and staff you will need to understand their new perspectives and definitions. In these massively uncertain economic times embracing Generation Y offers a unique opportunity to leverage the fresh ideas they bring and get your share of the lucrative market opportunity they offer.
Market-Ability
Unleashing the spirit of entrepreneurship in your business so you can turn good ideas into great Results. There is no shortage of ideas in the world. There is a shortage of people with the ability to transform those ideas into reality. With a very hard-edge, this session will reveal the 5 phases that you need to first instigate, and then navigate, if you want to turn your good ideas into great results.
Combining the need for imagination and action, Market-Ability will go deep into the secrets of positioning ideas, products and services in a way that makes people not only pay attention, but part with their time, money and energy. There is no point having a new idea, developing your new strategy or embarking on a journey of transformation if your people can’t make it happen in the real world. Market-Ability will show you how.
Facilitated Workshops
Tomorrow, Today: Future proofing yourself and your organization by understanding and adapting to the Four Forces of Change
We have to stop thinking about change as something which happens in the future. This only serves to allow us to delay taking the action required of us today. The most successful organizations of the next decade will be those that have the ability to adapt, and they will be full of leaders at all levels who anticipate the future, and stay ahead of the curve.
This does not require crystal-ball like predictions 20 years into the future. The successful business models tomorrow can be found in what is happening today. Tomorrow, Today will uncover these macro-shifts, discuss their application to your business or industry, and present ideas on how to best respond, NOW, to what is occurring.
Personal Branding: Building a reputation that enhances your influence, increases your market value and turns you into a magnet for opportunity! Clients today want to deal with thought leaders and recognized experts. If you and your organization want to be seen as strategic partners instead of “just another supplier”, you need to not only build the brand of your firm but of the individuals themselves.
Big organizations operate in much the same way as market places do, so your persona career success will depend on your ability to proactively build your brand and reputation internally, and ensure you are the go-to person in your field.
It is not what you know OR who you know these days. It is who knows what you can do! Your ability to build your brand as a ‘go-to’ person will not only drive higher revenue for the business and increase your value to your company, but it will create opportunities for you to influence the bigger picture and make a greater impact in the world as well.
Talent Magnet
How to build a powerful & differentiated employer brand The need to attract and retain the right quality of talent is as important in an economic downturn as it is when business is booming. How companies behave now will echo long into the future. The GFC has put the final nail in the coffin of the social contract between employer and employee. When the market turns it will be those firms who protect and strengthened their brand in this time of adversity that will stand to reap the benefits of having the best and brightest talent available to them.
As we make necessary changes to our staffing numbers, it will be key to retain the right kind of talent, and ensure those still at work remain highly engaged. Building a powerful brand will ensure that your high performers stay focused on what’s great about working for you, and give you all of their discretionary effort.
A failure to manage your reputation internally and externally will massively hamper your ability to exploit the opportunities that exist even when the market is down, and will slow your acceleration as the market turns. The great companies will use this time to differentiate their employment offering from their competitors, and will reap the benefits long into the future.
Testimonials
"Peter joined us in Seattle to film a series of short videos to educate managers across Microsoft about generational change and it impact on the way we do business. His recordings were jam packed full of energy, insight and practical strategies any leader could use."
"Peter has built an excellent reputation around the world as the leader in his field, and our partnership together has proven this to me personally."
"I have no hesitation recommending Peter to any business looking to understand their new customers and staff, and to future proof their organization against the inevitable change they bring."
Maryann Prouty, Global Program Manager – MACH
Microsoft Corporation
"Peter has worked with some of our most senior leaders, almost all of our North American distribution partners and some of our most edgy businesses such as WebEx too. Peter understands not only the forces of change in the modern business landscape, but the mindset the leader needs to adapt to future proof themselves against that change. His sessions are content rich, extremely thought provoking and inspiring all at the same time."
" Peter can be relied upon to deliver genuine insight that moves his audience to action. These are exciting, and of course challenging times. Peter is just the right kind of thinker to help organizations profit from the opportunities which inevitably arise in such a turbulent economic environment."
Naomi Chavez Peters, Communications & Development Director
Cisco Systems, Inc
"Thank you for your thought provoking presentation at Google's HQ in Mountain View A number of Google staffers reached out to say how much they enjoyed your thought/discussion provoking presentation. You gave us great insight into the minds of literally hundreds of potential Googlers. For us to better understand how to motivate and develop that talent will certainly be the key to our continued success."
Sue Polo, Engineering and Operations Staffing Manager
Google
"Peter Sheahan is unquestionably cutting edge. His insights on generational change, and their impact on the way we lead and develop staff is unparalleled in the market place. When combined with his presentation skills, for which he is very well known, these make Peter an invaluable resource to our clients businesses."
"We had Peter present to a group of our select clients in 2008, and the overwhelming response was “how do we get him back and expose a broader cross-section of managers to his ideas and strategies”. I can confidently say Peter is a world class expert on his topic, and first-class presenter too. I have no problem recommending him to other American companies looking to drive innovation and leadership throughout their business."
Karl E. Hansen, President
The Vita Companies
"In 2008, we were fortunate enough to have Peter Sheahan present at our annual conference. Known as a very discerning audience, the thousand plus crowd was initially skeptical of this young Australian. By the end of the presentation, they were blown away. Peter’s average audience rating was 4.9 out of 5. His address was insightful, provocative and inspiring. Peter’s enthusiasm is infectious. Our clients left excited and inspired to embrace the changing market place and drive innovation in their place of work."
"North American businesses can really benefit from Peter’s expertise in these challenging economic times. I have no hesitation recommending Peter Sheahan to anyone interested in building an exciting and innovative company."
A David Bergstein CPA, CITP, Strategic Partner Relations
CCH (a Wolters Kluwer business)
" Richmond Events counts amongst its clients some of the most powerful HR executives in all of America. They are a very intelligent and discerning community. It is for this reason, that we chose Peter Sheahan to be the opening presenter at our very first on-shore West Coast conference."
"Peter is known across the globe as a catalyst for change, helping executive teams to evolve their business practices and leadership philosophies in areas of generational change, customer experiences and talent retention. His presentation was not just well researched and genuinely insightful, it was a lot of fun as well."
"Peter brings the right balance of theatre and expertise to the platform, and he left our audience not just excited about the rest of the day, but inspired to build even more innovative cultures in the businesses they help to lead."
"Peter is a first-class presenter, who will not just tell your audience what they want to hear, but what they need to hear. He walks the razors edge as he provokes his audience to question their own beliefs, and practices yet somehow manages to have them enjoy the experience. It is with pleasure that I offer my recommendation to this talented individual."
Shane D. York, Conference Manager
Richmond Events
"Peter Sheahan could light a small town with energy, enthusiasm and insight. He combines deep practical knowledge with unending passion for both his subject matter and his audience. In my 10+ years of speaking with executive-level audiences, I find Peter to be unsurpassed in his ability to engage senior executives."
"Peter can draw out of your people answers to questions they did not know they had. That, and even more powerfully, he will have them question the very answers they come up with in a way that reveals an even deeper level of insight and understanding. Whether he is presenting or facilitating, Peter is clearly world class educator.”
David Willis, Managing Director
Corporate Executive Board
"For the last few years, News Corporation America has been engaging Peter Sheahan to transform the way its leaders think about their business, and the talent within it. From the creative's in the editing rooms of LA, to the Chairman himself in New York, Peter has had a profound impact on this company."
"There is no shortage of people who can entertain an audience. There is also no shortage of academics, conducting insightful research. It is very rare, however, to find someone who is engaging on the platform and whose work is clearly based on ground-breaking research and genuine insight into what makes a business and its leaders successful in today's uncertain market place."
"Peter Sheahan is one of those people. Arguably the world leading expert in generational change, I have no hesitation recommending Peter to any organization looking to drive innovation deeper in their company, and wanting to inspire their leaders to think differently and take the necessary risk to future-proof the business."
Tiffany LaBanca, Senior Vice President, Internal Communications
News Corporation
