01 / Researched
The futurist who does the homework
Typically 25–50+ hours of fresh research into your organization and sector for every major engagement.
How Jim researches ↗
The Futurist Who Knows Your Industry
Know what changes next. Move before it does.
For over 30 years, Jim has guided the world’s most iconic brands through transformation, economic volatility and industry upheaval. Today he turns AI, accelerating technology and industry disruption into a customized action map for your leadership team, grounded in deep research into your sector.
BNSF Railway Supply Chain Summit, 2024
30+Years of horizon scanning
2,000+Keynotes
2M+Audience members
60+Countries
Researched. Relevant. Actionable.
Few speakers prepare for your industry the way Jim does.
Thirty years of pattern recognition. 25–50+ hours of fresh research. One keynote built for your room.
02 / Relevant
Thirty years of pattern recognition
Applied to the specific forces reshaping your industry, and graded in public: in 2026 Jim checked more than 20 years of his own keynote predictions against what actually happened.
Industry expertise ↗03 / Actionable
A plan, not just a picture
Every keynote ends with a practical action map for what your leaders should do next.
The keynotes ↗The work behind the message
Your industry. Your challenge. Your keynote.
Every major engagement gets 25–50+ hours of customized research: client calls, industry research, event objectives, trend analysis and current developments.
The keynote isn’t customized by changing the logo on the opening slide. It is rebuilt around the world the audience walks into every morning.
See how Jim customizes ↗
The proof
Real assignments. Recent case studies.
Manufacturing & Industrial · October 2026
ECIA Executive Conference
How could the authorized channel stay relevant as semiconductor demand shape-shifted across compute, energy, defence, automotive, industrial and consumer markets?
Read the case study ↗Energy & Utilities · September 2026
Toronto Hydro
Utilities must modernize while demand, technology and expectations accelerate.
Read the case study ↗Professional Services & Associations · August 2026
ISACA + IIA GRC Conference
Risk, compliance and governance assumptions were being tested by machine-speed change.
Read the case study ↗On stage
Proven on the world’s biggest stages.
2,000+ keynotes in 60+ countries, from association congresses of 15,000 to CEO offsites of 15.
Signature keynotes
Know what changes next in your industry.
Every keynote is built on deep research into your sector, and ends with what your leaders should do next. Choose the brief that fits your audience; Jim customizes it from there.
Start with your objective
Four keynote directions. One outcome: progress.
01 / Industry
The Opportunity Horizon
When the brief is: Our audience needs to understand what changes in our industry between now and 2030, and leave optimistic and ready to act.
Explore ↗02 / AI
The AI Acceleration Advantage
When the brief is: What does AI change in our industry, workforce, economics, customer model and competitive structure?
Explore ↗03 / Leadership
Lead at the Speed of Change
When the brief is: Our leadership team understands change, but isn’t moving fast enough.
Explore ↗04 / Culture
Being Unique
When the brief is: Our people need a reason, and permission, to think differently in the age of AI.
Explore ↗Why Jim
The Jim Carroll Advantage
Thirty years of pattern recognition, plus current research into your industry. Here’s what that means for your event.
The video loads from YouTube only after you press play. Open on YouTube ↗
Watch Jim
Two minutes on stage with Jim.
A two-minute reel from 2019 that blends his stage performance and key messages.
More video ↗The video loads from YouTube only after you press play. Open on YouTube ↗
What clients say
Researched, and it shows.
“We invited Jim in to give us an assessment of how our industry will change over the next 10 years. We have never seen a more compelling, concise - and motivating - assessment!”
“…thank you for a job well done. Everyone seemed to be quite impressed with the amount of research you did on the company and the way you integrated Parker into your presentation…it really set the stage for the rest of the meeting…”
“Wow! We thought we needed good insight into how we might be impacted by rapid changes in the business environment and consumer behaviour. We got more than we bargained for – not only concise details on key trends, but workable action plans as well. Jim really did his research for our event!”
“A stunning keynote with extremely powerful insight. Humour, energy, deep research and relevant content for our audience. We loved him!”
2027 Briefs
Don’t take our word for it. See the work.
Generic speakers show you a topic list. These briefs show how a broad keynote idea becomes a deeply researched, industry-specific point of view.
Recent thinking
From the blog.
From the Stage: The Recycled Recession Headlines
Every downturn, I play a little game with my audience. Speaking to dental professionals, I read out a series of grim economic headlines: banks facing meltdown, a…
Keynote Case Study: E-Recruitment Congress: Recruiters Needed To Become Futurists.
Jim Carroll's keynote explored the future of skills, recruitment, the workforce and the organization at the 2022 E-Recruitment Congress in Ostend, Belgium. The keynote…
Keynote Case Study: Zurich Insurance: The Future Of Risk Arrived Early.
I addressed several hundred corporate risk managers from some of the world’s largest organizations at Zurich’s Global Risk Management Summit in Lucerne, Switzerland. The…
Experience matters, and industry experience matters
The futurist you hire when generic won’t be good enough.
Discuss your event ↗A real conversation starts here
What do you need your audience to do next?
Start with the challenge. Jim reads and answers every inquiry personally, usually the same day.