JimCarroll

Ok, here goes — it’s been a fabulous 8 weeks, as I hit the road running, keynoting a wide variety of events in a number of different industries. New to this unique job – I’m working harder to get stage pictures; I use them in my daily motivational/trends quote. Follow me over on my Instagram page to get them and be inspired!

First off, can I tell you that I love my job? Here’s a picture from when I was on stage for an event in London, England, last month. Never mind that with jet lag, it was the equivalent of 3:30AM in the morning for me.

I’m on, I’m wired, I’m inspired – that’s what I do!

Here’s an overview of what I’ve been up to for the first two months of the year!

Omnitracs Outlook 2017, Phoenix, Arizona – Trucking Keynote

This is a software and logistics company in the fast moving trucking industry – my keynote was all about the future of autonomous trucks, bio-connected driver monitoring, the fast change occurring in the logistics/supply chain industry and more. There’s a blog post about it here.  I’ll have another! I’m doing more and more in the automative/trucking, and general transportation space – to such a degree, I’ve rolled out a separate keynote description: Accelerating the Auto and Trucking Industry in the Era of Self-Driving Vehicles.

United Suppliers Technology Exchange – New Orleans, Louisiana, Agricultural keynote

For this event I had about 300 farmers in the room — and truth be told, I love working with these folks. Farmers are some of the most innovative people I know — they are open to new ideas, the exploration of new technologies; they are constantly in search of new methodologies and so much more. It’s a theme I capture in the agriculture section of my Web site; in particular, read the post Two Types of Farmers. I’ve got a separate keynote description for my agricultural talks : Big Trends in Agriculture: What Will the World’s Oldest Profession Look Like in 2025?

Commscope, Dallas, Texas – The Future of Technology

This company is a long time pioneer in the world of telecom and hi-tech. They know everything is changing with hyperconnectivty, the Internet of Things, massive acceleration in product innovation and product lifecyles, constant growth as every company becomes a software company, and as Moore’s law rules everything from healthcare to agriculture, cars and trucks to every other industry! (That’s a long sentence — and while it might be breathtaking, so is the speed of change). Who better to help them make sense of a future in which the future belongs to those who are fast? (Hint: Me!)

American Financial Services Association – New Orleans – Automotive keynote

Again, in New Orleans — in this case, the finance/leasing end of the automotive industry, including financing companies and the dealer network. So much change in terms of business models in this sector: what’s the future of the  financing of car purchasing, in an era in when people might not even buy cars anymore as the sharing economy takes hold? Not to mention the fact that the very essence of the vehicle is changing as innovation speeds up, the dashboard goes out of date faster, and the resale value changes quicker! Don’t forget – the very nature of what we consider a car is changing as companies like Tesla come to redefine the industry!

Pladis – Godiva Chocolates, McVities Biscuits  Ulker – Keynote on the Future of Food & Retail, London, England

This was a huge amount of fun! I love overseas trips! And what an organization — Pladis is new, with three separate, distinct brands coming together with a focus on future opportunities. My keynote covered trends in fast-changing retail, consumer behaviour, store infrastructure, brand promotion and more. It must have gone well — since Godiva is having me back for a separate supply chain event in Ghent, Belgium in May!

Scotiabank, Toronto, Canada – Future of Banking/Financial Services Keynote

More disruption — business models, the rapid evolution of technology, new competitors with PayPal, Google and Apple. Just what is a bank anymore, and who is it? What do they do in terms of innovation with fast changing expectations, business model disruption, the relentless impact of mobile, the rapid acceleration of innovation from every perspective? Whatever the case may be, agility needs to be the core focus going forward — and that was the overall message within my keynote, which took a deep look at the trends sweeping this industry.

Alberici Group, St, Louis, Missouri – The Future of Architecture and Construction

This was a smaller conference than the others, but equally important! It was a leadership meeting for this major American construction company. My keynote kicked off the event, and covered issues around the rapid emergence of new construction methodologies, new materials and design concepts, fast paced architectural trends, the acceleration of skills and knowledge. This keynote came on the heels of a talk I did in the fall on the same type of issues for the American Concrete Institute – read more here. One of my key goals – get them aligned to the trends in their industry, rather than shying away from them.

Whirlpool, Chicago, Illinois – Future Impact of Internet of Things (#IoT)

This is a company that is making a transition from being a company that sells appliances, to being a computer company that happens to sell hi-tech within appliances. The industry is speeding up as Moore’s law comes to take hold; the value proposition changes with the service-ification (Yup, I made that word up) of business models, and as big device architecture issues come into play. I’m doing a LOT of talks around the Internet of Things — and its nice to see that a senior leadership team in the forefront of what is happening here chose me to come in and share key insight on what’s next.

Stay tuned – March, April, May and June offer a whole bunch more in terms of keynotes and leadership events. I’ll be blogging, tweeting and Instagraming as I go.