Keynote speaker and author
Dedicated to helping leaders and organisations navigate disruption and prepare for a human-centred future.
Matt O’Neill
The Optimistic Futurist
Give your audience inspiration, optimism, and actionable insights for leading through AI transformation, technological change, and maintaining the human element in an increasingly automated world.
Let’s bespoke your eventOver 345 Events - 4 Continents
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You Can't Be Future Proof, But You Can Be Future Ready
Practical approaches to thrive in the AI-driven world.
Predicting the future is a fool's errand, but we can be prepared for it. This keynote gives leaders and teams the tools, mindset, and confidence to adapt as AI takes on more of how we work. I cut through the noise and show how to thrive in the hum of uncertainty.
What we'll cover:
- The shift from generative to agentic AI, and what it really means for the work that lands on your desk on Monday
- How I generate live AI holograms from audience ideas on stage, and why that mindset applies to anything you're trying to do with these tools
- Why some people resist new tools, and how to build a culture of curiosity instead of fear (with stories, including my own)
- The two human skills worth doubling down on as AI takes over the routine: the synthesising mind and antifragility
- What Generation Alpha will expect from us when they enter the workplace, and what to start doing now
Takeaways:
- A custom LLM prompt sheet your team can use from Monday morning (here's an example built for Shoosmiths)
- A one-pager on antifragility, for handling adversity before it strikes
- A one-pager on the synthesising mind, the leadership skill that matters most as AI becomes more widespread

What You’ll Gain:
- Confidence to integrate AI while keeping your human traits alive
- A mindset for adapting as the ground shifts beneath us
- A clearer view of what to pay attention to and what to give away to AI systems
"Matt O'Neill I am not given to being insincere, so when I say it was a fascinating, engaging keynote, you can be assured I mean it! Great job. I need to be more ‘mind fluid.’"
John Maguire
General Manager EMEA, SugarCRM
"Your session at our annual board strategy day made the whole team think again about some of the challenges facing us. The ideas it sparked have already led to new initiatives across the business"
Russell Atkinson
CEO, NAHL PLC
"Your content for navigating the pandemic was invaluable for our customers. Several of them remarked how they'd been able to implement your recommendations quickly into their businesses."
Scott Addington
Enterprise Marketing Director (UK), Sage