William Higham

William Higham, a global authority on Future Business Strategy, guides top brands like Amazon and Disney to innovate and future-proof their strategies for maximum growth.

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Great working with Will. His presentation at our sales conference perfectly fitted the tone and context we were aiming for. His thought provoking, engaging style set an agenda for change.

Mike Hulse

Sales Director, Philips

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Why you should book William Higham for your next event

Authoritative Expertise: His influential handbook on consumer trends is a key resource for strategists worldwide, showcasing his deep industry knowledge and foresight.
Global Influence: Higham’s presentations, from FT conferences to Netflix’s 'Future Of' series, have inspired and equipped audiences across the globe with forward-thinking strategies.
Award-Winning Strategies: Higham’s innovative marketing campaigns for Sony and Universal earned prestigious awards, highlighting his success in driving impactful business results.

Unlock the future of your business with a keynote from William Higham, a global leader in Future Business Strategy and Innovation. With two decades of experience advising top brands like Amazon and Disney, he delivers actionable insights on growth, resilience, and emerging trends. His practical advice equips audiences with strategies to attract and retain tomorrow's consumers and navigate evolving markets. Inspire and future-proof your team with Higham’s engaging, data-driven approach.

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Keynotes

Keynote by William Higham: How to Thrive in a Volatile World: A 3-step guide to managing uncertainty

In today’s more unpredictable business environment, companies need to be able to adopt new strategies quickly and confidently. But few companies are set up to do so. This talk provides practical advice to anyone struggling to help their workforce be more “change-friendly”.

Business is increasingly unpredictable:

Frequent disruption is inevitable today: yet 43% of leaders say their business is not set up to navigate change confidently (Magnetic, Dec 2023)

Employee engagement, mental health levels are down: conflict and resignations up. Workers are struggling to adapt: not even senior management is immune.

Companies must find a way to make their staff, managers and systems more “change-friendly” if they’re to survive in this new world.

Benefits 3 distinct audiences:

Senior leadership (CEOs, C-Suite) who want to make their company more future-ready.

Senior/middle managers wanting to manage uncertainty better themselves: and improve their Dynamic Leadership skills.

HR directors/managers who want to help their workforce through times of change and/or build a change-friendly company culture.

Audiences will learn how to:

adapt their own attitudes and leadership styles to better navigate the new landscape

help their teams deal with the emotional and business requirements of change

create a more change-friendly, agile and resilient company culture / organisation

use these new-found skills to gain a business advantage over their competitors

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Keynote by William Higham: Six Ways to Conquer Uncertainty: How to lead in an increasingly volatile world

2024’s proving to be another year of uncertainty. And many executives themselves are feeling uncertain. But that doesn’t need to be the case. William has been helping leaders manage uncertainty for over a decade. And he's learned that, not only is change not a bad thing. Volatile times can actually provide
more
growth opportunities than calm ones. As Formula One champion Ayrton Senna once said:
“You can’t overtake fifteen cars in sunny weather – but you can when it’s raining.”

William has created a brand new talk that helps leaders find agility and growth in today’s unstable world. It distils all his experience of Uncertainty Management into six practical processes you can adopt to help you thrive in a VUCA world. William can show you not just how to
manage
uncertainty, but how to find huge
growth opportunities
within it.

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Keynote by William Higham: Four Ways to Innovate for Growth: Embed winning innovation into your company

Companies that actively promote a culture of innovation are 3.5x more likely to outperform their peers. And 87% of executives believe innovation is essential to their organisation’s success and growth (McKinsey). Yet just 36% of today’s businesses are actively innovative (DTI). If you’re finding it hard to create an innovation culture within your company, this talk can help. Over the last 20 years, William has identified four practical things companies can do to become more innovative.

Identify customer-led growth opportunities

Instil a more open, “challenger” mindset

Manage collaborative creativity and idea generation

Build new metrics and processes to test success

William will show you how to use these in your business – to create innovative new products and processes that’ll keep you a step ahead of the competition.

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Keynote by William Higham: An Organisation Fit for Tomorrow: Future-proof strategies for CEOs and CHROs

In tomorrow’s uncertain business landscape, the most successful companies won’t be those with the best products or marketing teams. They’ll be the ones that can best adapt to new circumstances. The ones with the best
organisation
: the most efficiently run offices, smartest workflows and resource allocation, inspiring cultures and engaged, productive employees.

But legacy environments and reporting structures are really hampering many companies’ productivity, engagement and efficiency. The introduction of hybrid was a good start – but much more needs to be done.

In this talk, William looks at what CEOs and CHROs can do to
rebuild
the enterprise: creating environments and organisational structures ready for the future. How to create structures that give individuals flexibility while fostering a collaborative, engaged community across hybrid workforces. That build flatter, results-driven hierarchies with a common purpose. That use new technologies like AI and IoT to empower individuals and improve workflows.

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Keynote by William Higham: A Guide to Getting Engaged: How to engage tomorrow’s customers & staff

Brand loyalty and employee engagement are at an all-time low. According to one study, 92% of consumers say they aren’t even loyal to their favourite brand. And 85% of employees admit to being disengaged at work.

But, despite such disturbing statistics, William believes it’ll actually be easier to build loyalty tomorrow than in the past: in both consumers and employees. Why? It’s all down to a growing desire to belong, to ‘feel part of something’, to have the support of ‘people like me’ in an increasingly uncertain world.

In this talk, William uses examples from social media to competitive leisure, neighbourhood groups to book clubs, to show how smart companies can foster loyalty by creating ‘brand families’. He helps audiences identify passions and values that can unite their employees and engage their customers. How to use events and advice to bring customers together. How to give people a voice without losing your own.

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Customer Reviews

Great working with Will. His presentation at our sales conference perfectly fitted the tone and context we were aiming for. His thought provoking, engaging style set an agenda for change.

Mike Hulse Sales Director, Philips

William's talk was a great way to start our strategy conference. He brought new, provocative insights and inspired the audience to think of new ways to serve tomorrow’s consumer.

Matt Houston Director of Strategy, Primark

William gave us great insights into how consumer attitudes are changing, and how the audience will need to adapt.

Michaela Ridgeway Senior Content Editor, Financial Times Global Conferences

William has the unique ability to identify those trends which are important and translate them back into a commercial opportunity for your business.

Alex Owens Head of Insight, Sainsbury’s

Will spoke in a compelling and entertaining way, convincing delegates to rethink their approach to customers.

Jim Hodgson Project Implementation, Department for International Trade

William Higham

Strategies for Tomorrow’s Business Landscape

William Higham is a globally acclaimed keynote speaker and motivational speaker, celebrated for his profound expertise in Future Business Strategy and Innovation. With over two decades of leadership at the strategic consultancy Next Big Thing, Higham has been instrumental in guiding top-tier organizations like Amazon, Walt Disney, and HSBC through complex business landscapes. His specialization in growth and resilience helps companies not only adapt to current trends but also anticipate and prepare for future disruptions.

As a keynote speaker, William Higham offers unparalleled insights into how emerging technologies such as AI, Web3, and the Metaverse will shape the business environment. His presentations are crafted to provide a deep understanding of these innovations while delivering practical, data-driven strategies that can be immediately implemented. Higham’s talks are designed to inspire and energize, equipping audiences with actionable tools and forward-thinking approaches to enhance their organizational strategies.

Booking William Higham for your event means bringing a transformative experience to your team. His engaging and motivational speaking style ensures that participants leave with a clear vision of how to navigate the future of work and consumer behavior.

By choosing to book William Higham, you are investing in a speaker who will provide not only strategic insights but also a practical roadmap for achieving long-term success in a rapidly evolving market. Enhance your event with Higham’s expert guidance and empower your organization to face the future with confidence and agility.