Peter Hinssen: Leading the Way in Innovation Leadership

Peter Hinssen, a seasoned entrepreneur, multiple board member, lecturer, author, and much-sought-after keynote speaker, has established himself as a luminary in the world of innovation, change and technology. His riveting keynotes, delivered to leading companies like Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Accenture, among others, have made him a preferred headliner at numerous Fortune 1000 leadership meetings and client events.

Champion of Radical Innovation

Hinssen’s expertise extends beyond the stage. As a lecturer at esteemed institutions such as the London Business School and the MIT Sloan School of Management, he’s shaping the innovation leaders of tomorrow.

In addition to his speaking and teaching engagements, Peter Hinssen serves as a  board member for a large international bank and an international media company. His advice has been instrumental in driving innovation in various organisations.

Hinssen is the author of five bestselling business books, each exploring a different facet of the digital and innovation landscape. From examining the survival tactics in times of radical innovation in ‘The Day After Tomorrow’, to shedding light on the inevitable transformation of companies into networks in ‘The Network Always Wins’, his work continually pushes the boundaries of thought on technology’s ‘new normal’. His latest work, ‘The Phoenix and the Unicorn’, delves into the why, how, and what of corporate innovation, underscoring the necessity for organisations to continually reinvent themselves to stay future-fit.

For over 15 years, Hinssen has led several technology start-ups, contributing significantly to the industry’s ecosystem. His ventures have been successful, with e-COM acquired by Alcatel-Lucent, Streamcase by Belgacom, and Across Technology by Delaware Consulting. Moreover, his venture, Porthus, went public in 2006 and was later acquired by Descartes. In the intervals between his start-ups, Peter was an Entrepreneur in Residence with McKinsey & Company, focusing on digital and technology strategy.

His company nexxworks assists organisations in becoming agile, innovative, and ready for ‘The Day After Tomorrow’. Their approach focuses on keeping business models future-fit, preparing them for a rapidly changing landscape.

Peter is not only a keynote speaker and entrepreneur but also an influencer in the digital world. His insights can be found on platforms like Forbes, LinkedIn and Belgian business daily De Tijd, where he regularly contributes articles on innovation and technology. He also features interviews with top influencers like Amy Edmondson, Dave Snowden, Martin Lindstrom and Rachel Botsman in his monthly newsletter The Never Normal.

Keynote Topics

Join Peter Hinssen as he explores the landscape of innovation, helping shape a future where businesses and society not only adapt but thrive in this Never Normal age of rapid change. Here are some of Peter’s keynote topics:

The Phoenix and the Unicorn

Start-up unicorns are amazing. But let’s face it, the majority of us won’t start one, become one, or find employment within one. A lot of us are tied to big companies that often struggle to stay important for the always changing customer. That’s why this keynote is about something just as special but maybe a bit more real for us: the Phoenix. These are the companies that, like this mythical bird, can remake themselves over and over again: they keep rising from the ruins of their past, and bounce back stronger than ever. They are the big names like Walmart, Volvo, Disney, Apple, Microsoft, Ping An, Assa Abloy, and AT&T in our world.

The Never Normal

Our world is shifting towards facing a multitude of new disruptions. We’re dealing with a powerful mix of worldwide platforms, information, intelligence, and automation that’s speeding up change. But now, tech isn’t the main source of upheaval. We’re seeing disruptions that are ecological, biological, societal, and geopolitical, and we’re just getting started. These disruptions will grow into major shocks that will totally change our way of life and work. Consider the potential rise in sea levels in the coming years. Or health crises like COVID-19. Or even the simmering trade tension between the US and China.

What we have to do now is prepare organizations for an unpredictable world of seismic shocks and their ensuing systemic shifts. Continuously changing consumer behavior, for instance, triggered a new way of performing business on the edge, permanently adapting. And so we have to become agile in capacity and resources. And this also means that we need a different type of skillset, different types of people and different types of organizations. In this world in permanent flux, Peter Hinssen uncovers how companies, leaders and employees will need to adapt to survive and thrive in the Never Normal.

A World without Order

As the dawn of a new decade propels us deeper into the 21st century, the notion of ‘world order’ seems increasingly hard to grasp. Literally, as we find ourselves in what Ian Bremmer refers to as a G-zero world: a time beyond the G-20, G-8, and G-7 era where the geopolitical scene is more unstable than during the height of the Cold War amidst the Cuban Missile Crisis. Figuratively, because a series of big shocks, which are societal, ecological, technological, and biological, have erased any global sense of order or predictability. While we’ve been focusing on managing our countries and businesses at a local level, chaos has been eating away at our broader systems.