Skip to main content
 

Tom Oliver

Innovation & Change Management
Expert and Author

 

"A brilliant demonstration that in the world of entrepreneurship, nothing is impossible. This is an extraordinary book by an extraordinary man."

About Tom Oliver

Creatives want to be him. World and business leaders want to be with him. Coach to many of the world’s top CEOs, philanthropists and entertainers, Tom Oliver has shared his secrets on leadership, innovation and creativity with Bono, the Dalai Lama, and Richard Branson. Tom has worked with CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, financial leaders like World Bank Group, the Rockefeller family and the family of Warren Buffett, the world’s most notable business leaders, and the best global brands from Johnson & Johnson to Pepsi and Google in Silicon Valley. Tom is also a Visiting Professor of Innovation, of Change Management/Digital Transformation as well as of Strategic HR/People Management. Tom has also been called “one of the most creative people on the planet” by the masterminds behind Barack Obama’s multi­award winning viral “Yes, we can” campaign. Tom’s story is particularly inspiring because he was not born with a silver spoon or to a prosperous family. He built his network from scratch and is now a serial entrepreneur, an innovation guru, a world­renowned music producer, award­winning philanthropist, and author of the international McGraw Hill bestseller “Nothing Is Impossible.

Tom is a world­renowned authority on disruptive innovation and is an holistic thought leader at some of the best business schools in the world. Tom draws on his global experience as a music producer, singer, songwriter and pianist and uses a live and interactive music presentation as part of his keynote. By playing piano and singing and even integrating the audience into his performance, he illustrates the true nature of “jamming” – of making music in a band, and its benefits for optimizing collaboration within teams and for cracking the code of innovation.

Tom’s lifelong experience in various areas ­ such as World Business, Philanthropy, Music, and Academia ­ collectively, allows his keynotes to resonate powerfully with the audience with a lasting impact! Tom’s keynotes are valued highly because he brings in a versatile collection of experiences, having lived and breathed various roles from being a serial entrepreneur, businessman, academic, a creative artist and a philanthropist. What is personified in Tom’s messages is that he is the thinker, the doer, the storyteller. And because of this Tom is the perfect speaker.

Tom’s keynotes are inspiring and emotionally enriching as he shares his holistic viewpoint ­ this is particularly unique to not just have the knowledge in theory but having experienced the lessons first-hand in a wide array of fields. His exposure to various cultures around the world makes him uniquely capable to address critical aspects such as cross functional & cross cultural collaboration, understanding the Millennial Generation and young customers, and achieving new heights of productivity and innovation.

Fabulously placed to inspire those around him to learning whole new levels of solutions.

Google HQ, California

A brilliant demonstration that in the world of entrepreneurship, nothing is impossible. This is an extraordinary book by an extraordinary man.

Ervin Laszlo, Founder of the Club of Budapest
Fortune 500 Consultant
Author of McGraw Hill global leadership bible “Nothing Is Impossible”
Founder and Chair of the Leadership Circle at the Manchester Business School
Founder and CEO of Resources for Peace, using business as a catalyst for change
Member of multiple world renowned think tanks, such as the World Business Academy and the Club of Budapest
Member of the Global Philanthropists Circle, founded by David Rockefeller (“Most elite club in the world” Bloomberg/Businessweek)
Founder and CEO of the “Nothing Is Impossible Leadership Institute,” NYC ­ Consulting the best global brands from Johnson & Johnson to Google
Founder and CEO of the World Peace Festival and the World Peace Partnership (Named “The most influential peace gathering in history” by Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu)
MBA Professor of Innovation, Change Management and of HR/People Management in Silicon Valley of Europe (NICE Sophia Antipolis MBA Program ranked #2 in France)
Leadership: Master the Strategies for Successful Visionary Corporate Leadership
The Power of One Team: Unifying Leadership Teams Around One Vision
Innovation: Turn Your Business into a Powerhouse of Innovation
Become a Top Global Brand
Strategic HR: Attract the Best, Keep the Best
Master the Digital Transformation
Maximize Employee Productivity: Achieve New Heights of Productivity
Digital Consumers: Win the Hearts and Minds of Digital Consumers
Cross Cultural Management: Optimize Communication Among Teams

PRODUCING ONE-STEP HOLISTIC LIFESTYLE SOLUTIONS FOR THE DIGITAL CONSUMER

In Tom’s article in Asia’s leading magazine on creativity and innovation, “Adobo”, Tom shares the principles, the mindset and the mental models that are key for businesses to come out on top and win in the Digital Transformation:

  • Innovation: The Secrets behind creativity and innovation
  • Change Management: Mastering the digital transformation
  • Digital Consumers: Understanding the hearts and minds of the Millennials and the consumers below 30
  • Digital Marketing: Focus on Digital Marketing as the core driver in creating a seamless, more connected and emotional experience for the consumers

Read full article here.

Interview with Tom Oliver

Praised as “a coach to many of the world´s most notable philanthropists, entertainers and CEOs” (McGraw Hill Professional), Tom Oliver has worked with CEOs of Fortune 500 companies throughout the world, business leaders like Richard Branson and the best global brands from Johnson & Johnson to Pepsi and Google.

High in demand as a global keynote speaker and consultant and “fabulously placed to inspire those around him to learning whole new levels of solutions” (Google), the World Bank seeks his business advice, the European Parliament, the United Nations, Austria and China invite him to speak to world leaders, and Google invites Tom to coach leadership.

He recently spoke to CSA Speaker Bulletin about creativity, innovation and the Millennial Generation.

You have been consulting Fortune 500 CEOs and the best global brands from Pepsi to Johnson & Johnson and Google on the secrets behind innovation. Could you share some of these secrets?

Creativity and innovation are the two biggest drivers for the long term success of any business. Cutting costs out of the supply side no longer works. Businesses have to focus on the demand side, and here innovation is the biggest issue. Now more than ever, the ability of any business to produce innovation at the highest level will determine its long term success.

Most businesses think that the processes of creativity and innovation are linear, but they are not. Businesses can profit immensely from understanding the process of making music in a band – called “jamming” – to produce innovation at the highest level. When jamming, a band focuses on bringing an inner vision to life. All band members move in tune with the music. Spontaneously, they give up control and move as one – in harmony. That´s when the magic happens. Only by jamming together, can a band produce great songs.

Therefore, a company has to decode the secrets behind creativity and innovation so that the different parts of a business can work together in harmony, “jam” and hear the music to consistently produce innovation at the highest level. This is why a lot of my clients ask me to integrate live music performances into my keynotes.

You´ve been called a “coach to many of the world´s most notable CEOs” and interact with CEOs like Richard Branson and cutting-edge brands like Google. Can you share the secrets of how to understand the hearts and minds of the Millennials and the consumers below 30 and win them for your products?

Understanding consumers is now more difficult but also more relevant than ever before. The individual consumer has a bigger presence as the global competition intensifies and the digital world increases the speed of interaction between businesses and their customers. This heavily influences the future of advertising and communication and the ways in which to win the Millennial Generation for products and services.

To become and remain one of the best global brands, businesses have to understand the hearts and the minds of their consumers. They have to understand people and their emotions; they have to thoroughly understand their customer base and how to connect with them. Only then will brands be able to engage consumers effectively.

You are also a famous music producer and live performer who connects with young audiences around the world, and a lot of your clients ask you to include live music performances in your keynotes. What can businesses learn from music to win the consumers below 30 for their products and services?

Dynamic lifestyle demands of people all over the world, and especially the consumers below 30, demand an increasing level of innovation from the best global brands.

The greatest driver of change over the next decade will be a significant shift in the expectations of the digital consumers of the Millennial Generation.

The dynamic lifestyle demands of consumers around the world expect a more and more seamless experience from the companies they do business with. In the next years, businesses will have to create one­-stop holistic lifestyle solutions and services for its consumers to become and remain among the best global brands.

In order to provide this seamless experience to consumers, businesses can profit immensely from understanding how rock stars and global social entrepreneurs engage people´s hearts and minds. When a rock star goes out on stage, he tunes into an inner vision and then brings this inner vision to life with his band to excite worldwide audiences. A global social entrepreneur applies exactly the same process when he sets out with nothing more than a vision to inspire global movements and rally millions of people behind a cause.

In applying the same principles, businesses can develop the kind of products and services that have a mass appeal and resonate with consumers around the world.

Apple has done this very successfully by creating a loyal global “rockstar” following for its products. This is why we see consumers camp outside of Apple stores the night before a new iPhone comes out, as if they were going to a U2 concert.

Very few other brands have managed to create this kind of authentic, passionate and emotional communication and relationship with their consumers. This is why I call Apple a true “Rockstar” brand in my global consulting practice with Fortune 500 CEOs and the best global brands.

How to book Tom Oliver

Tom interacts with Fortune 500 audiences in a way few other speakers can. After receiving a brief from the client, Tom collects hundreds of notes to tailor every keynote uniquely to the client’s needs and demands. When in front of the audience, Tom puts away all notes and completely tunes in to the audience in front of him. This allows Tom to interact and engage with his audiences on a fundamental level which leaves them highly energized.

Optionally, at the request of his clients, Tom often integrates live music performances into his keynote speeches to illustrate the nuggets and benefits he shares in his speeches through music. Tom has done this successfully with audiences all over the globe from Dubai to Germany to South America, from financial audiences with members of the Mumbai Chamber of Commerce, to the best business schools in the world like Manchester Business School, to gatherings of heads of state, world leaders, CEOs and billionaire entrepreneurs.

One thing is certain, no matter the location or the audience, Tom delivers a unique, compelling keynote which is certain to bring smiles to the audience, but more importantly, will leave the audience inspired, energized and well equipped to put amazing ideas into practice.

If you would like to book Tom Oliver for your next event, please call Dagmar O’Toole on +44 1628 601 462 or send an email to dagmar@csaspeakers.com.

Please complete the form below and we will respond to your enquiry shortly.

    First Name

    Last Name

    Email

    Phone

    Subject

    Your message