Stephen Scheeler, Former Facebook CEO for Australia and New Zealand tells us – Why he accepted to be a Featured Speaker at PCOA18.
“I find speaking to be one of the best ways for sharing my experience and message with a wider audience, and for tapping into how people from all sectors of the economy are coping with the digital onslaught. PCOA18 is a premier platform for reaching these audiences.
“Although originally from the US, I’ve lived in Australia for over 20 years, and my personal mission is to see Australia become one of the world’s leading digital economies by 2030. Australian consumers are tremendous adopters of digital technologies, but Australian business and government risk falling behind.
“Over my years at Facebook, I became increasingly concerned by the lack of awareness, will and action on the part of Australia’s business and government leaders in relation to technology disruption. After retiring from Facebook, I founded The Digital CEO to help Australia build the global digital leaders of the future – products, services, companies and people who can truly disrupt the world.
My presentation “The Tech Titans: How Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook are Reshaping Competition for Every Business on Earth” will sit well with the PCOA18 conference theme, “Embracing Change’ – How Agile Are You?’ Since leaving Facebook, much of my time is focused on helping business leaders reinvent themselves and their companies to compete in the 21st century. One of the biggest factors driving disruption in recent years has been the rise of the tech giants – Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook. I was lucky enough to lead one of these companies, and my talk will delve into how the unprecedented scale and power of the platforms these companies have built are forcing every business and leader on earth to rethink their approach to business, and the speed with which they now must move”.
There will be three key messages for delegates to take away from Stephens presentation:-
1. Business has been global for decades, but the tech titans have built superhighways (“platforms”) where until recently there were only dirt roads. Thousands of smart companies are now leveraging these platforms to take their products and services around the world and capture new customers and revenue.
2. Speed is king! The tech titans have grown to levels of global dominance faster than any companies in history. They are only the most obvious harbingers of what every business now must master in order to survive: moving faster!
3. Excellence in data is the new competitive advantage. The tech titans are, at their hearts, masterful data machines who collect, analyse and derive value from data at a scale never before seen. In the future, every company large and small needs to make data the centre of their business.
Stephens says, “our industry is as prone to disruption as any other! So, in order to survive and thrive, you need to master new (or advanced) skills around elements like vision, data dexterity, customer obsession and speed. The most innovative newcomers will re-imagine the events industry and then make that vision a reality – that’s an exciting prospect!
Stephen Scheeler is sponsored by Saxton Speakers Bureau. 
For more information on the PCOA18 conference click here