Keynote Speaker | Conference MC

Keynote Speaker | Experienced Emcee | Global Business Consultant

Your Next Workshop or Keynote Speaker

A deep generalist, provocative strategist, and accomplished business advisor, Jacob’s global perspective and deep insights have given the competitive edge to thousands of businesses.

For almost 20 years, Jacob has travelled Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America as an international business advisor and keynote speaker. Working with more than 400 companies globally, his specialty is working directly with business owners who find themselves stuck. They need someone who understands all aspects of business at enough depth to practically turn their dreams into reality.

Jacob’s tangential thinking and embrace of the ‘slightly’ absurd helps shift the way we look at how business should and can be done if we challenge outdated assumptions, embrace the new, and create paradigm shifts on the pathway to success.

In 2022, Jacob became the first Australian (and only the second ‘International’) to be nominated to the Virtual Speakers Hall of Fame.

Business Insights, Fun, and Laughter

Why Book Jacob Aldridge

“Jacob is the consummate professional – one you can trust to engage, delight and empower your audience.”

Event planners and Conference organisers book Jacob Aldridge when they are committed to delivering world-class business content that stands out for memorability and practical application. 

Jacob entertains and informs with a conversational style, wit and humour, distilling complex concepts into simple strategies that deliver a powerful and engaged audience response.

“My mission as a speaker is to rise about ‘the doorway effect’, making sure the value I share is remembered and implemented long after an attendee has walked out the conference doors and back to their real world.”

Best Business Keynote Speaker Brisbane Australia
  • A motivating keynote and conference speaker
  • A professional experienced MC
  • An engaging, outcomes-focussed facilitator
  • A deep generalist presenter across business growth, strategy, culture, and communications
  • Well-versed in all aspects of business growth with groundbreaking tactical insights
World Business and Executive Coach summit inaugural speaker
Something Digital Conference Speaker
Happy Lawyer Happy LIfe conference speaker
Email Marketing Summit MC Emcee Master of Ceremonies
Keynote Presentations | Plenary Sessions | Workshops

Jacob's Signature Keynote Presentations

Creating Innovation and Happiness

A.I. versus the Deep Generalist

My success and lifestyle comes from my one abiding principle: I’ve ignored the experts who told me to pick a box and specialise to that niche.

Since 2019 I’ve been warning audiences around the world how this Deep Generalist approach to your life and your team is your only hope for competing with Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.

Drawing on real-world experience rich in scope and delighting in an eccentric and abundant embrace of life, I unpack the wrong instructions we’ve received when it comes to creating long-term, sustainable success.

Beyond embracing change, beyond being agile, I’ll demonstrate how important it is to adopt this concept if you want to leverage the AI revolution … not become roadkill when the rise of the machines comes for you.

A provocative, enticing keynote which has proven to delight audiences, and change perspective – delivering a powerful combination of a new paradigm, challenge and hope for your audience.

Jacob Aldridge Panel Speaker
Confidence in Uncertain Economic Times

Don't Waste a Good Recession

More opportunities are created in a downturn than at any other point in the economic cycle. If you are positive, and know how to respond practically, this is a great time to be in business – to thrive, not just survive.

However, for most founders and owners it certainly doesn’t feel like a great time. As Mike Tyson said: “Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the face.”

This powerful keynote draws on decades of business experience and research, to acknowledge the powerful emotions audiences are feeling and then leave them optimistic for their future and empowered around what they can do next.

In 2022, Jacob was the first Australian ever nominated to the Virtual Speakers Hall of Fame for his work on this topic.

Workshop and Plenary Topics

  • The 10 Key Principles of a Recession-Proof Enterprise
  • Building Your Recession ‘War Cabinet’ (and why Association Membership is critical)
  • The 5 Most Common SME Recession Mistakes
  • The 4 Transformations a Downturn Creates
How does a Recession Typically Progress
Leverage Masculine and Feminine Energy

Visionary Leaders Embrace the Feminine

Working with professional services firms across the world, I’ve been fascinated with just why some firms thrive, and others simply exist. Beyond the balance sheet and profit and loss statements, I’ve looked to best practice and its adoption to understand why the ‘lucky few‘ created thriving, sustainable companies.

Embracing the Feminine is the result of that exploration. In realising ‘Best Practice’ is, often, anything but, I unpack the fundamental differences in the masculine and feminine approach to business. I’ll explain why embracing the feminine is essential to a robust business.

A powerful keynote with fresh perspectives that eliminate the divisiveness created in traditional approaches to gender equality and intersectionality, I’ll give your audience the tools and the strategies to create a different future – starting now.

Best International Business Coach Jacob Aldridge
The World's Most Daring Closing Keynote

The Conference Raconteur

How would you feel Speaking on a stage for up to 45 minutes with a slide deck … someone else prepared? And which you have never seen before? Watch me do it on purpose…

My role as the Closing Keynote is to thematically and energetically bring your Conference together, while giving your delegates the opportunity to depart on a high. This bold approach achieves those outcomes!

Each of your other speakers are asked to contribute 1 of their slides – or a meme! – which your team will then randomise and set to a strict timer (20, 30, or 45 minutes).

My task is to deliver an outstanding final message prepared to your theme – but based on slides I cannot see coming. There is only one speaker in the world bold and brave enough to attempt this – and you have the chance to book me.

The Best Closing Keynote Speech in the World
Break Out Sessions | Workshops

General Business + Leadership Topics

Beyond the Blackboard

Revenue, Profit, Valuation, and Growth

Jacob has spent the last 20 years coaching and training small business owners, and their leadership teams, across all 28 areas of a business.

This has built him an enviable library of relevant business topics, which are frequently updated and tailored to a specific audience’s needs (eg, industry, business size, location).

The most popular topics expand on key frameworks, case studies, and activities that form part of his much-loved weekly Blackboard Friday video series:

  1. Growth Planning
  2. Culture
  3. Sales
  4. Productivity
  5. Commercial Vision
  6. Business Lifecycle
  7. Customer Journey
  8. Marketing
  9. Valuation
  10. Operational Structures, and more

If your audience have a specific business need, Jacob can likely provide his expertise in an engaging, practical, and actionable manner – allowing delegates to apply what they learn in the real world of their SME.

'Soft Skills' Need a Rebrand

Power Skills for Modern Leaders

Every business needs good Leaders AND good Managers – and they are often the same individuals.

The role of leadership is to bridge the gap between your long term vision / mission / purpose, and the day-to-day operations of your organisation. Yet most leaders are unaware of the key role they play – or the skills they need to perform.

Popular topics include:

  1. Context and the 5 Whys
  2. How to Empower Your Team
  3. Entrepreneur vs Leader vs Manager
  4. Why the Golden Rule is B.S!
  5. Coaching Skills for Leaders
  6. Who’s Got the Monkey, and more

Provide yourself and your key people with the skills they need to lead in modern business.

Business Workshop Speaker Brisbane Australia

Jacob Aldridge Speaker Reviews

  • “I love the concept of being a deep generalist. His stories, theories and concepts kept me riveted for his whole speech.”

    Lindsay Adams The Relationships Guy Keynote Speaker
    Lindsay Adams
    Global Speaking Fellow
  • “Very thought-provoking. I came into this talk virtually disagreeing entirely with the concept. I’ve come out with much thinking to do and a possible conversion! Thank you Jacob.”

    Taryn Lovegrove Legal Speaker
    Taryn Lovegrove
    Lawyer, Davies Collison Cave
  • “Self-reflective deep generalist approach addressed extremely well and engaging. Excellently delivered and insightful!.”

    Andre Van Zyl the CFO Centre Speaker
    Dr Andre Van Zyl
    Regional Director, The CFO Centre
  • “Engaging and passionate presenter who shared real-life experience with both good and bad to illustrate his key points – both entertaining and rewarding. Loved his point that you don’t have to be a genius to be a deep generalist.”

    Fiona Southwell Organisational Change Speaker
    Fiona Southwell
    Organisational Change (Program) Manager

Your Next Engaging, Energetic, Expert Keynote Speaker