Engaging and inspirational stories from the trenches of real-world culture change
Thank you so much for making the trip to Zurich. There was universal agreement that your session was among the best we had in our [CEO leadership team offsite].
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CHRO
G2000 Hotel Corporation
Thank you for the amazing keynote and setting the tone for our XD Beyond Conference! Your words made a huge impact to over 170 designers and more than 100 partners in our organization.
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Head of Experience Design
Transforming organizational culture is not just about directives—it’s about cultivating enthusiasm, engagement, and momentum. By treating change as a product that people voluntarily adopt, leaders can inspire alignment, spark innovation, and drive transformations that last.
Keynote Details:
Driving meaningful transformation in today’s complex organizations is no easy feat. Whether the change is driven by the need for agility, or moving to the world of AI, leaders often encounter resistance, stagnation, and fatigue. Teams rarely have the buy-in to adopt the changes, and organizations rarely have the fortitude to see change through, due to lagging enthusiasm and ever-increasing investment. Drawing from my experience leading IBM’s global transformation of almost 400,000 people, I’ll show how to approach change in a way that excites teams and sustains progress. By framing change as something teams chose to adopt and were happy to pay for, we turned skepticism into momentum and reshaped IBM’s culture.
This session unpacks actionable strategies to help leaders engage teams authentically, build leadership buy-in, and create environments where change becomes second nature. Through vivid stories and real-world tactics, participants will gain a practical framework for designing cultures that adapt and thrive.
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This keynote serves C-suite executives and senior leadership teams who are:
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Design is one of the most underutilized strategic tools in business. When positioned at the heart of decision-making, it transforms organizations, driving innovation, customer satisfaction, and competitive advantage.
Keynote Details:
For too long, design has been sidelined as a support function, missing from critical business conversations. At IBM, we shifted this paradigm, growing from virtually no design capability to a global team of 5,000 formally-trained designers, and dozens of Executive-ranked designers leading the teams, and the business. This transformation didn’t happen by chance—it was intentional and strategic.
Attendees will discover how to build a design culture that thrives in the midst of an entrenched Enterprise, secure executive sponsorship for design initiatives, and connect design to tangible business results. By the end of the session, participants will leave with actionable insights on how to make design a driving force within their organization, creating lasting impact and earning the respect of their peers.
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This keynote serves design leaders and teams who are:
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Change that sticks doesn’t happen by focusing on just one area—it requires a holistic approach that integrates all aspects of a culture: people, practices, and places. By aligning these elements, organizations can foster innovation and make transformation organic, resulting in a workforce that is naturally engaged and agile. Today’s return-to-office mandates fail to take this into account. Focusing on Places, for example, Phil shares how to create environments people want to be in, as opposed to places they are required to be in.
Keynote Details:
Lasting change is never about just one thing—it’s about everything. At IBM, we learned that transformation required more than implementing design and agile methodologies or AI technologies. It meant addressing the way people relate to one another and their environment. Using various techniques – from poster printing presses to an IBM-wide radio station! – we used various seemingly non-work provocations to develop relationships across disciplines and hierarchies, to accelerate the adoption of the new work environment.
In this keynote, I’ll share how IBM tackled transformation holistically, from grassroots efforts led by new employees to top-down initiatives championed by leadership. You’ll see how the integration of people, practices, and places can drive lasting change. With practical examples and actionable insights, you’ll learn how to apply these principles to your own organization and make transformation stick.
Audience:
This keynote serves individuals and teams across organizations or industries undergoing large-scale change who are:
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Work With Phil to Create Your Own Cultural Provocation
Phil’s mission is to equip leaders and their teams with the tools of Irresistible Change™, a model for driving institutional change that organizations need, in a way that people want.
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