Keynote SpeakersJennifer Vessels is a global transformation leader who architects change for Fortune 100 companies – not from theory, but from the front lines.
As CEO of Next Step and trusted advisor to Adobe, Google, IKEA, Microsoft, and Novartis, Jennifer doesn’t just talk about AI adoption, change management, and future-readiness—she delivers measurable results inside the world’s most demanding organisations.
For over 20 years, Jennifer Vessels has led business transformation across Silicon Valley, EMEA, and Asia, reshaping business models, accelerating AI adoption, and redefining leadership structures.
Her battle-tested P.E.A.C.E. Framework (Purpose, Exploration, Action, Collaboration, Empowerment) provides leaders with an actionable roadmap used by the world’s most successful companies to turn disruption into competitive advantage.
Jennifer translates Silicon Valley innovation into executable strategies for global enterprises. Her keynotes don’t just inspire – they equip audiences with proven frameworks and real-world lessons from transforming billion-dollar organisations.
Unlike speakers who rely on research or credentials, Jennifer shares what she’s learned while driving change that delivers ROI. Her clients don’t get case studies from textbooks – they get proven tools forged through two decades of Fortune 100 transformations.
What Makes Jennifer Vessels Different?
Fortune 100 Transformation Expertise
Two decades of hands-on CEO experience transforming business models, leadership approaches, and AI integration for Adobe, Cisco, Google, IKEA, Novartis, and Schneider Electric – from Silicon Valley to EMEA and Asia.
Practitioner Credibility
Jennifer doesn’t study transformation; she leads it. Every keynote draws from live client engagements solving today’s most pressing business challenges – AI adoption, generational integration, and organisational redesign.
Silicon Valley Speed Meets Global Scale
Bridges the innovation-to-execution gap by translating breakthrough technologies and approaches into strategies that work for complex, multinational organisations navigating constant change.
Actionable Framework, Immediate Impact
Audiences leave with the proven P.E.A.C.E. Framework Jennifer uses with Fortune 100 clients – ready to implement Monday morning. Not theory, not motivation – battle-tested tools that deliver results.
Energetic, Disruptive Yet Professional Style
Bold, professional, and infectiously optimistic. Jennifer’s Silicon Valley mindset, combined with her global transformation experience, creates sessions that challenge thinking and ignite action.
Jennifer Vessels Speaking Topics:
No Clue, No Fear: Leading Through Uncertainty
When business as usual ends, leaders must move beyond fear into the future—powered by technology, not paralysed by it.
Jennifer Vessels has led successful transformations for Adobe, Google, IKEA, and Novartis. Her battle-proven approach for turning ‘no clue’ into competitive advantage isn’t theory—it’s used daily by future-ready leaders navigating uncertainty, from AI integration to business model redesigns.
A new world is emerging—don’t let fear paralyse progress. Jennifer’s P.E.A.C.E. Framework (Purpose, Exploration, Action, Collaboration, Empowerment) provides audiences with a practical roadmap for thriving in the face of uncertainty and turning disruption into measurable results.
Key Takeaways:
- How to make strategic decisions when the playbook doesn’t exist yet.
- The Fortune 100 approach to rapid experimentation and learning through action.
- Why fear of change is more dangerous than change itself.
- Practical tools to build organisational resilience and adaptability.
- How to empower teams to act decisively in ambiguous environments.
People + AI: The Fortune 100 Formula
AI won’t replace people. But leaders who amplify human value with AI will replace those who don’t.
Most organisations approach AI backwards – they focus on the technology and wonder why adoption fails, productivity stalls, and teams resist. Drawing on two decades of transformation experience, Jennifer Vessels shares the human-first formula that’s delivering real ROI across Adobe, Google, Microsoft, and Novartis.
As a Silicon Valley veteran and global transformation leader, Jennifer ensures audiences leave ready to rethink how people and machines work together to solve real business problems. This keynote goes beyond the AI hype to deliver a practical framework for leveraging AI to strengthen human creativity, judgment, and strategic thinking—not replace it.
Key Takeaways:
- Why the best AI strategies start with people, not technology.
- The proven framework Fortune 100 companies use to accelerate AI adoption with people.
- How to overcome resistance and build AI-ready cultures.
- Practical examples of AI augmenting (not replacing) human expertise.
- The leadership mindset shift required to unlock AI’s true potential.
Business as Usual is Obsolete: What Leaders Must Do Now
Business as usual is obsolete. And that’s a GOOD thing.
The world has fundamentally shifted. What worked yesterday won’t work tomorrow. Yet many leaders cling to familiar approaches, hoping stability will return. It won’t. Jennifer Vessels brings urgent clarity: the greatest threat to future success isn’t change itself – it’s how leaders approach change.
For over 20 years, Jennifer Vessels has led transformation for Adobe, Google, Microsoft, Novartis, and Schneider Electric. Her P.E.A.C.E. Framework – focusing on Purpose, Exploration, Action, Collaboration, and Empowerment – has been architected, implemented, and proven across billions of dollars of organisational transformation.
Drawing from real transformation work inside the world’s most successful companies, audiences leave inspired and equipped with the P.E.A.C.E. framework to implement immediately—turning disruption into competitive advantage and delivering measurable results.
Key Takeaways:
- Why clinging to “business as usual” guarantees irrelevance.
- The five critical shifts leaders must make now to stay competitive.
- Real-world examples of companies that transformed successfully (and those that didn’t).
- How to build organisations that thrive on change rather than resist it.
- The P.E.A.C.E. roadmap for sustainable competitive advantage
Generational Collision: Unlocking Gen Z Value in AI-Powered Organisations
Gen Z isn’t the problem. It’s leaders’ outdated approach to engaging them.
While many struggle to “manage” Gen Z talent, future-ready leaders are unlocking competitive advantage by aligning this generation’s mindset with AI capabilities and seasoned human experience.
Having led change and generational integration for two decades as CEO of Next Step, Jennifer Vessels shares practical, proven strategies to harness the superpower of Gen Z + AI + Human Experience. Organisations that embrace this approach—incorporating structure, purpose, and growth—don’t just retain Gen Z talent, they unleash innovation and drive unprecedented results.
Key Takeaways:
- Why traditional management approaches fail with Gen Z (and what works instead).
- How to align Gen Z’s digital fluency with AI capabilities.
- The structure and purpose Gen Z craves (and how to provide it).
- Bridging generational gaps to create high-performing, multi-generational teams.
- Real examples from Fortune 100 companies successfully integrating Gen Z talent.
