ICC Sydney, 5 & 6 November 2026
World Business Forum
Sydney 2026
TRANSCEND
Building Limitless Organisations
To thrive in 2026, resilience is no longer enough. Organisations must do more than withstand the storm; they must reach beyond it.
Since 2014, the World Business Forum Sydney has been the meeting point for leaders seeking this competitive edge. We curate the world’s most relevant business thinkers to address the exact friction points holding you back.
Don’t just manage the present. Transcend it.
World Business Forum Sydney 2026 Speakers
Carl Lewis
High Performance
One of the greatest Olympians of all time
Carly Fiorina
Leadership
Former Chairman and CEO, Hewlett-Packard Company
Seth Godin
Strategy
One of today’s most influential management thinkers and serial entrepreneur
Chris Barton
Innovation
Founder & Former CEO of Shazam
Ayanna Howard
AI and the Future of Work
Pioneering innovator, entrepreneur and inventor of robotic technologies and AI for industry
Welby Altidor
Creativity
Former Executive Creative Director of Cirque du Soleil
Scott D. Anthony
Disruption
Professor at the Tuck School of Business and expert on disruptive innovation
Mary C. Murphy
Organisational Culture
Social psychologist and leading expert in organisational culture
Lisa McKnight
Brand Strategy
Globally recognised marketing leader and former Chief Brand Officer at Mattel
World Business Forum Sydney 2026 Speakers
Carl Lewis
High Performance
One of the greatest Olympians of all time
Carly Fiorina
Leadership
Former Chairman and CEO, Hewlett-Packard Company
Seth Godin
Strategy
One of today’s most influential management thinkers and serial entrepreneur
Chris Barton
Innovation
Founder & Former CEO of Shazam
Ayanna Howard
AI and the Future of Work
Pioneering innovator, entrepreneur and inventor of robotic technologies and AI for industry
Welby Altidor
Creativity
Former Executive Creative Director of Cirque du Soleil
Scott D. Anthony
Disruption
Professor at the Tuck School of Business and expert on disruptive innovation
Mary C. Murphy
Organisational Culture
Social psychologist and leading expert in organisational culture
Lisa McKnight
Brand Strategy
Globally recognised marketing leader and former Chief Brand Officer at Mattel
1 In-Person Event.
6 On-Demand Forums
✓ Included in your access
The Sydney lineup is world-class, but it is just one stop on your 2026 learning journey. Your pass unlocks on-demand access to every World Business Forum taking place globally.
Expand your learning from 9 speakers to 30+ world-class minds. If a topic isn’t covered in Sydney, you will find the answer in our global 2026 program.
A year-long access to our Learning Platform
WOBI empowers you all year. Receive a 12 month access to our learning hub, a curated library of 300+ hours of exclusive Masterclasses and Courses.
You aren’t just attending a forum; you are enrolling in a continuous leadership development program with world-class strategies.
Expand Your Network
Locally and Across the Globe
Real business is built on relationships. Your ticket grants you access to the most influential executives in the market:
During the Forum: Connect with other peers in our networking area.
During the Year: Attend exclusive WOBI Member events focused on learning and networking.
Always: Connect with other leaders throughout our WOBI Platform.
This is where you find your next partner, client, or hire.
Join Thousands of Leaders Who Are Already Ahead of the Curve
"We immediately connected with the World Business Forum because the event is all about expanding knowledge, elevating learning, and opening minds"
— Anne Bastian
Chief People Officer at Liberty
"The World Business Forum has been effective in helping us raise our brand awareness, engaging and connecting with CEOs and C-Level executives"
— Kevin O’Neil
Founder and Partner at Acertitude
“One of the things that WOBI does is that it brings some of the best business minds in one place at one time”
— Simon Sinek
Author and inspirational speaker
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Gold Access
Unmatched learning opportunities
- 2-Day Access to World Business Forum Sydney 2026
- Watch World Business Forums Worldwide On Demand
- Unlock 300+ Hours of WOBI's Digital Content
- Year-Round Exclusive Networking Opportunities
- Join an exclusive global community of leaders
- Access to the Forum recordings for 30 days
Platinum Access
Access premium networking opportunities
- Everything in Gold Access plus:
- Fast-Track Entry via Dedicated Registration Desk
- Prime Views with Preferential Seating
- Premium Networking Lunch
- Complimentary Onsite Parking
Corporate Strategic Access
Don't just train a leader. Transform your entire team culture
Align your top executives on a single vision with a high-impact experience and additional unique perks for large delegations:
- Premium Brand Visibility: Branded Reserved Seating
- Enterprise Scale: 200 Virtual Access Passes for Your Team
- Official Recognition: Co-Branded Certificate of Attendance
- Private Meet & Greet with Speakers
- Executive Dining: Reserved Tables (only Platinum Access)
Unique Sponsorship opportunities
Access decision makers from across all industries.
Major Sponsors
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Supporting Partners
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Media Partner
Event Partner
The Strategy for 2026 is Being Written Here
The market won’t wait for you to catch up. Secure your seat, lock in your strategy, and lead your industry.
Questions from Leaders Like You
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If you can’t attend the World Business Forum (WBF), you may transfer your ticket to someone else in your organisation at least 5 days before the event. You can access our full terms and conditions here.
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Customers can pay with a credit or debit card (Mastercard, Visa, Amex). Payment via EFT is also possible, contact the team at info.au@wobi.com for more information.
What is the World Business Forum Sydney?
The World Business Forum (WBF) Sydney is a two-day leadership and business event that brings together senior executives, decision-makers and professionals across all industries, to learn from world-class thinkers, gain strategic insights and connect with peers in a dynamic, in-person setting.
The World Business Forum (WBF) Sydney focuses on the most relevant management and leadership topics facing today’s business leaders. It is designed for executives who are navigating the challenge of leading teams and organisations in an increasingly complex and fast-changing world.
Through ideas, insights and real-world perspectives from world-renowned thinkers, the Forum helps leaders rethink how they lead, decide and drive impact.
It features curated keynotes and practical sessions from globally recognised speakers, tackling today’s biggest challenges in strategy, leadership, business transformation, innovation, talent and performance, alongside networking opportunities with other leaders from diverse industries.
Is the World Business Forum only for C-Level Executives?
No, the World Business Forum Sydney is designed for employees at various levels of seniority. It equips teams with practical insights and frameworks they can apply within their own organisations, offers access to a global community of peers and innovators, and creates opportunities for networking with other senior leaders confronting similar issues.
By focusing on a diverse range of management topics, attendees have the opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills and further develop their potential to become senior executives in the future.
69% of our attendees in the 2025 edition were professionals who do not hold C-level positions (Directors, Head Of Departments, Senior and Middle Management).
I'm not working for a large corporation - would the content still be relevant for me?
I work in a public or mission-driven organisation rather than a traditional corporation. Would the event still be relevant to me?
Why WOBI Membership and not just my ticket for the World Business Forum?
What is included in my WOBI Membership?
2. All World Business Forums worldwide on-demand
3. Year-round access to the best management content
4. Networking opportunities and global executive community.
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Seth Godin
One of today’s most influential management thinkers and serial entrepreneur
Seth Godin is one of the most inspiring, influential, and creative business thinkers of our time. Author of 22 international bestselling books translated into 39 languages, Godin covers a wide range of topics from creativity and change processes to how ideas are transmitted. Notable works include Purple Cow and Linchpin, and his most recent book, This Is Strategy: Make Better Plans. A serial entrepreneur, Godin also writes one of the world’s most prestigious and widely read blogs, where he publishes daily insights on management and the digital world.
The Architecture of Modern Strategic Choice
- Strategy as the blueprinting of change: Moving beyond “repeating yesterday” to consciously designing tomorrow
- Beyond the status quo: Lessons from the frontlines of building remarkable and enduring change
- How successful leaders gain a competitive edge by prioritizing long-term value over instant gratification
- Winning the “smallest viable audience”: The strategic signals that predict market relevance and drive cultural momentum
Welby Altidor
Former Executive Creative Director of Cirque du Soleil
Welby Altidor is a visionary creative producer with more than 20 years of experience in artistic production and immersive experience design. He was Executive Creative Director at Cirque du Soleil, where he spearheaded the creation of iconic shows like Luzia and Michael Jackson ONE. Following his tenure at Cirque du Soleil, Altidor served as Chief Creative & Innovation Officer at NEON, leading projects such as Avatar: The Experience and Harry Potter: Visions of Magic. His innovative approach and ability to merge art and technology have contributed to over 80 million tickets sold for interactive shows and immersive exhibitions worldwide. Altidor is also the author of Creative Courage.
Unleashing Creative Courage
- Develop the ‘Creative Courage’ to challenge the status quo and make big ideas happen: Lessons from Cirque du Soleil
- Elevating ideas as catalysts for innovation: Why there are no bad ideas, but platforms to build upon
- Building a culture where creativity is everyone’s responsibility and every voice contributes to the story
- Embracing experimentation, feedback and failure as the foundation of innovation and long-term success in business
Chris Barton
Founder & Former CEO of Shazam
Chris Barton is the founder of Shazam, the groundbreaking music recognition app that changed how people discover music, and was acquired by Apple in 2018 for around $400 million. A passionate innovator who believes technology can achieve the impossible, Barton spent eight years at Google, where he was the first employee focused on mobile, creating from scratch the carrier partnership framework for Search and Android. He then joined Dropbox as one of its first employees, helping to build their mobile business and expand the platform globally. Barton is also an active investor and adviser in various startups, holding 12 patents for inventions developed at Shazam, Google, and Dropbox. He is now the founder of Guard, a venture using AI to make digital experiences safer and smarter.
Starting from Zero: The Shazam’s Journey to Transform Ideas into Innovation
- The Start from Zero framework: Discover four unconventional ways of thinking used by history’s greatest innovators like Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, and Leonardo da Vinci – to systematically disrupt industries and challenge the status quo
- Bring “impossible” ideas to life: Harness technology to imagine the future, challenge conventional limits, and turn bold, ahead-of-its-time ideas into reality
- Turning obstacles into breakthroughs: Eliminating friction and prioritizing effectively to drive bold innovations that impact billions and enhance customer interactions
- The mindset to create the next great companies: How to convert bold visions into game-changing products that redefine industries, inspired by Shazam
Ayanna Howard
Pioneering innovator, entrepreneur and inventor of robotic technologies and AI for industry
A former senior robotics researcher and Mars Exploration research engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Ayanna Howard is the current Dean of Engineering at The Ohio State University. She is the co-founder and board director of Zyrobotics, a STEM education and therapy company that designs products for children with special needs. Foremost authority on human emotion-centered robotic design, her work and accomplishments have been the subject of numerous articles and profiles, including in Time, USA Today and Black Enterprise. Howard is also the author of the best-selling audiobook Sex, Race, and Robots: How to Be Human in the Age of AI.
Leveraging the Transformational Power of AI
- How AI and robotics will define the future of businesses across industries: An optimistic approach to navigating transformation, complexity, and change
- Leveraging AI for human-centered innovation: Strategies for enhancing productivity and connection
- Diverse teams in AI development: Keys to creating inclusive products
- Understanding and mitigating the unintended consequences and ethical challenges of AI
Lisa McKnight
Globally recognised marketing leader and former Chief Brand Officer at Mattel
An authority in marketing with more than 30 years of experience building iconic brands, Lisa McKnight is the former EVP and Chief Brand Officer at Mattel. A champion of inclusive storytelling and purpose-driven marketing, McKnight led Mattel to record market share, with Hot Wheels and UNO delivering record-breaking growth and Barbie reaffirming its status as the #1 global toy brand. Previously, as Global Head of Barbie and the Dolls Category, she spearheaded Barbie’s turnaround (nearly doubling the franchise in only five years) and led the marketing strategy for the Barbie film, which reached $1.44B in box-office revenue and became the highest-grossing film in Warner Bros.’ 100-year history. Twice named a Forbes Most Influential CMO and an Adweek Brand Genius, she currently serves on the University of Richmond’s Board of Trustees.
Building a Winning Brand
- Inside the Dreamhouse: Lessons from Barbie’s transformation from a doll to a cultural phenomenon
- Winning the next generation: How successful brands gain a competitive edge by building a culture that resonates with customers of all ages
- Practical strategies from Mattel to foster creativity and deliver iconic marketing campaigns
- Measuring cultural momentum and commercial impact: The signals that predict relevance and drive enduring business success
Scott D.Anthony
Professor at the Tuck School of Business and expert on disruptive innovation
Scott D. Anthony is an internationally recognised expert on disruptive innovation and strategic transformation. A Professor of Strategy at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, he has spent more than 20 years at Innosight, a growth strategy consultancy founded by Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen, advising governments and Fortune 500 companies worldwide on innovation and economic strategy. He is the author of several influential books, including his latest work Epic Disruptions: 11 Innovations That Shaped Our Modern World. In addition, he is the most published digital author on HBR.org.
Decoding Disruption: Leading with Optimism in Times of Uncertainty
- Lessons from history’s epic disruptions to decode today’s transformative forces
- Navigating “the messy middle” with clarity and calm when disruption creates uncertainty
- Stripping away the myths of innovation to realistically assess and implement emerging technologies.
- Practical mindsets to balance paradoxes and turn uncertainty into opportunity
Carl Lewis
One of the greatest Olympians of all time
Recognised as one of the most successful athletes in history, Carl Lewis is a track and field legend, world-record breaker, and ten-time Olympic medalist (with nine golds and one silver). Named Sportsman of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999, Lewis redefined consistency and longevity by sustaining peak performance over many years, competing in five Olympic Games. An eight-time world champion, beyond his sports career, he founded The Carl Lewis Foundation in 1984 to support disadvantaged youth and continues to dedicate his influence to business, education and social impact initiatives.
The “I Can Do That” Mindset
- Talent is just the start: What it takes to develop a champion mindset, overcome the odds and sustain success over the long term
- The “I Can Do That” Mindset: Developing the mental strength to give you the edge when the pressure is on
- Staying motivated: How to maintain the desire to keep setting the bar higher year after year
- Don’t focus on being at the top, but on being better: Lessons from an Olympic champion in driving continuous improvement
Carly Fiorina
Former Chairman and CEO, Hewlett-Packard Company
A passionate, articulate advocate for problem-solving, innovation, and effective leadership, Carly Fiorina was the first woman ever to lead a Fortune 50 company when she was recruited to lead Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 1999. Under her leadership, revenue grew, innovation tripled, growth quadrupled, and HP became the 11th largest company in the U.S. Her breadth of experience spans from marketing to manufacturing; from sales to strategic planning; from HR to R&D; from finance to engineering to supply chain and logistics. She has led teams and organisations in the private, public and social sectors. Today she is the Founder and Chairman of Carly Fiorina Enterprises, and of Unlocking Potential, a non-profit organisation that invests in human potential by supporting local leaders who are solving problems in their communities and places of work.
Shaping Tomorrow’s Leadership
- Mastering change: Practical ways to guide teams through transitions, overcome resistance, and unlock growth
- Unlocking leadership and problem-solving potential: Empower individuals at every level to innovate and take decisive action
- Turning skeptics into allies: How to transform doubt and resistance into catalysts for engagement and transformation
- Leading with empathy and humility: Build trust, foster collaboration, and create a culture where everyone thrives
Mary C. Murphy
Social psychologist and leading expert in organisational culture
An award-winning social psychologist and leading expert in organisational culture, Mary Murphy is a Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University. She is also the Founder and CEO of the Equity Accelerator, a research and consulting organisation that works with schools and companies to create more equitable learning and working environments through social and behavioural science. Author of more than 100 publications, Murphy was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2019, the highest award bestowed on early career scholars by the U.S. government. Her most recent book is Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset Can Transform Individuals, Teams, and Organizations.
Creating a Growth Mindset Workplace
- The growth mindset: Why it matters more than ever, and how to cultivate it as a tool for navigating change
- Identifying the differences between “Cultures of Genius” and “Cultures of Growth”
- Actionable strategies to shift from a fixed to a growth mindset that adapts, evolves, and performs when the pressure is on
- How to build environments that foster trust, innovation, learning and performance
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