Simon Banks - Innovation - Creative Innovater, Speaker, Author and Host

Travels From New South Wales

Simon Banks

Creative Innovater, Speaker, Author and Host

Simon is a dynamic creativity, innovation, and design specialist who is internationally recognised as a top keynote speaker, author, and co-host of the Occupational Philosophers Podcast. With a passion for fostering innovation and creativity, he authored the book "A Thousand Little Lightbulbs: How to Kickstart a Culture of Innovation in Your Organisation." Simon's geek out spot lies at the intersection of creativity, design, learning, people, and passion.

Drawing from his extensive 20-year corporate career and his background as a professional artist, Simon brings a unique perspective to his work, aiming to build a more creative and innovative world. His approach emphasises hands-on, active learning, with a focus on practical application and learning by doing.

Having facilitated over 1400 events globally, Simon has worked with renowned companies such as Google, EY, and Volkswagen, helping them to amplify creative thinking and foster innovation within their teams. He is dedicated to shifting mindsets and equipping individuals and organisations with the skills necessary to reimagine possibilities and drive lasting change.

In addition to his corporate engagements, Simon's commitment to creativity is evident in his artistic endeavours, with exhibitions around the world and lectures at prestigious institutions such as the National Gallery of England. He continues to bridge the gap between the creative and corporate worlds, empowering individuals to think differently and embrace innovation.

Known for his infectious energy on stage, Simon lives by the mantra that no one ever wishes they had a more boring time at an event. His enthusiasm and passion for his work inspire audiences to embrace creativity and unlock their full potential.

Testimonial

"I just wanted to say thank you so much for yesterday’s session! We had over 300 staff attend the live session and over 200 have registered for the webinar recording. I’ve received the feedback and it reflects what we saw during the session – that staff really enjoyed the topic, were engaged and loved your creative presentation style."

Australian Taxation Office

"We loved having you as part of our DevFest eve nts and Leadership Summit s – thank you again for spending time with us and sharing your many talents. Your storytelling session was by far one of the most popular!"

Sportsbet

"Ticket to Ryde was our first all staff conference to be delivered over 4 days – and we knew we had to create a memorable and high energy event with impact! Simon was a true professional. From our first conceptual brainstorming session, Simon worked closely with us until we moulded the prefect blend of information, fun and connection into our program. We went into the event knowing Simon would deliver and engaging, thought provoking keynote and he went above and beyond in facilitating our workshops with high energy and purpose. With 4 keynotes and 16 workshops facilitated over 4 days, it was a huge thankyou to Simon for inspiring our staff to be curious, creative and imaginative – bringing our ideas to life!"

City of Ryde

"From the outset of our engagement with Simon, it was very clear how he could help our team to better solve business problems by avoiding tunnel vision thinking and improving the ROI of our most valuable resources, our people. His design thinking approach has helped accelerate our team development journey and has already started to produce great outcomes by making sure that the team focus on ready - to - use outcomes which are equitable, enjoyable and most importantly useful. Guaranteed, I would love to work with Simon again."

Boomi

"The keynote was awesome. Your presentation style rocks. You have made the most of doing talks remotely, your drawing and visuals are s uch a clever adaptation to this new environment. I really enjoyed spending time with you."

International Visitors nib Health Funds

"Simon Banks hosted the noumi Executive Strategy Session Roadmap to 2025 recently. Simon was engaging, innovative and kept the two days of presentations and discussions on time and focussed. Simon’s intelligent and witty summary of each session was topped only by his outstanding illustration of each session, whi ch captured key points of each workshop and presentation in a picture. I would recommend Simon to anyone who values a friendly, flamboyant, creative and professional conference facilitator, who brings much more than organisation to your company’s professional event."

Freedom Food Groups Nutritionals

"Dr Sonja Kukuljan PhD, Group General Manager Nutrition , Freedom Foods Group Nutritionals Thank you Simon for your outstanding work! You bring life and energy to the room and engage the audience from start to finish. You go above and beyond when investing in the set - up, resources and creative planning for the session. Your inclusive and collaborative approach makes you an absolute delight to work with and we can't wait to have you back to influence and impact the next cohort of the Australian Rural Leadership Program!"

Australian Rural Leadership Foundation

"As MC for EDA’s flagship event, the National Economic Development Conference (NEDC21), Simon Banks steered us through this virtual 3 - day event with expertise and creativity. Simon kept delegates engaged in the virtual world, reminding attendees to tap into their creative thinking and facilitating great discussion and thought. Simon’s attention to detail and professionalism is evident in the way he prepared for the conference, ensuring he had strong program content knowledge so he could engage with expert speakers and delegates successfully. We look forward to working with Simon again, hopefully to experience all he can offer in a face to face environment!"

Economic Development Australia

"What a cracking event yesterday. Everything was superb. Everyone’s still talking about it. The vibe in the office is charged, as it was at the event also. Absolutely nail ed the brief and got everyone excited about our new brand. Thanks for keeping so cool under pressure and a huge thanks to your team for being so wonderful and helping us during the madness that was the room set up. YOU’RE AMAZING!"

REST Industry Super

"I wanted to write to you personally to say thank you on behalf of myself and our CEO Louise Harland - Cox, but most importantly a thank you on behalf of every single one of our members. With you, we were able to create an event that truly commemorated the creativity that drives our industry, unpacked the curiosity that underlies every great idea and celebrated the power of storytelling in every way. Every single attendee that I spoke to was inspired by the power of the insights that you shared, and your transparency in doing so. We all walked away motivated to grasp, shape and fulfil the potential of our industry - and to do so together. We wouldn't be able to do any of this with out your energy, enthusiasm, transparency and most importantly - time – so, Thank You."

Public Relations Institute of Australia

"Simon recently facilitated at our Senior Leaders Workshop - he was fantastic at keeping the group motivated and is very adaptable. He reads people extremely well so can quickly adjust the flow on the day to deliver the right outcomes - and ensures energy levels never wane. His visual creations of the day / session add another valuable dimension to any event"

METCASH

"Simon and his team have worked with our organisation throughout the years to help design and facilitate a variety of wonderful activities and workshops for our entire leadership team of over 200 leaders. He always brings such amazing energy to our events, and engages our leaders in a practical way. Not only does Simon provide excellent facilitation, but he also provides a visual representation of our organisation’s cultural journey."

City of Canterbury Bankstown

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Simon Banks

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