Simon Lesch - AI keynote speaker for marketing, communications and social impact

Simon Lesch is an AI keynote speaker and advisor who helps organisations cut through the hype and work out what AI actually means for their teams, customers and stakeholders.

Based in Sydney and working across APAC, Simon is APAC Lead AI & Transformation at Archetype. He works with global technology brands, agencies and institutions such as the Green Climate Fund and Mastercard to turn AI from a slide in a strategy deck into practical change in how people work.

If you are looking for a keynote speaker who can talk about AI with clarity, realism and practical examples, rather than science fiction or generic trend lists, this is where Simon fits.

Who Simon speaks to

Simon regularly speaks to audiences such as:

CMOs, CCOs and communications leaders
Marketing, PR and creative teams
Social services and not for profit leaders
Government, multilaterals and climate finance institutions
Agency leadership teams and boards
Cross functional transformation and innovation groups

Formats include conferences, leadership offsites, client events, internal town halls and board or SLT sessions.

Core keynote themes

Each keynote is tailored to the audience, sector and event, not delivered as a generic one size fits all talk. Typical themes include:

1. AI for marketing and communications leaders

A practical look at how AI and large language models change marketing and communications work.

What AI is good at today, and where it still fails
How AI will reshape content, research, reporting and strategy
The reality of using tools like ChatGPT at scale inside teams
What leaders need to do now on policy, training and capability
What is realistic to automate, and what is not

Useful for: marketing leadership teams, comms teams, agencies, client councils.

2. AI as a creative and strategic partner, not a magic trick

A session aimed at creative, strategy and content teams who need to use AI without losing originality or quality.

How to use AI for idea generation and exploration without sounding generic
Structuring prompts and workflows that serve strategy, not replace it
Where AI supports brand, and where it risks damaging it
Real examples of AI supported campaigns and content workflows
How to keep taste, judgement and ethics in the loop

Useful for: creative teams, brand and content teams, agencies.

3. AI in social services and human centred work

A grounded exploration of AI in sensitive, human centred environments such as social services and community work.

Where AI can support frontline workers and case teams
Risks around bias, privacy, trauma and trust
How to design AI assisted processes that are trauma informed
Governance, consent and transparency for vulnerable populations
What leaders and boards should ask before rolling AI out

Useful for: social services organisations, not for profits, sector bodies and government departments.

4. From experimentation to AI transformation

A keynote for organisations who have already experimented with AI and now need to move into structured adoption.

Typical journey from individual experimentation to team wide use
Setting direction and guardrails without killing initiative
Designing AI supported workflows across functions
Building internal champions and training programmes
How to measure impact beyond vague productivity claims

Useful for: SLTs, transformation teams, HR and capability leaders, agencies.

5. AI, climate and communications

Connecting the dots between AI, climate finance and strategic communications for public institutions and global funds.

How AI can support narrative development, research and stakeholder mapping
Where automation helps, and where political and ethical context matters more
Practical use cases for AI in large, multi stakeholder institutions
Guardrails for sensitive policy, funding and climate work
How to build AI capability in comms teams without losing control of the story

Useful for: multilaterals, climate funds, NGOs, policy and comms leaders.

What makes Simon different as an AI keynote speaker

1. Grounded in real client work

Simon’s AI work is tied to live programmes in:

Global technology and B2B brands
A large climate finance institution with complex governance
Agencies and marketing teams that need to change how they deliver work

He speaks from actual implementations, not only trend reports.

2. Focused on communications, marketing and social impact

Simon sits at the intersection of:

AI and large language models
Communications, PR and marketing strategy
Social impact, climate and public sector work

That mix makes his talks particularly relevant for teams who communicate for a living, or who operate under public and political scrutiny.

3. Straightforward, no hype style

Simon is direct about what AI can and cannot do:

Clear about limits, risks and bad use cases
Honest about where AI will remove busywork
Realistic about where human judgement remains non negotiable

The result is sessions that senior audiences trust and practitioners find immediately useful.

Talk formats and options

Keynotes and sessions can be delivered:

In person in Australia and across APAC
Virtually for global or distributed teams
As stand alone talks or as part of a broader workshop or training day

Popular formats include:

30 to 45 minute keynote, plus Q and A
60 to 90 minute interactive session with live examples
Keynote plus breakout sessions for specific teams or functions
Board or SLT briefings on AI and organisational impact

Content is adapted for conferences, internal events, client events and closed door leadership sessions.

What audiences can expect

After a session with Simon, audiences typically:

Have a clearer, more realistic picture of what AI is and is not
Understand specific use cases relevant to their role and sector
Know the next two or three practical steps to take inside their organisation
Feel less overwhelmed and more able to ask the right questions
Have language to use with colleagues, boards and stakeholders about AI

Slides and follow up resources can be provided so teams can reuse frameworks and examples.

Booking Simon Lesch as an AI keynote speaker

If you are planning an event or leadership session and need an AI keynote speaker who will treat your audience like adults, not a sales channel, Simon can help you:

Set the tone for AI discussions at your conference or offsite
Give marketing, comms and social impact teams a practical view of AI
Support internal AI programmes with a clear, credible narrative
Engage senior stakeholders with a direct, non technical briefing

To discuss availability, fees and how a session can be tailored to your event or organisation, contact the Archetype team with your date, audience and objectives.