Independent Banker - February 2022 - 54

Mike Walsh
Futurist and CEO of global consultancy Tomorrow
Mike Walsh is a futurist, but he's quick to point out that he doesn't
give advice on buying bitcoin and can't forecast how soon we'll have
colonies on Mars. What he does do is bridge
the worlds of disruptive technology and
business leadership, advising some of our
biggest organizations on how to reinvent
themselves in the digital era.
A self-described global nomad, Walsh
grew up in Australia, the son of a Malaysian
Chinese mother and an English father. He
has since traveled the world, exploring the
intersection of technology and business.
Like all of us, his ability to travel was
radically curtailed in early 2020. However,
he soon discovered the pandemic had a
dynamic flipside, helping unleash what
he describes as " a decade's worth of
transformation in 12 months. " This catalyst accelerated the use
of latent technologies, such as those for remote work and online
shopping, and much more.
" Companies invested in new ways of creating value, " Walsh says.
" We matured mRNA technology, which is more than just a vaccine;
it's potentially a platform for all kinds of drug discoveries. We got
a lot better at [gene] sequencing. We accelerated the commercial
spaceflight. All of those are foundational technologies. In the next few
years, we're going to see the dividends from those investments start to
pay off. "
He recognizes the balancing act that community bank leaders face,
having an intimate knowledge of customer needs but not always
having the resources to invest in the technologies needed for digital
intimacy. He believes, though, that with the right partners, it's now
possible to access technologies in ways that would have required huge
investment in the past.
It's all about overcoming inertia. " The real challenge is cultural, not
technological, " Walsh says. " It's realizing that whatever has made you
successful up until now could be what actually kills you if you are not
willing to let it go, to evolve or to adapt, to reset your playbook. "
Catch Mike Walsh during general session on March 1 from
10:15-11:30 a.m.
At the age of 18, Mallory Weggemann
received an epidural injection for
back pain that left her paralyzed
from the waist down. A competitive
swimmer for over a decade, she faced
a stark choice.
Today, she calls the injury her
" sudden moment of impact " -the
instant where everything changed, and
she was forced to adapt.
" So often, we face adversity or
go through trauma or loss, or any
version of a setback, and we just want
to return instantly to where we were
prior to that moment, " she says. " But
that's just not feasible. One of the
biggest blessings to my paralysis is
that, at a very young age, it forced
Mallory
Weggemann
Paralympic gold and bronze
medal-winning swimmer and
motivational speaker
54 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q February 2022
INSPIRING
SPEAKERS
By Roshan McArthur
Photo by Eddy Ming (left)
Independent Banker - February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Independent Banker - February 2022
