Dave Anderson

Profile

Dave Anderson is an experienced international technology executive, sought-after keynote speaker and MC, podcast host and musician whose approach is anything but conventional.

Dave is known for his refreshingly unique perspective that seamlessly blends insight, inspiration, and entertainment. Leveraging his exceptional talent, Dave consults for global tech teams, delivering keynotes that inspire action and captivate his audience—often through unexpected singalongs to Taylor Swift or Vanilla Ice parodies. Yet, beneath the humour lies a deep reservoir of expertise. Dave’s consulting work for leading global brands in Customer Experience (CX), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud, and Digital Transformation cuts through the complacency of mediocrity, sparking a dynamic shift towards action among his listeners.

Dave’s journey through the tech industry has been characterised by pivotal roles, such as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Dynatrace, where he spearheaded a successful product transformation and IPO. His AI experience led him to an evangelist role with US firm DataRobot, and today, he leads and consults to experience analytics disrupter Contentsquare (Hotjar/Heap).

His narratives are not just about triumphs; they are enriched by candid reflections on failures, including lessons learned from witnessing HP miss crucial technological revolutions in mobile and cloud. This blend of successes and setbacks provides a comprehensive roadmap for embracing transformation in the digital age.

Recognised as a leading authority on digital customer experience, Dave’s insights have resonated globally for over a decade at premier tech events like SXSW, AWS ReInvent, Google Next, Gartner Symposium, and the Forrester CX Summit. His thought leadership is widely sought in the media, with notable appearances and interviews on Mashable, Bloomberg, BBC, Sky Business News, Fox News, and prominent Australian news channels.

"Tech Seeking Human," Dave’s podcast, is a testament to his commitment to continuous learning and innovation. The show has hosted international icons, from sports legend Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson to tech visionaries like AI Philosopher Max Tegmark and Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph. This platform enriches his keynotes and showcases his dedication to exploring the human aspect of technology.

Dave Anderson’s career is a mosaic of groundbreaking achievements and learning moments, underscored by a relentless pursuit of technological excellence and digital customer experience. His journey is a compelling narrative of transformation, resilience, and the power of a unique perspective in navigating the complexities of the tech world.

Expertise

Talking Points

Mind the Gap - Digital Expectations vs Experience

One-third of digital experiences are deemed frustrating: Dave unpacks the digital experience space, often comically, to explore our habits as humans, our love for digital, and our failure as brands to deliver the CX that people expect.

Nobody said this was easy; nobody said it should be this hard: Delivering experiences that people expect, let alone love, is hard. Let’s address why it’s so difficult and find a way out. Fragmented user journeys, complexity, analytical overload, coding errors, and, most importantly, a lack of common vision and goals lead to complacency and mediocrity.

Shake it off: Lastly, we get inspired by insight-driven organisations, those companies that are either elite or have prioritised change and continuously deliver differentiated experiences. We delve into team habits, explore stories, and leave the session ready to ‘step out of our comfort zone’, ‘speak the truth’, and deliver on the promise of ‘better experiences for all!’.

What you’ll learn:
- You’ll leave with more empathy and patience when you have experiences that annoy you! More importantly, you’ll understand what makes a great experience and why you value it so much.
- You’ll understand the impact of building a culture that ‘prioritises experience’ vs just talking about it, including practical lessons and best practices.
- Find yourself more motivated in working towards a common goal, being able to ‘tell stories with data’, with shared outcomes, that make a difference in your work.

Why Dave:
- 10+ years of category leadership and evangelising for global digital experience disrupters Dynatrace and Contentsquare.
- Consulting to leading experience teams in Europe and the US, including Walmart, Verizon, Pizza Hut, NatWest, Samsung, Dish (Sling TV), Spotify, New Balance, and LVH Group. - Keynote speaker at major tech events: SXSW, Google Next, AWS Reinvent, Forrester CX Summit, and Gartner Symposium.

Fear or Embrace AI? A beginners guide to the disruptive powers and application of the most disruptive technology - ever.

The most disruptive technology has “finally” gone mainstream, and most of us are either cheering or freaking out: Dave unpacks the evolution of AI, drawing on his interviews and research with leading AI figures, tip-toeing between:
- Yes, let’s go; “this is the greatest tech for humanity ever, and
- No, hit pause; “It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I’m not fine”.

This presentation explores the practical application of AI, from consumer tech that excites us to the automation already in place in big business and the future of work. We’ll explore the rewards, as well as the risks, of accelerated AI deployment.

Lastly, we unpack the lessons learned from the cultural traits of innovators and everyday teams experimenting with AI, who seem to be able to innovate faster than others to deliver value more quickly.

What you’ll learn:
- How AI has evolved to where it is today, and where it might be going, to form an opinion on your use and supervision of AI technologies at work, at home and in society.
- We’ll explore industry use cases, practical examples, and whether it’s disruptive or supportive of how we work. Dave will share valuable resources to ensure you aren’t left behind.
- We’ll share examples of how AI has been deployed, how teams can build success behind ‘new’ AI projects, why data isn’t the only answer, but stories are, and ultimately, he’ll leave you inspired to ‘experiment’ and ‘safely test and learn’.

Why Dave:
- 7+ years marketing and evangelizing AI at Observability Leader Dynatrace and evangelist at AI Platform provider DataRobot.
- Consulting to leading tech teams in Europe and the US, including SAP, Walmart, Delta Airlines, EE, American Airlines and BMW.
- Keynote speaker at major tech events: SXSW, Google Next, AWS Reinvent, Forrester CX Summit, and Gartner Symposium.
- Podcast Host: Tech Seeking Human, with guests including AI Thought Leader Max Tegmark, Siri Co-Founder Adam Cheyer, and Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph.