Here you can search Ade McCormack's website. Search site

Ade McCormack helps leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace disruption Organisational agitator I help leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace disruption Disruption comes in a variety of guises, including: Resource insecurity, including talent, energy and critical product / service elements How to integrate AI into the organisation’s strategy and fabric Governance challenges, including compliance and cyber security risks Economic volatility and soft markets Geopolitical dynamics Societal shifts The growing expectations of all stakeholders. Your options are to address each pain point in isolation or take a more systemic approach and create an organisation fit for an increasingly unknowable future. Not everyone takes an intelligent approach. About me How I can help AdaptiveU

This talent management workshop empowers leaders to make the connection between viability, disruption, innovation and talent. The real war for talent has only just begun. Strategic Talent Management Workshop Helping leaders turn talent scarcity into competitive advantage Context Introduction Outcomes Details Benefits Next step Context Organisations today face unprecedented disruption. Talent-related challenges, particularly in acquisition and retention, are becoming critical bottlenecks. Remote working has expanded access to talent but has also intensified the global war for it. Beneath this surface issue lies a deeper challenge: global disruption. Thus innovation is more important than ever. Yet most organisations are not structured to unlock the cognitive potential of their people. As a result, your best minds may be slipping away to more stimulating environments. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Introduction This workshop empowers leaders to unlock the full potential of their people, thus transforming disruption into competitive advantage. It moves beyond traditional talent management, helping you build an organisation designed for innovation, resilience, and human performance. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Outcomes Organisationally: You will be better equipped to win the war for talent. Your organisation will shift from extracting the ‘most’ from your people to enabling them to perform at their best. Leaders will approach talent management like elite sports teams, prioritising marginal gains and sustained performance. Disruption will no longer be feared but embraced as a strategic ally. Your leaders will be well positioned to build an organisation designed around human potential while delivering meaningful returns for all stakeholders. Participants will: Develop confidence in managing talent effectively. Gain a nuanced, real-time understanding of their organisational context Recognise the limitations of relying solely on process and efficiency. Become more agile and adaptive leaders, capable of navigating uncertainty. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Details Approach This classroom-based workshop includes: Knowledge transfer combined with facilitated discussion. Exploration of real-world case studies. Interactive exercises to embed key learning points. Structured and implementable action planning. Modules The following topics are covered: Disruption and its impact on organisational design. The real-time, intelligent organisation. The role of innovation. The cognitive gymnasium – How to attract and retain top-tier talent. Talent and technology. How to create a buffer against an uncertain future. Leading in complexity. Duration It can be delivered over a half day, a full day or two days. Target audience Your senior leadership team. Senior professionals with talent, technology and/or transformation responsibilities will also gain significant benefit. Customisation It can also be integrated with your broader leadership development initiatives. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Benefits This workshop: Shows the link between organisational viability, innovation and talent management. Shifts the emphasis from talent to innovation and cognition, recognising the role of technology. Encourages thinking in terms of paths to mastery rather than careers. Explains why traits often matter more than skills in the recruitment process. Rethinks the purpose of talent analytics. Promotes a more nuanced and effective approach to diversity. Makes the case for a more distributed leadership model. Embraces complexity by exploring how living systems engage with hostile environments. Enables leaders to identify and ‘plug the leaks’ that drain human potential drive attrition. Shows leaders how to create a culture and work environment that retains the top talent and builds a compelling employer brand. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Next step Schedule a chat

This talent management workshop empowers leaders to make the connection between viability, disruption, innovation and talent. The real war for talent has only just begun. Strategic Talent Management Workshop Helping Irish tech leaders turn talent scarcity into competitive advantage Context Introduction Outcomes Details Benefits Next step Context Irish tech firms, like their global counterparts, face unprecedented disruption. Talent-related challenges, particularly in acquisition and retention, are becoming critical bottlenecks. Remote working has expanded access to talent but has also intensified the global war for it. Beneath this surface issue lies a deeper challenge: global disruption. Thus innovation is more important than ever. Yet most organisations are not structured to unlock the cognitive potential of their people. As a result, your best minds may be slipping away to more stimulating environments. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Introduction This workshop empowers leaders to unlock the full potential of their people, thus transforming disruption into competitive advantage. It moves beyond traditional talent management, helping you build an organisation designed for innovation, resilience, and human performance. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Outcomes Organisationally: You will be better equipped to win the war for talent. Your organisation will shift from extracting the ‘most’ from your people to enabling them to perform at their best. Leaders will approach talent management like elite sports teams, prioritising marginal gains and sustained performance. Disruption will no longer be feared but embraced as a strategic ally. Your leaders will be well positioned to build an organisation designed around human potential while delivering meaningful returns for all stakeholders. Participants will: Develop confidence in managing talent effectively. Gain a nuanced, real-time understanding of their organisational context Recognise the limitations of relying solely on process and efficiency. Become more agile and adaptive leaders, capable of navigating uncertainty. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Details Approach This classroom-based workshop includes: Knowledge transfer combined with facilitated discussion. Exploration of real-world case studies. Interactive exercises to embed key learning points. Structured and implementable action planning. Modules The following topics are covered: Disruption and its impact on organisational design. The real-time, intelligent organisation. The role of innovation. The cognitive gymnasium – How to attract and retain top-tier talent. Talent and technology. How to create a buffer against an uncertain future. Leading in complexity. Duration It can be delivered over a half day, a full day or two days. Target audience Your senior leadership team. Senior professionals with talent, technology and/or transformation responsibilities will also gain significant benefit. Customisation It can also be integrated with your broader leadership development initiatives. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Benefits This workshop: Shows the link between organisational viability, innovation and talent management. Shifts the emphasis from talent to innovation and cognition, recognising the role of technology. Encourages thinking in terms of paths to mastery rather than careers. Explains why traits often matter more than skills in the recruitment process. Rethinks the purpose of talent analytics. Promotes a more nuanced and effective approach to diversity. Makes the case for a more distributed leadership model. Embraces complexity by exploring how living systems engage with hostile environments. Enables leaders to identify and ‘plug the leaks’ that drain human potential drive attrition. Shows leaders how to create a culture and work environment that retains the top talent and builds a compelling employer brand. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Next step Schedule a chat

Leading in chaos is a workshop for leaders looking to understand how and why the world is changing and how they and their organisations need to adapt accordingly. It can be run as a programme or a one-off event. Workshop- Leading in chaos How to build an intelligent organisation Background Benefits Approach Delivery options Non-traditional Target audience Outline Outcomes Next step Background Geopolitics and technology are only two of the forces that are making the world increasingly uncertain. The traditional process-centric model, which has served organisations well for several centuries, is no longer ‘fit for purpose’. We need a radically different approach. But one that does not threaten existing cashflows or unnerves the staff. We simply do not know what lies ahead. Case studies are backward looking. A playbook will only work when the game has explicit rules, a boundary and a clear scoring mechanism. This is no longer the case. Perhaps the most shocking realisation is that leaders are no longer in control. However there is a way forward. The Adaptive Edge Initiative advocates an intelligent approach, which in essence draws from what we know about living systems. Such systems are optimised for survival. They: Have an acute sense of their environment. Are probabilistic rather than deterministic. Behave in a real-time manner. This programme will enable your leaders to develop an organisation capable of operating in increasingly chaotic circumstances. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Benefits Your leaders will: Develop both confidence and competence once they understand how the world is changing and the implications for how organisations operate. Be able to harness the full potential of your people, technology (including AI) and data. Be able to orchestrate this organisational evolution without spending a fortune on transformation. Counterintuitively, perhaps, your people will welcome this and so your existing cashflows will not be put at further risk. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Approach This programme comprises six modules delivered virtually over 6 weeks. Each module is of 60 minutes duration with an optional extra 30 minutes for further discussion. Also: Given the seniority of the participants this will be very interactive. There will be a focus on both the associated pain points, along with practical ways to address them. We will highlight exemplar organisations to demonstrate this works in practice. We will uncover the underlying principles to help participants apply the learning to their own context. We will use activities to embed the key principles. Each module will conclude with a set of clear, implementable actions. Participants will receive a workbook to capture their own takeaways from the programme. To convert this learning experience into organisational value we can, optionally, include post-programme assignments for each participant. These assignments can be supported with both coaching and assessment. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Delivery options These include: The public programme - people from different organisations attend. A private programme - only your people attend. We can run this in-person as a single event session at your offices. If you're looking to engage a larger audience, we can present the principles as a dynamic and impactful keynote. Through my relationship with the Møller Institute at Churchill College, University of Cambridge, I can also provide access to: Complementary leadership experts. Programme design and development capacity. Certification. Learning facilities, including what can be termed the Cambridge experience. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Non-traditional The content draws on multiple disciplines. Participants find this refreshing and stimulating. These include: Anthropology Evolutionary biology Cybernetics Complex systems Sociology Technology Human performance Neuroscience. Please note that participants do not need a background in these disciplines. Our approach recognises that the world is becoming more uncertain and thus it departs from the traditional linear playbook approach. The programme embraces the reality associated with complexity and chaos and thus challenges assumptions around control and strategy. Leaders typically find this both challenging and refreshing. While the rising uncertainty may push them out of their comfort zone, it will lead to a deeper sense of empowerment and clarity. More leader and less boss. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Target audience This programme is suitable for leaders, aspirant leaders and anyone involved in organisational transformation. Talent and technology leaders will also find this programme valuable. The programme is sector agnostic. The associated principles apply to both public and private sector organisations. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Outline The following are the primary areas of focus: Disruption – What is driving the need to develop intelligent organisations. Organisational design – A real-time, adaptive approach. Talent management – Harnessing our humanity. Technology – Augmenting our cognition. Leadership – The organisational nervous system. Purpose – A buffer against uncertainty. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Outcomes By the end of this programme, leaders will: Have a deep appreciation of why your organisation needs to evolve. Understand in what way your organisation needs to evolve. Recognise the importance of cognition, both natural (your people) and artificial, in respect of innovation. Be equipped with a set of actionable steps to increasing their organisation’s intelligence. Return to workshop menu Schedule a chat Next step Schedule a chat

Ade McCormack helps leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace disruption. His AdaptiveU blog focuses on helping individuals thrive professionally. AdaptiveU blog Whilst much of my work is organisationally-focused , I also take an interest in the career implications of an increasingly disruptive world. Increase your chances of staying economically relevant by subscribing to the AdaptiveU newsletter. Newsletter sign up Avatar you Career choice: Taylorism or tailorism Playing the infinite career game Five career myths – debunked Five ways to alleviate AI anxiety Humans versus AI: Don’t get into the wrong fight Work-life integration: Pay it backward The future of careers Career options: Adapt or stall 1 2 Receive exclusive insights on how to be professionally attractive in an increasingly disruptive world. Plus receive regular extracts from Ade's book - Beyond Nine to Five over the coming weeks. AdaptiveU newsletter sign up

Ade McCormack helps leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace disruption. Start the conversation here. Let's discuss your organisation's future... Whether you are looking for a keynote speaker, advisory support, or insights on creating an intelligent organisation, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s explore how we can work together. First name* Last name Organisation* Email* Your message* Send This website and its content is a property of Auridian Consulting Ltd. You can also email us at info@auridian.com . Postal address: Auridian Consulting Ltd., PO Box 733, Great Missenden, Bucks, HP16 9QJ UK Registered address: 843 Finchley Road, London NW11 8NA Registered in England and Wales: No. 3010447

Press and Media I help leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace increasing disruption. Here are some of the most popular ways I support clients in achieving their objectives. Photos Short bio Career history Published in Books Live Miscellaneous Photos Use one or more of these for your promotional materials. Crop as required. Return to top Short bio This can be trimmed to exclude irrelevant points: I am a former technologist with a background in astrophysics who today is focused on how organisations adapt to what is an increasingly complex world. Some key points: Founder, Adaptive Edge Initiative , a thinktank focused on empowering organisations to deal with increasing disruption. Financial Times columnist for a decade on leadership matters. Lectured at MIT Sloan on leadership matters. Work with the University of Cambridge (Moller Institute) on leadership education. Trained in astrophysics and have worked in space science for the European Space Agency. Worked in over forty countries across the world across multiple sectors with many of the world’s most prominent brands. Engaged with former government leaders globally in the creation of a book focused on reimagining government. Written six books on strategic and societal matters. Worked with the European Commission, including authoring a book on the future of skills in Europe. Return to top Career history This is some background on my career to date. It may inpart help position me when Iam being introduced prior to speaking: 1 -Technical I had a childhood interest in astronomy. So you can imagine my surprise when I discover that studying astrophysics was a little more complicated. Thus I embarked on a career in software engineering. However, I was able to call upon my astrophysics degree when I worked at the European Space Agency on a cosmology programme. Through the defence sector, I developed a very deep understanding of technology as my roles initially involved: Real-time naval ship systems Electronic warfare Avionics lifecycle management Naval battlefield simulation Fighter jet management systems. Software engineering also took me into the worlds of: Investment banking Maritime search and rescue People management. I drifted into project management. For a bit of variety I got involved in training new entrants in software engineering and eventually experienced technologists in systems analysis and design. 2 – Educational I eventually set up my own company which focused largely on demystifying technology for businesspeople. I realised that there was a divide between technology people, who could not see the bigger context for the systems they were building and maintaining, and the users who had no idea what the technologists were saying. Initially this started with supporting service companies that engaged with technologists, eg. staffing companies and consultancies. Eventually this bubbled up to the c-suite. I managed to convince the Financial Times that they needed a column focused on digital leadership, which I penned for a decade. I was also engaged by the FT Live organisation to chair CxO dinners and conferences. This helped me develop an understanding of the issues leaders faced and it helped me develop some impressive contacts. Today some of my time is involved with leadership development. I have lectured at MIT Sloan as part of their MBA programme and today I am actively involved in leadership development with the Moller Institute, Churchill College, University of Cambridge. Over time, I found myself developing as a keynote speaker. 3 – Advisory My time spent writing, educating and keynoting helped me to develop the ability to convey insights in an engaging and memorable manner. Just as well as I was increasingly being invited to advise business and government leaders on matters of leadership, particularly in the context of societal upheaval and increasing disruption. This has led to many high impact engagements. Examples include, advising: One of the world’s leading banks on how to transition from slow technology follower to early adopter leader. Startups from around the world. The world’s largest technology organisations on how to attract and retain senior executive buyers. A government on how to set up an innovation centre optimised for ministers. A national sports association on how to navigate an increasingly disrupted world. A healthcare manufacturing company on how to harness the creativity of its people. Today, I am considered an expert on the drivers shaping our future and on how to build organisations that can embrace this increasing volatility. My delivery mechanisms are a mixture of advisory and, keynoting. I have also set up the Adaptive Edge Initiative . My focus on living systems and harnessing our natural human tendencies is well received by all stakeholders. Over the last four decades, I have worked in forty countries, across many sectors. My experience is unique, deep and broad. It is not clouded by the ‘trend du jour’. Most importantly, I don’t have all the answers. We are now operating in a ‘post-case studies’ world. My role is to help you create an organisation that can sense, decide and act with confidence regardless of what crosses your path. Return to top Published in I was a columnist for the Financial Times for a decade focusing on leadership matters. I have also been a columnist for a number of other publications: Return to top Books authored I am the author of several books, including one written for the European Commission on the future of skills in Europe.I have also produced reports and articles for Microsoft, HPE, Manpower, VMWare, Cisco, Pitney Bowes and other major brands. Return to top Miscellaneous Here is some information that is often required by event organisers: I am based just outside of London. London Heathrow is my nearest airport. I have no special dietary requirements. I prefer a lavalier or headset microphone and not a handheld. If my slides are to be integrated into a conference deck, I will need to see my embedded slides before the day of the event as this can detrimentally impact the slides. My slides can be shared with the participants in PDF format. I can provide this. I am happy to sign books if you choose to include one of mine as a participant gift. Return to top Do you need anything else? Contact me

Ade McCormack helps leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace disruption. Learn more about him. About me Organisational agitator I help leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace disruption Background Expertise Clients Personal Background I have worked at the sharp end of business and technology for over four decades across many sectors and countries with organisations ranging from startups to intergovernmental institutions. I am a former technologist with a background in astrophysics who today is focused on how organisations adapt to what is an increasingly complex world. To explore this, I founded a thinktank called the Adaptive Edge Initiative . Over the years, I have acquired a 'bits to boardroom' perspective on the challenges organisations face. Thus I can zoom in and out as required. Some key points about me: Financial Times columnist for a decade on leadership matters. Lectured at MIT Sloan on leadership matters. Work with the University of Cambridge (Moller Institute) on leadership education. Trained in astrophysics and have worked in space science for the European Space Agency. Worked in over forty countries across the world across multiple sectors with many of the world’s most prominent brands. Engaged with former government leaders globally in the creation of a book focused on reimagining government. Written six books on strategic and societal matters. Worked with the European Commission, including authoring a book on the future of skills in Europe. I have researched the practices of the most forward-thinking organisations and governments in respect of organisational and societal success. I have drawn upon anthropology, neuroscience, biology, technology and human performance to create a people-centred adaptive approach to thriving in a world where the future is increasingly unknowable. Expertise I help organisations in both the public and private sectors navigate an increasingly disruptive world. This ranges from: Awareness raising – eg. Public speaking. Exploration – eg. Workshops. Education – eg. Leadership development programmes. Implementation – eg. Advisory. These are just examples of how I engage with my clients. How my capability is applied will be driven by the outcomes you are seeking. Personal As part of my professional focus on helping people thrive in the post-industrial world, I take an interest in human performance, particularly around movement. I am a former track sprinter. I also have a background in martial arts (both hard and soft). In more recent years, I have taken up parkour, which can be considered the martial art of skedaddling. It involves moving through a typically urban terrain whilst negotiating obstacles. I also 'enjoy' ultradistance trail running, which can be regarded as a picnic on the move. I actually enjoy modern jive dancing. To give you a sense of how good I am, my wife ranks dancing as my most effective martial art. How can I help? My services

These are the terms associated with Ade McCormack's website. Terms of use 1. Terms By accessing this Thinktank, you are agreeing to be bound by these Terms of Use, all applicable laws and regulations, and agree that you are responsible for compliance with any applicable local laws. If you do not agree with any of these terms, you are prohibited from using or accessing this site. The materials contained in this Thinktank are protected by applicable copyright and trademark law. 2. Use License Permission is granted to temporarily download one copy of any downloadable materials on the Thinktank’s website for personal, non-commercial transitory viewing only. This is the grant of a license, not a transfer of title, and under this license you may not: modify or copy the materials; use the materials for any commercial purpose, or for any public display (commercial or non-commercial); attempt to decompile or reverse engineer any software contained on the Thinktank’s web site; remove any copyright or other proprietary notations from the materials; or transfer the materials to another person or 'mirror' the materials on any other server. This license shall automatically terminate if you violate any of these restrictions and may be terminated by Company at any time. Upon terminating your viewing of these materials or upon the termination of this license, you must destroy any downloaded materials in your possession whether in electronic or printed format. 3. Disclaimer The materials on the Thinktank’s website are provided 'as is'. The Thinktank makes no warranties, expressed or implied, and hereby disclaims and negates all other warranties, including without limitation, implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement of intellectual property or other violation of rights. Further, the Thinktank does not warrant or make any representations concerning the accuracy, likely results, or reliability of the use of the materials on its website or otherwise relating to such materials or on any sites linked to this site. 4. Limitations In no event shall the Thinktank be liable for any damages (including, without limitation, damages for loss of data or profit, or due to business interruption) arising out of the use or inability to use the materials on the Thinktank’s website, even if the Thinktank or an authorized of the Thinktank has been notified orally or in writing of the possibility of such damage. Because some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on implied warranties, or limitations of liability for consequential or incidental damages, these limitations may not apply to you. 5. Revisions and Errata The materials appearing on the Thinktank’s website may include technical, typographical, or photographic errors. The Thinktank does not warrant that any of the materials on its web site are accurate, complete, or current. The Thinktank may make changes to the materials contained on its web site at any time without notice. The Thinktank does not, however, make any commitment to update the materials. 6. Links The Thinktank has not reviewed all of the sites linked to its website and is not responsible for the contents of any such linked site. The inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by the Thinktank of the site. Use of any such linked website is at the user's own risk. 7. Usage There are many factors that will influence the fortunes of an organisation. In any case, we do not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability and accuracy of the information available via this website. Any action you take upon the information on this website is strictly at your own risk, and again we will not be responsible for any losses and damages in connection with the use of our website. 8. Discussion forums The Thinktank offers discussion forums to encourage the sharing of knowledge between users. Users are strictly prohibited from communicating on or through the Website any unlawful, harmful, offensive, threatening, abusive, libelous, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, profane, hateful, fraudulent, sexually explicit, racially, ethnically, or otherwise objectionable material of any sort, including, but not limited to, any material that encourages conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any applicable local, state, national, or international law. Such behaviour could result in the associated organisation being permanently expelled from the Thinktank. 9. Site Terms of Use Modifications The Thinktank may revise these Terms of Use for its website at any time without notice. By using this website you are agreeing to be bound by the then current version of these Terms of Use. 10. Governing Law Any claim relating to the Thinktank’s website shall be governed by the laws of the Thinktank Owner’s home jurisdiction without regard to its conflict of law provisions. These terms and conditions are governed by English law and you submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English court.

Ade helps leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace disruption. Discover how he can help your organisation. Services I help leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace increasing disruption. Here are some of the most popular ways I support clients in achieving their objectives. Public speaking Education Advisory Public speaking I speak at events ranging from intimate CxO dinners through to arena-level conferences. I am often invited to be the opening keynoter in order to present the big picture by providing a zoom-out perspective on how the world is changing. This approach: Links the tactical themes of your event to the bigger picture. Contextualises the event and elevates the tone of the subsequent participant discussions. My content usually involves one or more of the following themes: Disruption Adaptiveness People Technology My perspectives on AI highlight that our concerns are misplaced, ie. there are reasons to be concerned, but not as portrayed by the media. Innovation Intelligence Leadership. But I can approach this from most pain points. Current popular themes include: Cybersecurity Governance / Compliance Ethical accountability Stakeholder management. Perhaps uniquely, I explore these topics from a number of unusual perspectives, including: Evolutionary biology Complex / living / natural systems Human performance Neuroscience Anthropology Sociology. Audiences welcome the exploration of strategic topics through these novel lenses. I am often invited as a panellist in order to weave my perspectives into the broader issues covered by the event. Learn more Education If your leadership already recognises that they need to rethink how they operate, then a workshop is a natural way forward. This provides an opportunity to: Ensure the leadership team have a common understanding of how the world is changing and how they might respond. Identify actions that can initiate the organisation's transitional journey. Learn more Advisory The expertise needed to address the organisation's challenges typically resides within the workforce or the wider ecosystem. However there are some foundations to be laid before this expertise can be harnessed effectively. I can help you with the preparing the necessary groundwork to thrive in an increasingly unknowable world. Let's discuss the outcomes you are looking to achieve Contact Ade

Ade McCormack helps leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace disruption. Take a look at his forward thinking work on how organisations need to evolve. The Adaptive Edge Initiative The Adaptive Edge Initiative is where I develop my perspectives on how organisations and societies adapt to an increasingly disruptive world. This work underpins the services that I offer. Visit the Adaptive Edge Initiative