Andrew Spence

Future of Work Speaker & Advisor | Building Preferable Futures

Lisbon Metropolitan Area

About

I help leaders make sense of the future of work - without the hype, jargon or lazy predictions. As a keynote speaker, advisor and writer, ๐—œ ๐—ฒ๐˜…๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ณ๐˜๐˜€ ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜„๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ, ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜†. My focus is on helping leaders ask better questions, challenge outdated assumptions and build more human, adaptive and sustainable organisations. I work with ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€, ๐—›๐—ฅ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ง๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€, ๐—Ÿ&๐—— ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—บ๐˜€, ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฒ๐˜…๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฝ๐˜€ through keynotes, workshops, and advisory conversations. My sessions combine global data, practical transformation experience, strategic foresight and a dash of humour. My perspective is shaped by 20+ years in workforce strategy and HR transformation, including 30+ digital transformation programmes and work with Deloitte, Accenture, the NHS, John Lewis Partnership, Novartis, ADP, Zoho, Bombardier Transportation, Jobs for the Future, Wikistrat and the Tapscott Group. I completed a masterโ€™s focused on artificial intelligence in the mid-1990s - long before todayโ€™s AI boom. In 2018, my research on blockchain and work was published with the Blockchain Research Institute. I co-publish ๐—ช๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ ๐Ÿฏ, a weekly newsletter on the changing world of work, read by ๐Ÿฏ๐Ÿฌ,๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ+ ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ฏ๐˜€๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—ด๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐˜†. My earlier ๐—ช๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—™๐˜‚๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜ work includes 100+ articles, videos and podcasts. My research, writing and commentary have appeared in or been featured by the ๐—™๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ง๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐˜€, ๐—•๐—น๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ด, ๐—œ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ช๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ธ - on AI and Leadership, ๐—ฅ๐—ฆ๐—”, ๐—š๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐——๐—ฟ๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—™๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜‚๐—บ, ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ก๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป, ๐—›๐—ฅ ๐—˜๐˜…๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ. ๐—œ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐Ÿญ๐Ÿณ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜€ across Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America, and design executive education and workshops for organisations including the ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฐ๐—ต ๐—™๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜‚๐—บ, ๐—–๐—œ๐—ฃ๐——, ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐— ๐—ฐ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ป My work has received industry recognition, including ๐—ž๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—Ÿ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—™๐˜‚๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ช๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ (Onalytica) and ๐—ง๐—ผ๐—ฝ ๐Ÿญ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ ๐—›๐—ฅ ๐—ง๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ต ๐—œ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—น๐˜‚๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ (๐—›๐—ฅ ๐—˜๐˜…๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ). I am a ๐—™๐—ฒ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฅ๐—ฆ๐—” and Senior Industry Fellow at RMIT FORWARD, and a professional member of the Centre for Evidence-Based Management. For keynotes, workshops or advisory conversations on the future of work, Iโ€™m always open to a conversation.

Experience

  • Adjunct Senior Industry Fellow at RMIT University
    Aug 2022 - Present ยท 3 yrs 11 mos

    FORWARD, part of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), new Centre for Future Skills and Workforce Transformation, explores learning ecosystems and next-generation skills solutions through audacious ideas, exploratory research and novel collaborations.

  • Jobs For the Future (JFFLabs) Futurist Council Advisor at Jobs for the Future (JFF)
    May 2022 - Present ยท 4 yrs 2 mos

    The JFFLabs Futurist Council informs best practices and innovation in workforce and education. With focus on the opportunities and challenges of leveraging new technologies and other innovations in support of all workers and learners for whom leading-edge solutions may not traditionally have been accessible.

  • Andrew Spence (13 yrs 3 mos)
    • Global Future of Work Keynote Speaker | AI & Workforce Transformation
      Oct 2013 - Present ยท 12 yrs 9 mos

      I help leaders make sense of the future of work - without the hype, jargon or lazy predictions. As a keynote speaker, advisor and Work 3 writer, I speak on the shifts reshaping work: AI, digital workers, talent shortages, demographic change, the unbundling of jobs, new employment models and the changing relationship between people and organisations. My talks combine strategic foresight, global data, practical transformation experience and a dash of humour - helping HR, talent, learning and leadership audiences ask better questions and build more human, adaptive and sustainable organisations. I bring 20+ yearsโ€™ experience in workforce strategy and HR transformation, including 30+ digital transformation programmes. I studied AI long before ChatGPT, wrote early research on Blockchain and work, and now write to a global Work 3 audience of 30,000+ subscribers. Selected keynotes and workshops: Five Mega Trends Driving the Future of Work โ€” TALiNT Partners, London / Global HR Summit, Istanbul Rewriting the Rules of Work โ€” Cultivate Talent Summit, Eightfold, London A Day in the Working Life 2035 โ€” Next Learning Conference, Den Bosch, Netherlands Building a More Equitable and Sustainable Future of Work โ€” Global Leaders Summit, Istanbul Rethink Work: Evolve or Endure โ€” Corporate Research Forum, Lisbon Building a Better World Without Jobs โ€” Future Works, Lisbon I have also delivered talks and workshops for Hartmanns Academy, Denmark, NHS, Zoho, UNLEASH, Blockchain Live and TechHR, with audiences in Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Amsterdam, Sydney, Melbourne, and online.

    • Future of Work Writer & Media Commentator
      Apr 2013 - Present ยท 13 yrs 3 mos

      I co-publish Work 3, a weekly Future of Work newsletter on Substack, written in partnership with Matteo Cellini and read by nearly 30,000 subscribers. Work 3 explores the shifts reshaping work, organisations and society โ€” from AI and digital workers to talent shortages, demographic change, new employment models, and the unbundling of jobs. Previously, I published the Workforce Futurist newsletter, where I wrote about HR transformation, AI, Blockchain, digital careers and the changing social contract around work. I have written articles, contributed commentary or been featured in outlets including the Financial Times, Bloomberg, InformationWeek, The New Statesman and Raconteur, as well as leading HR and workplace publications such as HR Magazine, Hays Quarterly, Personnel Today, The HR Director, HR.com and HRZone. My aim is not to predict one neat โ€œfuture of workโ€, but to help leaders challenge outdated assumptions, spot what is changing, and think more clearly about the future they want to build.

  • Glass Bead Consulting (19 yrs 11 mos)
    • HR Transformation Director
      Aug 2006 - Present ยท 19 yrs 11 mos

      Glass Bead Consulting provides consulting support for complex digital and workforce transformation programmes. Specific outputs include: โ–บ Creating a future workforce vision โ–บ Delivering a pragmatic change strategy โ–บ Establishing HR Transformation Programme โ–บ Designing HR Operating Models โ–บ Training and coaching using โ€œ7 Steps to Transform HRโ€ methodology Where Glass Bead Consulting adds real value is bringing together diverse teams of people to achieve the same goals. We use our experience to identify exactly what skills and behaviours are needed to make a meaningful transformation. Recent client work has included: โ–บ Designed the HR Operating Model and helped established a HR Shared Service Centre with Technology enablement for John Lewis Partnership, a major UK retailer with over 80,000 people nationwide. โ–บ Provided HR Programme Management for Novartis, a Global Pharmaceutical Company with over 125,000 staff, focused on HR solution design and transition to a new HR Operating Model. โ–บ Designed and implementation a new Operating Model for a London NHS Trust.

    • Digital HR Transformation Course Facilitator
      Mar 2016 - Present ยท 10 yrs 4 mos

      Over the years I have designed and developed a modular classroom-based course aimed at HR professionals who want to learn directly applicable skills and a deeper understanding of Digital HR Transformation. The course is highly interactive, practical, with case studies and examples used throughout. The course can be taken from 1 to 3 days in a modular programme, depending on delegate needs. Excellent feedback from delegates working for :- Reckitt Benckiser, Telkom Indonesia, African Development Bank, Pandora Group, Jollibee, Rolls Royce, Mondelฤ“z, Philippines Central Bank and many others. Get in touch [email protected] if you would like to discuss.

  • Blockchain and HR eLearning Course Designer at AIHR | Academy to Innovate HR
    Nov 2018 - Present ยท 7 yrs 8 mos

    This interactive eLearning course is designed to walk you through the main characteristics, value, and challenges of blockchain, and its potential applications in the world of work.