At our September Virtual monthly meeting, SIM Portland will recognize the SIMPDX 2020 Scholarship Recipients.

Awardees are from local universities namely OSU, UP and WSU Vancouver.

Keynote: Future of Work: Augmented, diverse and anywhere

The next wave of automation technologies—Artificial intelligence, robotics, analytics, Blockchain, 5G networks, augmented reality, and the Internet of Things—are about to come crashing into the workplace, and one way or another, they will change the way we work. Industrial mechanization brought “mechanical muscles” that commoditized most physical labor. Advanced AI and robotics will take on more complex physical tasks and free us from repetitive, boring, and dangerous physical work. For knowledge workers, “mechanical minds” will augment our skills and help us to be more creative, more intuitive, and to make higher quality decisions. Increasingly diverse teams will be needed to solve the major human challenges of the future. And as remote collaboration tools improve, many workers will have increased flexibility to work from anywhere. New management styles will be needed, culture will need to be strengthened in new ways, and HR will have their work cut out for them. In this fast-moving talk, you will learn how six technologies will reshape the workplace in the 2020s, and what you can do to remain relevant and thrive in the augmented work era.

About the Speaker

Steve Brown is a futurist, author, strategist, and advisor with over 30 years of experience in high tech. Prior to building his own consulting business, he was Intel’s Chief Evangelist and worked in Intel Labs as a futurist.

Speaking at events all over the world, Steve helps companies to make their businesses more resilient, more innovative, and more profitable. He helps leaders to boost their technology acumen, to create thoughtful digital strategies, and to understand the profound impact technology will have on their business five, ten, and fifteen years from now. Steve works with Fortune 50 giants and small non-profits, spanning every industrial sector. His main focus is on the future of work, and on the future of healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, and finance.

Steve uses his expertise to communicate complex ideas and insights in plain language. He has been featured on BBC, CNN, Bloomberg TV, ABC, CBS, NBC, and in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Wired Magazine among many other media outlets.

Steve challenges people to think beyond the status quo, to reimagine their businesses, and their lives, for the better, and to build a better future for people. He inspires companies to create exciting new products and services, to streamline business operations, to elevate human work, and to delight customers in new ways, all by embracing the latest technologies. His new book, “The Innovation Ultimatum: How six strategic technologies will reshape every business in the 2020s”, published by Wiley, is a how-to guide on innovation and digital transformation.

Steve was born in the U.K. and holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees in Micro-Electronic Systems Engineering from Manchester University. He lives with his wife in Portland, Oregon.