- The World Business Forum Sydney 2026 will be held on 5 and 6 November at ICC Sydney, with more than 1,200 leaders and decision-makers expected to attend from Australia, New Zealand and beyond.
- This year's theme, TRANSCEND, will explore how organisations and their people can move beyond conventional limits, covering topics including leadership, AI, innovation, strategy, organisational transformation, creativity and high performance.
- The speaker line-up includes Olympic legend Carl Lewis, Shazam founder Chris Barton, former Google Cloud generative AI executive Anna Baird, bestselling author Seth Godin, and former Tesla executive Terry Gutiérrez, among others.
- Sessions will address the challenges leaders face in a rapidly changing environment, offering practical frameworks and fresh thinking on topics such as AI adoption, disruption, creative courage, organisational culture and human potential.
- Registration includes a year-round WOBI membership, providing on-demand access to global World Business Forum events, more than 300 hours of leadership content, masterclasses, podcasts and connections with an executive community spanning more than 50 countries.
Some of the world’s most influential business thinkers, innovators and leaders are heading to ICC Sydney on 5 and 6 November for the 2026 World Business Forum Sydney.
This year’s theme, TRANSCEND, explores what it takes for organisations and their people to move beyond conventional limits. Across two days, the program will tackle the issues leaders are grappling with right now, including leadership, AI, innovation, strategy, organisational transformation, creativity and high performance.
The line-up brings together a remarkable mix of global experience: Olympic legend Carl Lewis; Shazam founder Chris Barton; former Google Cloud generative AI executive Anna Baird; bestselling author and marketing thinker Seth Godin; social psychologist Mary C. Murphy; disruption expert Scott Anthony; change and human potential specialist Richard Gerver; former Tesla Latin America Managing Director Terry Gutiérrez; former Cirque du Soleil Executive Creative Director Welby Altidor; and Monash University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Sharon Pickering.
WOBI APAC Managing Director, Daniel Hernandez, said the forum was created to give leaders practical ideas, fresh perspectives and tools they could put to work long after the event.
“Leaders are making big decisions in an environment shaped by constant disruption, fast-moving technology, changing workforce expectations and growing complexity,” Mr Hernandez said.
“World Business Forum brings together exceptional people who have navigated these challenges and built transformative ideas to perform at the highest level.
“Attendees will leave with practical frameworks, fresh thinking and a renewed confidence to lead change and strengthen their organisations.”
Ten-time Olympic medallist Carl Lewis will share the mindset that helped him sustain elite performance across decades. He will explore how leaders can build mental strength, stay motivated under pressure and keep improving instead of becoming distracted by being ‘at the top’.
Chris Barton, founder of Shazam and its CEO until the company’s US$400 million acquisition by Apple, will share how a seemingly impossible idea became an industry-changing innovation. Drawing on the Shazam journey, he will challenge attendees to question conventional limits and think differently about what comes next.
Former Google Cloud Chief Customer Officer for Global Generative AI, Anna Baird, will look at where people, data and artificial intelligence meet. Her session will help organisations strengthen data literacy, adopt AI responsibly and build cultures in which technology enhances, rather than replaces, human capability.
Internationally recognised disruption expert Scott Anthony will help leaders make sense of today’s transformative forces and navigate the uncertain ‘messy middle’ of change. He will share practical ways to assess emerging technologies, challenge common innovation myths and turn uncertainty into opportunity.
Richard Gerver, a former adviser to the UK Government who has worked with organisations including Microsoft, Google, Deloitte and Visa, will focus on the human side of change. He will show how curiosity, creativity, trust and shared purpose can build resilient cultures that do more than simply endure change.
Former Tesla executive Terry Gutiérrez will present ‘The Leader’s Algorithm’, exploring how organisations can achieve exponential growth by challenging assumptions, setting clear priorities and executing with discipline. She will also explain why businesses need to solve the right problems and improve their processes before introducing new technology or AI.
Professor Sharon Pickering will explore what leadership looks like in an increasingly fractured world. Her session will examine how leaders can build trust across divided stakeholder groups, attract and retain future-ready talent, and balance commercial success with broader societal impact.
Award-winning social psychologist Mary C. Murphy will unpack the difference between ‘Cultures of Genius’ and ‘Cultures of Growth’, sharing practical strategies to foster trust, learning, innovation and performance when organisations are under pressure.
Former Cirque du Soleil Executive Creative Director, Welby Altidor, will encourage leaders to develop ‘creative courage’ and build workplaces where ideas can come from every level. Drawing on more than 20 years of creative leadership, he will show how experimentation and even failure can lay the groundwork for innovation.
Appearing virtually, internationally bestselling author Seth Godin will challenge conventional thinking about strategy. He will explore how leaders can stop repeating yesterday, make deliberate choices about the future and build lasting relevance by serving the ‘smallest viable audience’.
More than 1,200 leaders and decision-makers from Australia, New Zealand and beyond are expected to attend World Business Forum Sydney.
Registration for the 2026 forum also includes a year-round WOBI membership, so the learning and connections continue well beyond the two days in Sydney. Members receive:
- On-demand access to World Business Forum events held around the world
- More than 300 hours of premium management and leadership content
- Masterclasses, training courses, interviews, podcasts and event highlights
- Exclusive in-person events for WOBI members
- Opportunities to connect with a global executive community spanning more than 50 countries
“World Business Forum is much more than a conference,” Mr Hernandez said.
“It is the start of a year-round leadership experience, giving executives and their teams continued access to ideas, inspiration and a global community of people facing many of the same challenges.
“At a time when standing still is not an option, investing in the capability and confidence of leaders has never been more important.”
The World Business Forum Sydney will be held at ICC Sydney on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November 2026.
For program and registration information, visit https://forum.wobi.com/world-business-forum-sydney
Event details
What: World Business Forum Sydney 2026
When: Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November 2026
Where: ICC Sydney
Speakers: Carl Lewis, Chris Barton, Anna Baird, Seth Godin, Mary C. Murphy, Scott Anthony, Richard Gerver, Terry Gutiérrez, Welby Altidor and Professor Sharon Pickering
Website: https://forum.wobi.com/world-business-forum-sydney
Contact details:
For media enquires and interview opportunities:
Vicky De George
0405 151 485
