- Your event, your format, your speaker
- A large conference main stage
- A keynote plus a workshop for the same room
- A board, executive or virtual session
- A founder or technology audience
- A leadership offsite
- Where I sit
- Four things to settle early
- Who I'd put on stage, and who I'd skip
- Frequently asked questions
I'm Lilach Bullock, an AI keynote speaker and implementation consultant, and this is my shortlist of the best AI keynote speakers in Australia, matched to the size and format of your event: Anders Sörman-Nilsson for a big main stage, Justin Kabbani for a keynote plus workshop, Ross Dawson for a board session. I wrote it and I'm on it, a British speaker who speaks worldwide.
The size of the room changes the speaker you want. A thousand-seat conference needs a polished main-stage talk; a board of eight needs a briefing with room for hard questions; a leadership offsite needs someone who'll stay for the conversation afterwards. Start with your format and the shortlist gets shorter on its own.
Something worth knowing before you call anyone: of the eight speakers' sites I read, only two state where the speaker is based. Gihan Perera's site title says Futurist Perth, and Dr Priya Jaganathan's site says she's based in South Brisbane. For everyone else I haven't claimed a base, and I'm not suggesting they're Australian. Everything here comes from each speaker's own site, as of Nov 2026.
Your event, your format, your speaker
| Your event | Who to ask | The trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| A large conference main stage | Anders Sörman-Nilsson, Steve Sammartino | Futurist talks where AI is one theme |
| A keynote, then a workshop for the same people | Justin Kabbani, Gihan Perera | Check which AI talk fits; menus are wide |
| A board, executive or virtual session | Ross Dawson | Confirm the AI-specific talk |
| A founder, agency or technology crowd | Amanda Johnstone, Dr Priya Jaganathan | Busy diaries, or a niche focus |
| A leadership offsite | Caroline Kennedy | Coaching-led, so confirm the AI content |
| A business or marketing event wanting one workflow to use | Lilach Bullock (me) | Practitioner, not a futurist |
A large conference main stage
Anders Sörman-Nilsson's site calls him a global futurist and keynote speaker who helps leaders decode trends and turn questions into strategies. Its menu has separate routes for conference organisers, in-house event planners and speaker bureaux, which tells you he's set up for big events. He suits an organiser who wants a polished main-stage futurist talk. He's a futurist first, though, and AI is one of several themes.
Steve Sammartino's site calls him a technologist and keynote speaker who speaks on AI and the future. It lists topics including Artificial Intelligence: the Future is Now, The Future of Work, The Robotics Revolution and Disruptive Tech, plus boardroom briefings. That's a good fit for a big-room conference wanting energy on AI and the future of work. It's a broad technology talk, so ask for content specific to your sector.
A keynote plus a workshop for the same room
Justin Kabbani's site calls him an AI keynote speaker, trainer and implementation coach, with keynote topics such as saving executives time with AI workflows and the agentic shift. It says every keynote is tailored to the audience, industry and goals with live AI demos, and that he also runs AI workshops. That pairing suits a corporate event or leadership day where you want the talk followed by hands-on time. For a very large stage, check availability early.
Gihan Perera's site calls him a futurist, conference speaker, AI researcher and author, and its site title says Futurist Perth. It lists an AI talk, masterclasses, an AI Accelerator and leadership programmes alongside conference speaking. That makes him a natural pick for an association or regional conference that wants a keynote plus a smaller masterclass. His menu is wide, so check which AI talk matches your audience.
A board, executive or virtual session
Ross Dawson's site calls him a futurist, keynote speaker, entrepreneur and author, and lists AI keynotes and workshops plus executive and board sessions. It says he's delivered keynotes and workshops in person in over 30 countries and for hundreds of virtual events, and lists virtual keynotes as a format. That suits a board or leadership offsite, or an event that's online from the start. He covers strategy and the future across several topics, so confirm you're getting the AI-specific talk.
A founder or technology audience
Amanda Johnstone's site calls her an AI technologist and futurist keynote speaker and the CEO of Transhuman, an AI and mental health technology company. It invites enquiries for keynote speaking, boardroom briefings, advisory work and media. A founder who builds AI is a strong draw for a technology or startup crowd. Running a company means a busy diary, so ask early.
Dr Priya Jaganathan's site calls her a global keynote speaker, TEDx speaker and GoHighLevel expert specialising in AI automation, revenue infrastructure and entrepreneurship. It says she's based in South Brisbane and has delivered 50+ keynotes in 12+ countries. She fits a small agency or entrepreneur event that wants automation-led AI content. The focus is a niche, so she's less suited to a general corporate day.
A leadership offsite
Caroline Kennedy's site describes her as an executive business coach and keynote speaker, and a former CEO, and says she's an AI keynote speaker across Australia and New Zealand. An offsite where the AI talk should sit inside a wider leadership message is where that background helps most. Her front page leads with coaching, so confirm the AI talk content before you book.
Where I sit
I wrote this list and put myself on it, so weigh my entry accordingly. I'm a British AI keynote speaker, trainer and implementation consultant with 23 years in marketing, and I went all in on AI in 2024. I've spoken at more than 100 events, including TEDxBolton and Oxford University. I speak in English to audiences worldwide, in person or online, and I don't claim a base in Australia.
What I'm not: a futurist, an academic or a bureau. My keynotes run 45 to 60 minutes and use the audience's own work, so the room leaves with one workflow to try that week. If the event wants hands-on time too, I follow the talk with a 90-minute workshop on the two or three tasks that eat the most time.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
I test it on my own business first. Between January and September 2026 my site went from 1,322 Google clicks a month to 6,412, and visits from AI assistants went from 32 a month to 3,599, in my own Search Console and GA4.
Four things to settle early
- Fix the format first: main stage, keynote plus workshop, boardroom, founder crowd or offsite.
- Count the room and the screen: in person, online or hybrid changes who can deliver well.
- Ask two or three shortlisted speakers for a full recorded talk and a session outline built on your audience.
- Agree the time zone, the run sheet and any follow-on workshop in writing before the contract.
For more names beyond Australia, see my wider shortlist of AI keynote speakers, and if your event is for marketers, my picks for marketing conferences. If a talk won't be enough and you need help putting AI to work afterwards, look at AI consultants in Australia.
Who I'd put on stage, and who I'd skip
I'd book for the format first and the name second, and I'd watch one full talk from each finalist before signing. I'd skip anyone who can't tell you how the talk changes for a board of eight versus a hall of hundreds.
The keynote sets the tone; what the team does with AI the following week is what counts. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement and workflow automation, so the busywork runs itself and people get time back. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the best AI keynote speakers in Australia?
My shortlist includes Anders Sörman-Nilsson, Steve Sammartino, Justin Kabbani, Gihan Perera, Ross Dawson, Amanda Johnstone, Dr Priya Jaganathan and Caroline Kennedy, plus me, Lilach Bullock. I wrote the list and I'm on it. It's a shortlist matched to event size and format, not a ranking.
How do I pick a speaker for a large conference versus a small offsite?
A large conference needs a polished main-stage talk that works without much interaction. A small offsite needs someone who'll take hard questions and stay for the discussion. Ask each speaker which of the two they do most, and watch a recording of that format.
Can a keynote be paired with a workshop?
Yes, and it's often the best use of a speaker's day. Several speakers on this list say they run workshops or masterclasses alongside keynotes, and I follow my keynotes with a 90-minute hands-on workshop. Keep the workshop smaller than the keynote audience.
Can an overseas speaker present to an Australian audience online?
Yes. I present online to audiences worldwide, and Ross Dawson's site lists virtual keynotes as a format. Agree a time that works across both time zones, run a technical rehearsal, and keep the talk tighter than an in-person version.
How early should I book an AI speaker?
As early as you can, especially for speakers who also run companies or travel widely. Fix your date and format first, then approach your shortlist together so you're not waiting on one reply before asking the next.
What should a speaker brief include?
The audience, the format and length, the one thing people should leave with, any sector examples you want, and whether a workshop follows. Ask the speaker to send a session outline back so you can check they've understood it.
