Brett Wiskar | Future proofing businesses

As Chief Future Officer at Wiley what does that entail? 

Wiley is an international design, engineering and construction company headquartered in Brisbane. My role centres around the need for our business, and our clients’ businesses, to be adaptive, flexible, and suited to the industry and technology of the future. If a client is spending $25 million on an asset to service their business for a long time to come, do they really understand the future in which that asset will need to exist in and service? 
At its core, the role involves researching innovation, technology, solutions and industries to ensure we’re able to keep our businesses and our clients well positioned into the decades ahead. This can play out as thought leadership for innovation projects, leading change management teams, advisory work, presenting conference keynotes, R&D and writing.

What are some of the emerging and future technology and business model trends?

I’m fascinated by the intersection of new and old technologies, and how that leads to change and disruption of industries. Alternatively, how can two new ideas or innovations intersect to make something truly disruptive? It’s that compounding impact of concepts which leads to the greatest change. Materials science, robotics, cellular biology, energy systems and storage all playout in fascinating ways but they all impact each other enormously. When you layer AI across the top of those developments, great leaps can be and are being made.

When it comes to business model trends, it’s the ability for a global market to rapidly change the economic prospects of a business. Once upon a time, we considered solving niche problems in a local market to not be economically viable. In reality, all of these niches are actually global issues waiting for someone to fix at scale, and you can be anywhere in the world to do that digitally. Being able to tap into this global market using technology and innovation is where opportunity lies. Digital tools will drive accessibility, democratisation and connection. This empowers people to acquire a new generation of skills which will lead to greater disruption in the decades to come.

Closer to home, digital disruption of science and technology-based value adding to Australian natural resources will create the next generation of economic growth and careers.

What are the characteristics of successful businesses that are early adopters of new technologies/business models?

The most successful businesses have a genuine culture of seeking to move, adapt, and change. This manifests as championing things like skill adoption, different methodologies, new technologies, new business models and above all an enthusiasm for doing things better.  They don’t mind the discomfort of doing things differently when they perceive it as part of the process of being better.

Groups that integrate their ability to adapt to change as part of their identify have a hunger for doing things better. That’s the key: not just being an early adopter but, being a business with a culture of change and makes those changes work for them.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Without question it’s the variety and opportunities to learn. I love being able to shift focus across different areas, specialities and ways of creating value as the opportunities present themselves. The role I have is never the same for very long. I get to work with great people from an ever-changing group of professionals with different skills, backgrounds and specialties. It’s a privilege and I’m constantly learning from those around me.

What is one skill you couldn’t live without and why?

Being able to synthesise information and concepts and communicate them to others, often from a different professional background. Melding a team together to deliver something truly new or innovative doesn’t involve any special technical input or knowledge from me but it’s more about translating the strengths of others into a language that the wider group can understand and capitalise on.

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received? 

Get good at change. It isn’t going out of fashion.

Connect with Brett

Do you have a question for Brett? Connect with him on LinkedIn, or contact him at Wiley, or via his website.