Andy Fitze is a high-latitude explorer and experienced skipper with over 22 self-organised sailing expeditions, navigating some of the world’s most extreme environments.
His leadership on the high seas, including his recent 2024 North Atlantic voyage, has honed his resilience and decision making skills, making him a master at navigating uncharted, literal and metaphorical waters.
In parallel, Andy is a globally recognised AI expert and co-founder of SwissCognitive, a leading AI hub. He is also the Founder and Chairman of several AI tech startups and foundations, President of the Swiss IT Leadership Forum and a member of the swissICT Association. With over 25 years of executive experience, Andy Fitze is a sought-after speaker on AI, leadership and digital transformation, blending real-world adventure with cutting-edge technological insights. His ability to connect lessons from extreme environments with the challenges of AI-driven innovation makes him a trusted advisor to leaders worldwide.
Andy Fitze Lecture Topics
- Navigating Uncharted Waters: Leadership Lessons from Sailing and everyday life
- AI Leadership in Extremis – Anything Else is South
Audience Takeaways
Bold Leadership and Innovation
Andy Fitze emphasises the importance of robust action and bold leadership off the beaten path. Leaders benefit from questioning conventions and exploring new ways to achieve extraordinary results.
Reality Awareness and Proactive Action
“Reality wins against gut feelings” – An objective assessment of reality proves more advantageous than relying on intuition. Careful observation of situations and early response to changes help prevent gradual deterioration.
Flexibility and Adaptability
“Nature creates the wind. Humans set the sails.” – Successful leaders are characterised by their ability to adapt to changing circumstances. While external conditions can’t be controlled, one can choose how to react.
Teamwork and Skill Development
“Skills determine the team” The right abilities are essential for assembling an effective team. It’s worthwhile to focus on developing and utilising team members’ strengths.
Both leadership and innovation require the ability to navigate uncharted waters. Just as the ocean presents unpredictable challenges, the field of new technology is a vast, unknown territory requiring the same level of courage, foresight and adaptability. Drawing from my recent North Atlantic voyage aboard Viking ship Naddoddur, where he faced extreme conditions and his deep experience in new technology, this keynote explores how lessons from these two realms
converge.
Sailing through a storm and guiding organisations through new technology-driven transformation demand robust leadership, strategic preparation and a bold willingness to explore the unknown. Andy Fitze will share practical tools to help you master leadership in volatile environments, emphasising how to stay the course in times of uncertainty, whether in business or on the high seas. Attendees will gain insights into harnessing new technology’s potential, like navigating a ship through unpredictable waters and steering toward innovation while avoiding common pitfalls.
Andy Fitze: Navigating in stormy times – in business and at sea.
Andy Fitze is not just an adventurer who has sailed to and explored over 40 countries. He’s a visionary who translates the lessons of the sea into the world of artificial intelligence. Andy Fitze fascinates with his ability to combine the challenges of the high seas with the complexities of AI.
As a two-time Digital Shaper of Switzerland and an instructor at the Royal Yachting Association of England, he combines practical experience and cutting-edge technology. His membership in the prestigious Explorers Club underscores his pioneering spirit.
In his talks, Andy Fitze will take us on a journey that brings us closer to the fundamental principles of leadership in extreme situations. Let yourself be captivated by intense images and videos and <discover how the lessons of the sea can guide us in the AI era.