Three ways to work with Michael.

Keynote

“The Human Agency Imperative: What the AI Age Demands of Business — and Why the Optimists Win”

Michael's signature keynote is built for audiences navigating genuine uncertainty about what AI means for their organizations, their industries, and their people. Not a technology briefing. A historically grounded, economically rigorous, and genuinely inspiring argument for a specific path forward — one that positions human agency not as a constraint on progress but as its engine.

Length

30–40 min + Q&A

Audiences

Industry conferences · Corporate all-hands · Trade associations

Sectors

Financial services · Fintech · Media · Healthcare · Professional services

Panel Moderation

“Hundreds of panels on the world's most demanding stages.”

Michael prepares deeply, asks the questions audiences actually want answered, and does not let participants disappear into talking points. He orchestrates conversations across panelists, turning disjointed perspectives into a coherent narrative journey. Particularly effective on panels that need real intellectual tension — where the goal is insight, not consensus — and sessions that mix technical experts with business leaders who need to understand each other.

Formats

Fireside (2-3) · Panel (3–5) · Roundtables/ workshops (up to 30)

Track record

Davos side stages · mega-event mainstages

Brings

Preparation · Curiosity · The journalist's follow-up

Event Hosting · Emcee

“Built one of the largest technology conferences in the world.”

Michael has spent years building and running major events, including as Chairman of CoinDesk's Consensus. He understands events from the inside: the flow of energy across a day, the transitions between sessions, the moments when an audience needs to be lifted and the moments when it needs to be focused. He can transition from emceeing ballroom-filled crowds to facilitating intimate problem-solving workshops. As host, he brings warmth, authority, and an intellectual thread that connects sessions into a coherent experience. He converts attendees into participants.

Best for

Full-day · Multi-day · Industry summits

Also

Gala events · Award ceremonies with substantive program

Experience

Consensus · RWA Summit · Digital Money Forum · Summit on Human Agency