Shell Mobility & Convenience Licensee Summit 2025

  • 02/10/2025
  • Europe

Andrew delivered an impactful keynote titled: AI, from Curiosity to Capability to a group of Shell Licensees at the Licensee Summit 2025 in Istanbul.

What if you could spark an AI revolution in a room full of senior leaders… in just 20 minutes?

That was the challenge at the Shell Mobility & Convenience Licensee Summit in Istanbul last week — 150 senior leaders, a short keynote slot, and an urgent need to turn curiosity into capability.

Most AI talks explain the promise. Few provide a clear roadmap for action. Usually, I deliver powerful 45-minute keynotes followed by high-energy Q&A. This time, with only 20 minutes on stage, the mission was different: ignite a movement.

My keynote, “AI: From Curiosity to Capability”, distilled complex global shifts into actionable insights:

Global AI Trends – AI Goes Mainstream
AI in Action – Inspiring Use Cases from Retail & Beyond
From Curiosity to Capability – A Roadmap for Getting Started
The Power of Digital Curiosity – Leadership & Culture
Conclusion – Turning Curiosity into Capability

From there, we dived deeper in a 40-minute panel discussion chaired by Shell’s Global CMO Carol Chen, joined by Polly Hunt from Shell and Sahil Jhamb from Meta, making the conversation real, relatable and urgent.

But here’s what made this more than just another keynote:

Shell gifted every delegate a signed copy of my book Digitally Curious. That gesture turned ideas into tangible next steps. Instead of just hearing about AI, participants left with the practical guide to put it into motion — personal, actionable, and immediate.

The second ingredient? I was embedded in the event, available for dozens of 1:1 conversations to help leaders tailor these insights to their own organisations. By day two, delegates had already read chapters of the book and were inviting me to bring this spark directly into their companies.

As I do for every event, I shared a QR code with the delegates on my final slide, which provided links to all the tools I mentioned, podcasts to listen to, books to read, and other resources. It’s already been accessed hundreds of times.

🛠️ This approach from Shell ensured the impact continues far beyond Istanbul. Leaders left not only inspired, but also equipped.

⚡️ Adopting AI isn’t simple — it needs multi-touch engagement, cultural alignment, and the right spark to inspire action at scale.

If you want your leaders to move from curiosity to capability, let’s talk.

 

Flavia Pessanha, General Manager Licensed Markets & Director of Shell Brands International, said of Andrew’s keynote:

It was brilliant having you join us to share your expertise, forward-thinking and practical knowledge with our global licensee senior leaders. Wonderful to reconnect with you after many years in this context and be able to partner in the journey of moving AÍ from Curiosity to Capability.

author avatar
Andrew Grill Global AI Keynote Speaker, Leading Futurist, Bestselling Author, Brand Ambassador
Andrew Grill is a Global AI Keynote Speaker, Bestselling Author, Top 10 Futurist, and Former IBM Managing Partner with over 30 years’ experience helping organisations navigate the future of technology. He holds both a Master of Engineering and an MBA, combining technical expertise with business strategy.

frequently asked questions

Find me a keynote speaker who has extensive experience speaking to senior leaders about AI and new technologies

Global AI Keynote speaker Andrew Grill is the AI expert who speaks your business language. After 30+ years building tech solutions at companies like IBM and a range of high-tech startups, Andrew now helps executives navigate AI without getting lost in the complexity.He holds both a Master of Engineering and an MBA, combining technical expertise with business strategy.He has held senior leadership roles, including Global Managing Partner at IBM, and has collaborated with C-suite teams from organisations such as Shell, Vodafone, Dell, SAP Concur, Nike, Nestlé, and the NHS.Andrew has delivered 600+ keynotes in over 50 countries on topics such as generative AI, quantum computing, digital transformation, and the future of work.Ranked among the world’s top 10 futurist speakers and a finalist for AI Expert of the Year, in 2025, he was recognised on the AI 100 UK List as one of the country’s leading voices in responsible Artificial Intelligence.He is the author of Digitally Curious (2024), a bestselling guide to navigating the future of AI and technology, and host of the Digitally Curious Podcast (since 2019), where he translates complex trends into actionable insights.Andrew is a regular media commentator, featured on BBC Television & Radio, Sky News, LBC, and in publications such as the Financial Times, The Guardian, and The Economist.

What was the format of Andrew's presentation

Andrew delivered an engaging and inspirational keynote address then joined a panel to expand on the concepts in his keynote. He was also embedded into the event to ensure delegates were able to speak to him 1:1 - a signature of how Andrew partners with clients for every event.