The Sweeney Agency

About Peter Balbus - Futurist and Speaker on Innovation and Technology:

Peter Balbus is a futurist and expert in technology commercialization. He delivers riveting presentations on harnessing the economic power of innovation. His knowledge comes from more than 25 years of helping clients define and achieve their business objectives by using accelerating the achievement of 'market-disrupting innovation'.

With an educational foundation in chemical engineering and the management of innovation learned while studying at MIT, Mr. Balbus has consistently focused on the commercialization of leading edge technologies with an emphasis on industrial and manufactured goods.

He has worked closely with a wide range of clients, focusing on how to accelerate the technology commercialization process with the optimal combination of public and private-sector investment, innovation, market and intellectual property mapping and strategy.

Prior to founding Pragmaxis, Peter held regional practice management and senior practitioner positions with leading global strategy consulting firms, including Booz Allen & Hamilton, CSC Index and KPMG Strategic Services.

He holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from M.I.T. and has completed the executive program in corporate strategy and finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

In addition to his consulting activities, Peter is also active in a number of volunteer and pro bono initiatives, including serving as founder and executive director for the Business Innovators Group – an international networking and thought leadership organization dedicated to promoting innovation as a key driver of business growth, profitability and sustainable competitive advantage. He is a frequent speaker, panelist and moderator of conferences and events related to technology innovation.

Peter is a past president of the MIT Enterprise Forum of Chicago and is currently a featured guest on the in-flight America’s Innovators program carried on the business audio channel of international and domestic America Airlines routes. His delivery is authentic, compelling and actionable because he doesn’t just write or talk about innovation – he’s been creating and commercializing innovation for over a quarter century, and has been directly involved in the launch of new products and new businesses whose revenues today exceed $1 billion annually.

What Peter Balbus Talks About:

Harnessing the Economic Power of Innovation
Done right – innovation can be a powerful approach for enhancing a company’s economic results and competitive position in its markets. Done wrong – innovation will give rise to expensive, distracting initiatives that generate little or no benefit to the organization. There are only four critical path items that a manger needs to focus on to ensure success in their innovation initiative. This presentation provides clear insights into what these four items are, what to watch out for as early-warning indicators of potential trouble ahead and what management needs to do unlock the power of innovation and harness its economic benefits.

How to Prosper During Tough Economic Times
Far too many companies are taking a passive wait-and-see attitude in the face of today’s challenging economic conditions, and somehow hoping to downsize their way to market leadership. Like lemmings, the vast majority of companies are following the herd, laying off their employees -- and surprise, surprise, finding that their customers (remember the laid-off employees?) don’t have money to spend anymore. Tough times call for innovative new ways of thinking and doing precisely because the old ways of thinking and doing are no longer working. This hard-hitting presentation provides an overview of several iconic companies who got their start doing past economic recessions and how they turned tough economic times to their advantage. Those same techniques can be readily applied by today’s existing companies to get a jump on their stagnant competitors and position themselves to be way ahead of the pack as economic conditions improve – as they always do.

Thinking Outside of the Box:Proven Techniques to Create and Sustain Profitability Through Innovation
Before a manager can challenge their organization -- or even themselves – to think outside of the box, they first have to be certain that they recognize what box they’re in to begin with. If they aren’t crystal-clear about where they are and certain about what an innovation-enhanced version of their business looks like, then any path will get them there – and it’s guaranteed to fail. Innovation management is not a mystical rite or creating bolt-of-lightning events. Methodical, proven techniques exist to identify where innovation is most likely to result in significant returns and how to approach implementing the right innovation management programs for your organization. Many companies over-reach with their innovation initiatives, setting the bar too high and demoralizing their employees in the process. Or perhaps worse, they implement dumbed-down best practices approaches and then are shocked when they don’t work within their environment. Advanced innovation management need not be risky, high-cost or complicated. Learn the 5 critical steps to thinking outside of the box and how to create the right innovation initiatives for your organization.