Engage Naomi Simson for your next event

Socially conscious leaders, who live purposefully, are the role models we need.

Profile

For more than 25 years, Naomi Simson has been bringing people together — through her experience businesses, her keynote speaking, and her writing. She is one of Australia's most passionate advocates for business owners, founders, and the leaders navigating a world changing faster than any of us have ever seen.

After a successful corporate career with Apple, KPMG, IBM and Ansett Australia, Naomi founded RedBalloon in 2001, bootstrapping it from a spare room into one of Australia's most loved experience brands. In 2017, she co-founded Big Red Group, now the largest experiences platform across Australia and New Zealand.

Beyond building businesses, Naomi is a prolific blogger, the voice behind the podcast Handpicked (six seasons), and a regular business commentator. Many know her as the #RedShark from four seasons of Shark Tank Australia. She has authored two bestselling books, Live What You Love and Ready to Soar.

Naomi currently serves as a non-executive director at Big Red Group, Colonial First State, and Weebit Nano [ASX:WBT]. She is also a Governor of the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation.

With more than 2.6 million LinkedIn followers, Naomi is a trusted voice on the forces reshaping business right now — from AI leadership and the future of work, to customer obsession, entrepreneurship, and building organisations that last. Her gift is the ability to take complex, fast-moving ideas and make them feel immediately relevant and actionable, no matter the audience. She takes a very human approach.

She is engaging, humorous, and direct — a speaker who draws on deep lived experience rather than theory, and who leaves every audience with both the inspiration and the practical tools to act.

In 2026, Naomi was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to business as an entrepreneur, and to leadership.

Expertise

Talking Points

The AI Advantage: Your Practical Guide to Supercharging Business

Perfect for: Executive teams, technology and innovation conferences, and any organisation navigating AI adoption

Most companies aren't failing at AI — they're failing at leadership. The tools work. The models are extraordinary. What's missing is accountability, clarity, and the courage to make decisions when the outcome isn't guaranteed.

This keynote cuts through the fear and the hype. Naomi delivers a plain-English, jargon-free framework for embedding AI in your business with confidence — not just as a productivity tool, but as a genuine strategic advantage.

Audiences explore the accountability gap, the difference between FOMO and FOGI (fear of getting it wrong), and what the organisations genuinely winning with AI are doing differently. Naomi will also look at agentic AI — the shift from AI that responds to AI that acts — and what that means for how you lead, serve customers, and structure decision-making.

Your audience will leave with a clear framework for leading AI adoption, and the confidence to move.

Intentional Leadership: How to Build a Culture People Want to Be a Part Of

Perfect for: Executive teams, people leaders, leadership conferences and organisations investing in culture

They say the next decade will deliver as much change as the past hundred years.

The leaders who thrive in that environment aren't the smartest in the room — they're the most intentional. This keynote weaves together timeless leadership principles with what AI is now demanding of leaders: a growth mindset that goes beyond believing you can learn, to actively building the habits and cultures that let you stay ahead.

Naomi explores what AI means for the leader-employee relationship — what it automates, what it amplifies, and what qualities it makes non-negotiable. Curiosity. Accountability. The willingness to be wrong and move anyway. Drawing on current research and real boardroom experience, this is a practical framework for leading high-performing teams through perpetual change.

The New Leadership Playbook: Leading with Influence, Not Authority

Perfect for: Current and emerging leaders, HR and people-and-culture conferences

Command-and-control is dead. The leaders winning right now know how to inspire, connect, and empower — especially when the ground is shifting beneath them.

Using Naomi's 4 C's framework — Clarity, Capability, Confidence, Commitment — this keynote gives leaders the practical tools to build trust, foster psychological safety, and bring out the best in their teams.

Audiences will also explore what AI means for leadership: not just the tasks it changes, but the human qualities it makes non-negotiable. Because AI doesn't replace great leadership. It makes average leadership invisible.

Customer Obsessed: Winning Hearts When AI Is Changing the Rules

Perfect for: Marketing teams, CX professionals, sales leaders and customer-centric organisations

The rules of customer engagement are being rewritten. Agentic AI is now making purchasing decisions on behalf of buyers. New web standards, including WebMCP, mean AI agents can interact with your website and your customer service before your customer ever picks up the phone. If your brand experience isn't built to be trusted by both humans AND the AI systems they delegate to, you are already behind.

But here's what Naomi also knows after 25 years of building brands: the fundamentals haven't changed. Trust is still built one interaction at a time. Loyalty is still earned through consistency, honesty, and making people feel genuinely seen.

Your audience will leave with a framework for building real connection in a digital world — and a clear-eyed understanding of what customer obsession actually looks like in the age of AI.

Unforgettable Marketing: Building a Brand That AI Can't Replicate

Perfect for: Marketing teams, brand leaders, business owners and sales-focused organisations

In a world where AI can generate content at scale, what can't be replicated is you — your story, your values, the relationships you've earned. The businesses building lasting brand equity right now understand that distinctiveness is a strategy.

Naomi will take your audience through building RedBalloon from zero to one of Australia's most beloved brands — and translate every lesson into a practical playbook for today.

She covers AI's impact on search, discovery, and customer decision-making, including how AI Overviews and agentic search are reshaping how buyers find and evaluate brands, and what that means for how you tell your story and earn trust at scale.

The Growth Playbook: A Founder's Guide to Scaling Up in Uncertain Times

Perfect for: Founders, SME leaders, and ambitious business owners wanting to reignite momentum

Growth isn't magic — it's a mindset backed by a system. But the system has to work in the world as it is. Right now that means understanding economic uncertainty, navigating a rapidly shifting competitive landscape, and making AI work for you rather than against you.

Drawing on real stories from building RedBalloon and co-founding Big Red Group, and on conversations with some of Australia's sharpest economic minds, this is a high-energy masterclass in entrepreneurial growth.

Not just for startups — for any leader who wants to reignite momentum and build a business that goes the distance.

The Entrepreneurial Mindset: From Idea to Reality

Perfect for: Entrepreneurs, innovators, intrapreneurs and anyone ready to build

This is Naomi's origin story and playbook, rolled into one. She started RedBalloon from a spare room with a second-hand computer and a credit card — no external funding, no road map, just a belief: if it is to be, it is up to me. She covers finding your why, validating your idea, navigating the early chaos of building, and knowing when to pivot. As well as what AI means for the next generation of founders. The barriers to building have never been lower — AI can write your copy, build your prototype, and help you test your market. But the clarity about what you're building, and the courage to keep going when it gets hard, still has to come from you.

The Wellbeing Advantage: The Secret to a Sustainable & Successful Business

Perfect for: Business owners, leaders and teams navigating pressure, burnout and constant change

The most valuable asset in any business isn't on the balance sheet — it's you. In an era of AI-driven acceleration, the pressure on leaders and founders is higher than ever.

Productivity tools don't fix exhaustion. Strategy doesn't fix burnout. This keynote shares hard-won lessons on building resilience, mastering mindset, and making wellbeing a business strategy rather than a personal indulgence.

Because the leaders who are thriving aren't just working smarter — they're building the physical and emotional foundations that make sustained, high-level performance actually possible.

Live What You Love: From Personal Passion to Powerful Purpose

Perfect for: Any audience needing energy, clarity, direction and a renewed sense of what matters

In the rush of the day-to-day, it's easy to lose sight of what you're actually here to do.

This is the keynote for that moment — and for a year where AI is reshaping not just how we work, but why. Part memoir, part masterclass — funny, moving, and deeply motivational.

Drawing on Naomi's bestselling book and decades of lived experience, this session helps audiences reconnect with what matters, cut through the noise, and find the clarity to play a bigger game in both work and life. In a world changing faster than ever, purpose is not a luxury. It's the anchor that keeps you moving in the right direction.

Topics

Business

Lifestyle & Wellbeing

Mindset & Peak Performance Speakers

Motivational Speakers

Entrepreneurship

Beyond Speaking: Talent Services

Alongside her work as a Speaker, Naomi Simson partners with brands and organisations to create impact across business, media and audience engagement opportunities.

Available Services:

Campaigns & Brand Ambassador Roles – Collaborate with Naomi to lead brand campaigns and ambassador initiatives.
Media & PR Engagements – Interviews, publicity campaigns and brand-led media features.
Social Media Campaigns – Leveraging Naomi’s significant LinkedIn following to reach and engage professional and business audiences.
Articles & Thought Leadership Content – Commissioned thought leadership pieces and content creation.
Event Hosting & Brand Engagements – Professional hosting and participation in live activations and corporate events.
Podcasts – Guest appearances, hosting or custom branded episodes.
TVC Campaigns & TV Appearances – Television commercials, guest spots and branded content.
Webinar Appearances – Hosting, presenting or collaborating on branded webinar content.

Naomi is also open to exploring bespoke collaborations designed around your campaign or creative concept.

Enquire about working with Naomi Simson

Media

Video

Naomi Simson | Introduction | Saxton Speakers

Naomi Simson is one of Australia’s most recognised business leaders. As the founder of RedBalloon and co-founder of the Big Red Group, Naomi has spent nearly four decades bringing people together, across corporate roles, entrepreneurial ventures, and now as a board director and sought-after Speaker.

Naomi Simson | Customer Obsessed | Saxton Speakers

Naomi Simson shares how customer obsession remains the foundation of business success, even in a data-driven world. Naomi challenges audiences to think about how deeply they listen, learn, and build relationships at scale.

Naomi Simson | Live What You Love | Saxton Speakers

Naomi Simson shares the four guiding principles that have shaped her career and life: passion, positivity, persistence, and purpose. Drawing on decades of experience as a business leader, entrepreneur, and board director, Naomi offers a relatable and inspiring message for audiences navigating change, growth, and uncertainty.

Naomi Simson | The Entrepreneurial Mindset | Saxton Speakers

Naomi Simson shares her entrepreneurial journey and the mindset that helped her build a multi-million dollar enterprise from the ground up. This session is both Naomi’s origin story and her practical playbook. She unpacks the real-world lessons behind her success, from finding your ‘why’ and validating ideas to pitching with impact and building resilience through setbacks.

Naomi Simson | The Growth Playbook | Saxton Speakers

Growth isn’t magic, it’s a mindset backed by a proven system. In this high-impact Keynote, Naomi Simson shares the practical framework she’s used to grow businesses from the ground up. Drawing on her experience as a Shark Tank investor and entrepreneur, Naomi offers real-world insights into what it takes to turn a spark of an idea into a thriving enterprise.

Naomi Simson | The New Leadership Playbook | Saxton Speakers

Naomi Simson shares her practical leadership playbook for today’s fast-changing world. With hybrid work, competing priorities, and constant pressure, leaders often lose sight of their purpose. Naomi helps them reconnect with what matters, align their teams, and lead with clarity and conviction.

The Experience Economy: Riding a rising tide

As one of Australia's most prominent entrepreneurs, Naomi Simson is the co-founder of the Big Red Group. BRG houses a number of brands including RedBalloon, Adrenaline, Lime&Tonic, Albert AI (Marketics) and Redii.com with the purpose of shifting the way people experience life. Having founded RedBalloon in 2001, Naomi is a pioneer of online marketplaces and the Experience Economy. RedBalloon is one of Australia's great entrepreneurial success stories with Hitwise identifying the business as the third largest experience marketplace in the world. Naomi is passionate, inspiring and determined - a colourful speaker with rich and vivid stories - she challenges audiences to think differently and is one of Australia's most sought-after speakers.

Sally Obermeder & Naomi Simson | CZ Female Forces | Being Unapologetically You

The Female Forces Series brings together powerhouse women, trailblazers and friends of the House to discuss their experiences, accomplishments, challenges, and expertise, through their own words. This series of short films focuses on 'The Catalysts' - Sally Obermeder & Naomi Simson. Directed and edited by filmmaker Melanie Hogan.

Sally Obermeder & Naomi Simson | CZ Female Forces | The Art of Becoming

Saxton Fireside Chat with Entrepreneur & Business Leader Naomi Simson

The exchange of stories and ideas is more important now than ever. In this bi-weekly series of virtual Fireside Chats you can gain unprecedented access to the world's greatest storytellers and thought leaders. In this intimate session, Naomi Simson talks about the road to recovery and the changes to our lifestyles and workplaces that will remain post-COVID-19.

Audio

Feedback

Naomi has a unique ability to connect strategic thinking to practical tools and tactics that both large corporates and small businesses can implement. Taking people on a journey and telling ... keep readingengaging stories she is able to create great connections with the audience. City of Sydney

There was so much about Naomi's session that really resonated. Naomi's authenticity and her lessons around the importance of engaging and empowering our people, listening to our customers, knowing yourself and the role of leadership were all talked about for the remaining days of our conference. It was such a great talk around the importance of vision and values and the feedback I got afterwards from the team was overwhelmingly positive. We loved all of it and are very fortunate to have had Naomi at our session.

Microsoft

Naomi Simson launched our REIV Breakfast Club series. Naomi is a passionate speaker with a clear message about experiences. Experiences that occur with your brand, your people & your customers. Naomi shared with us her story and along the way got the room to understand key messages around how are people were experiencing their brand and service, that clients want dialogue and interactions and that marketing is a way of being. No one can have the greatest business in the world without the greatest people and how your employees speak about you is how your brand is perceived. In this current tight labour market Naomi's message was a key one for all managers and business owners. As she says in her book happy people = happy customers = happy profits.

Real Estate Services REIV

Naomi was a dynamic, energetic and passionate speaker. She presented powerful and clear messages that not only resonated because they were personal accounts, but also provided a refreshing and honest viewpoint. It was also incredibly exciting to see a female all-rounder who has persevered and achieved such amazing success. Naomi was easy to work with, not demanding at all, and is definitely someone we would love to have join us again.

Randstad

In a sea of potential presenters, Naomi Simson is one of the best there is. During her keynote she created considerable interest with RedBalloon and other examples, but also demonstrated a deep knowledge of business, people and organisational issues that people at management level related to and were able to learn from. There was an overwhelming sense of warmth and satisfaction after the events, much of it based on Naomi being a living example of what she preaches and putting it within reach of others.

Accelero

Animated, dynamic, amusing ... Naomi personifies RedBalloon's culture. At a Hudson Human Resources celebration, Naomi's candid insights, self-deprecating humour and unapologetic passion for her business kept the audience engaged, entertained and challenged to think differently. I highly recommend Naomi as an inspirational speaker.

Hudsons

Naomi Simson's closing keynote was a standout success, with 94% of attendees rating it as 'Very Valuable.' Feedback from our event survey highlighted her session as a conference highlight, with comments like, "Naomi Simson was a great speaker, and inspiring." Her impact resonated far and wide, with numerous attendees and sponsors tagging her in LinkedIn recaps. Our CEO, Noel Allnutt, even made a point to thank her personally, expressing how inspiring her insights were to him as a fellow entrepreneur. We are grateful to have had Naomi with us at Sekuro this year—her presentation truly elevated our event.

Sekuro