The future of work is changing fast. Leaders are navigating rapid advances in technology, shifting workforce expectations, and constant uncertainty. In this environment, organisations need more than predictions. They need practical frameworks to understand the skills that will shape leadership, performance, and resilience.
That’s why the Skills Horizon 2026 report is an essential resource for business leaders, HR teams, and event organisers planning for what’s next. Developed by Sydney Executive Plus and The University of Sydney, the Skills Horizon 2026 helps organisations make sense of emerging skills and capability priorities in a world defined by complexity.
At Saxton, we’re proud to represent Saxton Exclusive Speakers Dr Sandra Peter and Dr Kai Riemer, the experts behind the Skills Horizon. Their work helps audiences move beyond hype and focus on the real skills needed to lead well through change.
What is the Skills Horizon 2026?
The Skills Horizon is a practical skills and leadership framework designed to support capability-building in organisations. The report describes the need for new skills to navigate what it calls a “messy future”, where leaders must respond to ambiguity, disruption, and fast-moving change.
The Skills Horizon is structured into three key zones that make it easy to apply:
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Productive Skills: These are things you need to know now. The critical skills that should be acquired or honed immediately; baseline capabilities you need for successful ongoing management and leadership.
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Developmental Range: Skills to start building in the near future. This is what you need to learn next. Developing these skills will prepare you for near-term opportunities and risks.
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Emerging Skills: This is where you need to explore. You should consider these for the longer term because they could be gamechangers.
For organisations, the Skills Horizon 2026 can support strategy, leadership development, learning and development (L&D) planning, and future workforce capability discussions. It’s designed to provide clarity and direction, helping leaders prioritise what matters most.
Who are Dr Sandra Peter and Dr Kai Riemer?
Sandra Peter and Kai Riemer are Co-Directors of Sydney Executive Plus at the University of Sydney, and leading thinkers on leadership, technology, artificial intelligence, and the future of work.
As keynote speakers, Sandra and Kai are known for delivering sharp, insightful sessions that help leaders understand how emerging technologies (including AI) are changing decision-making, leadership expectations, trust, and organisational performance. Their ideas are grounded in research and designed to be used, not just admired.
Saxton is proud to represent Sandra Peter and Kai Riemer exclusively, making it easy for organisations to bring their insights into conferences, corporate events, leadership off-sites, and strategy sessions.
What leaders and executives need to know next: the Skills Horizon keynote
In their keynote “What Leaders & Executives Need to Know Next: Future Shifts, Future Skills, and… Four Blobs?”, Sandra Peter and Kai Riemer translate the Skills Horizon 2026 into a clear and engaging experience for leadership and executive audiences.
The session begins with a simple reality. The next ten years will be deeply disorienting for leaders, but they can also be the most impactful with the right skills and mindset.
Drawing on conversations with more than 150 global leaders, Sandra and Kai explore how leadership is changing and what this means for organisations navigating ongoing disruption. Audiences are guided through the five messy shifts shaping our world, the four leadership clashes leaders must balance, and the 35 essential skills needed to lead through the decade ahead.
A highlight of the keynote is the introduction of the Four Blobs, which show where skills converge and overlap, helping leaders understand what future-ready capability really looks like.
Key takeaways
Audiences leave with clarity on the skills they need to develop and the habits they need to unlearn, insight into emerging risks and opportunities, and a practical framework to guide leadership development, upskilling, and workforce capability planning.
Why the Skills Horizon matters for leaders and organisations
For many teams, the idea of “future skills” can feel broad, overwhelming, or hard to translate into action. The Skills Horizon 2026 report offers a clearer way forward.
It helps organisations:
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Align leadership teams on what capability priorities matter most
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Build a shared language around skills, change, and resilience
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Strengthen workforce planning and leadership development strategies
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Support decision-making in uncertain environments
This is especially valuable for organisations investing in leadership capability, navigating transformation, or building AI readiness across teams.
Book Sandra Peter and Kai Riemer for your next event
A report can spark conversations. A keynote can create momentum and action.
If you want your audience to leave with clarity on the future of work and the skills leaders need to succeed, book Sandra Peter and Kai Riemer for your next:
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Leadership conference
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Corporate event or internal keynote
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Strategy day or executive offsite
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HR, L&D, or People & Culture event
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Customer or industry forum
As Saxton Exclusive Speakers, Sandra and Kai can help your organisation understand what’s changing, what matters most, and how to lead effectively in a complex future.
Enquire now to book Sandra Peter and Kai Riemer through Saxton.
