Sheryl Connelly
- Global Consumer Trends Expert & One of Fast Company's Most Creative People In Business
Travels From
Michigan
How we will get from A to B in 2026 | TEDxMelbourneSalon
Futurist at Ford Motor Company | TEDxOaklandUniversity
Sheryl Connelly Speaker Biography
With the unique ability to translate how consumer and lifestyle trends will affect organizations across industry sectors, Sheryl Connelly outlines how to develop a futuring mindset, to act decisively in high-stakes business environments.
As a corporate futurist for more than a decade, Sheryl is skilled at identifying what’s coming around the corner and the potential influences on customer attitudes and behavioral patterns that directly impact business strategy. The in-house futurist at Ford Motor Company, Sheryl was twice named by Fast Company as one of its “100 Most Creative People in Business,” while TechWeek listed her among its “Top 100 Innovators”.
Her insights into what’s next help audiences understand how STEEP factors – social, technological, economic, environmental and political trends – will affect business in the short- and long-term.
From population growth to the proliferation of technology, to mindfulness and the tiny home movement, Sheryl’s big picture outlook ensures that organizational leaders recognize and take advantage of the trends that shape the way we live. With a perspective that will revolutionize your approach to long-term planning and strategy, Sheryl provides audiences with the insights necessary to thrive, innovate and remain relevant in our constantly evolving world.
Ten Trends that will Change the World
No one knows what the future holds, but it is imperative that every business plan ahead. Manager of Global Consumer Trends and Futuring for Ford Motor Company, Sheryl Connelly is an expert at recognizing future trends and staying ahead of them. In a compelling presentation that presents a dramatically different picture of the world in the next two decades, Connelly shares the ten trends she believes will change the world.
How to Think Like a Futurist
As the Manager of Global Consumer Trends and Futuring for Ford Motor Company, Sheryl Connelly often jokes that she doesn't use a crystal ball, or know the winning lottery numbers, but she does know how to interpret what's going to happen next in a fast-moving world, and how to take advantage of it. With an eye on the big picture, she looks at the "STEEP" factors - social, technological, economic, environmental and political trends - to help shape long term strategy. In a constantly changing marketplace, Connelly will help your organization understand the distinctive characteristics of different generations of consumers, learn how to overcome information addiction, and recognize trends that will become reality for the next two to 20 years.
Confessions of a Corporate Futurist: Trends That Will Impact Your Business
In this presentation, Ford's Sheryl Connelly shares her perspective as the brand's head of Global Consumer Trends and Futuring. With an increased focus on safety and ethical consumption and a surge in information sharing, consumers are letting others know what's really important to them and how they won't settle for anything less than the best. From the rising influence of women in determining marketplace offerings to the roles of children as the "Chief Technology Officers" of a family, Sheryl will shed light on how brands must adapt to emerging trends and consumer demands to stay relevant in today's ever-changing world.
