Ken Segall

Ken Segall is an advertising executive and the man who put the 'i' in iPad. He worked side-by-side with Steve Jobs for 12 years as Creative Director for Apple's advertising agency and was instrumental in seeing Apple grow from near bankruptcy to become the world's most valuable company.

To Steve Jobs, ‘simplicity' wasn't just a design principle. It was a religion and a weapon. The obsession with simplicity is what separates Apple from other technology companies. It's what helped Apple recover from near-death in 1997 to become the most valuable company on Earth in 2011, and guides the way Apple is organised, how it designs products, and how it connects with customers. It's by crushing the forces of complexity that the company remains on its stellar trajectory.

As Creative Director, Ken Segall played a key role in Apple's resurrection, helping to create such critical ad-campaigns as 'Think Different' which re-launched the brand in the 1990s and he came up with the 'i' - first attached to the iMac - before becoming synonymous with Apple's other key products, most notably and profitably the iPhone and iPad.

As an advertising executive by trade, Ken previously worked as a global creative director at Dell, IBM, Intel and BMW before joining Apple just after Steve Job's second spell in charge of the company.

Keynote business presentations by Ken Segall are as creative and inspired as the speaker himself. Travelling from the USA, Ken is sought-after across the globe for his witty yet clear, succinct and concise speeches where he reveals the key elements of simplicity that have driven Apple's success - which you can, and will, use to improve your own organisation. Ken also recounts his life at Apple, working with Steve Jobs and challenges everyone to think in the most simplistic terms on all aspects of business.

Ken Segall is also a regular media commentator on Apple's business and creativity, and the author of Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success.

Ken Segall offers a number of keynote speeches. The idea is simple: once your organisation understands how simplicity has guided Apple’s success, there’s no limit to how far you can go. Ken delivers this understanding with a mix of Apple insights and interesting stories about working with Steve Jobs.

Simplicity is the most powerful force in business. To most people, it’s obvious why Apple has become a global phenomenon: it makes amazing things amazingly simple. What’s less obvious is the reason why Apple is so good at it.

Thanks to Steve Jobs’ obsession, simplicity is the guideline for everything it does: innovating, organising, selling and communicating. The principles of simplicity can be embraced by anyone, and can be used to achieve extraordinary success.

Insanely Simple
Creating ads for Steve Jobs was exciting, intense, scary, empowering and fun. Most important, it was a learning experience. Ken witnessed firsthand how the love of simplicity can create better products, fanatic customers, and more fulfilled employees.

In this talk, Ken shines a light on the elements of simplicity that have driven the success of Apple and other companies, enabling them to outthink their competitors.

Ken has plenty of fascinating behind-the-scenes stories to share, all of which support his thesis: Simplicity is the most powerful force in business—and it’s something that any person or company can put to work today.

Inside Apple Advertising
Apple has long been the gold standard for advertising creativity, quality and effectiveness. That’s because Steve Jobs was as uncompromising in his ads as he was in his products.

Here, Ken will focus on some of Apple’s more famous advertising moments, taking the audience behind the scenes to understand the sometimes-crazy road from concept to air.

Ken shares stories about strategies, creative development and product. If great marketing is your quest, it helps to hear how some great campaigns were born.

Working the Steve Jobs Way
Steve was as advertised—difficult and sometimes brutal—but he was also one of the most effective business leaders in history.

It was a mix of talent and personality that allowed him to lead Apple from the brink of extinction to unimaginable success.

In this talk, Ken takes a closer look at Steve’s management style, illuminating principles that anyone can adopt to motivate employees, make better products and streamline complicated companies.

Branding the Steve Jobs Way
Steve Jobs believed that Apple’s most important asset was its brand.

He demanded that every product, every ad and every decision serve to enhance the brand. He knew that this was the key to attracting customers and keeping them loyal.

This talk focuses on how to build an amazing brand, Steve Jobs-style—how to focus, align the workforce, shun complexity and create a brand that only becomes more profitable over time.

My Right Foot
This is Ken’s most personal speech. It’s about finding a new way to succeed after suffering a spirit-crushing failure. For Ken, it was having to abandon his dream of becoming a successful drummer. He blames the failure on his right foot (long story), but he also credits this soul-sucking experience as the catalyst to finding a career that kindled an even greater passion inside.

Steve Jobs once said you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking back. The secret is being more fluid and adventurous about your future path, and learning to trust your “career DNA”—the fusion of your skills, dreams and passions.

That’s why Ken developed this presentation. It’s about turning weakness into strength, turning failure into success, turning chance into opportunity and maximising your chances of becoming who you want to be. Even if you have no idea what that is.

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Clients often ask about purchasing books for giveaways and delegate packs. Below you’ll find a selection of products by Ken Segall. Click the images to view on Amazon's website. For bulk orders, please speak with your Booking Agent.