Andy Cohen

Andy Cohen is the Chief Assumption Officer of Andy Cohen Worldwide, a global advisory firm helping multinational companies think differently and make better decisions. They’ve help American Express, Bloomberg, FOX, HSBC, L’Oreal, , Nestle, Novartis, Pfizer and other global brands change the way they lead, market and innovative….one assumption at a time.

Andy is a popular and recognized TEDx speaker, author and international thought-leader.

In his former life, Andy founded Exposed Brick, an award winning agency that blended brand with direct marketing. Clients include American Express, Clorox, Club Med, Invesco and Time Warner. He is a recipient of a Gold EFFIE, an award given to creative ideas that drive record-breaking sales.

Between engagements, Andy teaches at some of the world’s most respected universities including New York University, Cornell University, Duke Fuqua School of Business, Duke Corporate Education, Stern School of Business, the Indian School of Business, the Qatar Leadership Center and the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business.

Follow the Other Hand, Andy’s first book, was nominated by The New York Times and it has been translated into multiple languages. He is working on his new book entitled, “The Assumpt!”.

Challenge Your Assumptions and Change Your World: Turn Your Assumptions Into Opportunities

“It can’t be done”. “The client will never buy it”. “This is not the way we do it around here”. “It’ll never work.” These are samples of the hundreds of the assumptions that act as barriers to change and growth. Yet these same assumptions can be turned around to create new opportunities, drive better solutions and smarter decisions.

The process for doing this is called “The Assumpt!

The Assumpt! is an innovative and hands on way of thinking for successfully managing assumptions instead of assumptions managing you.

This keynote helps organizations and its people identify the unseen assumptions that stand in the way of success and then provide the tools to turn those dangerous assumptions into Assumpts! that enhance their ability to lead teams, boost sales and launch new product successes.

Challenge Your Cyber Assumptions, Change Your Cyber World

When you move from the physical to the digital world, the rules change. Unfortunately, it’s human nature to assume that they stay the same. This directly affects an organization’s ability to make faster, better decisions in cyber security. This dynamic keynote explores how within every cyber decision lies an assumption. Based on Andy Cohen’s new book, Challenge Your Assumptions, Change Your World, he provides the mechanisms for learning how to identify potentially dangerous assumptions that act as barriers to security and turn those same assumptions into opportunities to adapt, innovate and defend. This talk provides the tools that allows CEOs, CIOs, Senior Engineers and Team Leaders to move out of their comfort zones, break through the status quo, and align their thinking to uncover key solutions in this new cyber frontier.

Follow The Other Hand – How to Pivot Your Product, Service or Team to Adapt, Change & Grow

We are living in an exponentially accelerating world in which the fundamentals of technology, business and society are shifting on a daily basis. To adapt and cope we are becoming increasing dependent on our assumptions to speed the decision making process and to keep things moving. The danger is when we treat those assumptions as truths rather than beliefs.

Bringing the Workforce Together: How to Successfully Integrate Generational and Other Differences

Countries have diplomats for a good reason; they act as mediators between two different cultures. Yet organizations often lack people who can act as ambassadors during times when different generations, divergent divisions, groups or teams are integrated.

Each group brings their own language and set of assumptions around their way of doing things. This generates tension, decreases productivity, and loss of morale.

The Assumpt! works with teams to identify and challenge the assumptions that stand in the way of successful integrations. Through personal stories, interactive experiences, business case histories and tools, organizations enhance their ability to “think differently,” resolve conflict and accept change.

Dealing with Uncertainty: How to Transform Biases From Danger into Opportunity

Despite the rising popularity and recognition that cognitive biases drive irrational behavior, they are integral parts of daily decision-making. Less practical help has been offered to overcoming their adverse impact in inhibiting profit, growth and alignment.

The key is to recognize cognitive bias as assumptions which when identified and managed can be turned into opportunities.

Now by combining the construct of The Assumpt! with insights from work identifying cognitive biases, a new framework for effective management has been developed to enhance an organization’s or individual’s ability to think differently and improve decisions under uncertainty.