Peter Williams

Peter Williams is recognised as a global thought leader on innovation and the use of online technologies and is one of Australia's most sought-after guest speakers on social media and digital strategy. He is recognised as one of Australia's leading thinkers and practitioners in the area of innovation, technology commercialisation, and all things Web, as well as being one of the best-known Australian CEOs on Twitter. A Chartered Accountant by background, Pete moved into the online space in 1993.

Pete is CEO of Deloitte Digital and Chairman of the Deloitte Innovation council. Prior to his role in Deloitte Digital, Peter was CEO of the Eclipse Group, previously known as one of Australia's largest Web development companies.

Recently, Pete was made an adjunct professor of RMIT University and has been described by media outlets as "a full-time champion of the Web and all things socially networked" and "Deloitte Digital internet god (or maybe Mick Jagger's illegitimate lovechild, we can't quite decide yet)."

Pete has been featured in books such as Empowered by Josh Bernoff and As One by Mehrdad Baghai and James Quigley, and he recently authored Sitepoint's latest release, Web Design Business Kit.

Pete's articles have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times (U.K.), The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian, the Australian Financial Review, BRW, and many others. Pete has also appeared on Sky Business News, Channel Nine, and the ABC, in addition to the 2010 Knowledge Cities World Summit, Battle of the Big Thinkers, and TEDxCanberra as a keynote speaker.

Pete has worked with a number of high-profile clients such as the Carlton Football Club, BHP, Telstra, AFL, NAB, ANZ, Google, Microsoft, Yammer, and the Federal and Victorian Governments, and is also a board member of Circus Oz and Emue Technologies Pty Ltd.

Social media was central to how Peter was able to have a huge impact during the black Saturday bushfires, and then also how he supported the town of Flowerdale during the recovery. This included using Twitter for real-time updates, attracting support and donations of goods and services, and blogging the progress of Flowerdale. In recognition of his extensive work in this area, he recently won a Forrester Groundswell award from Forrester Media (the first of its kind to be awarded outside of the United States) for best use of social media for social change.

Forty-eight hours after the devastating floods hit Brisbane, Pete launched floodaid.com.au to connect those in need with those who could help; he promoted the site using only his social-media network. Twenty-four hours after the horrific earthquakes in New Zealand, Pete again used his social network to launch quakeaid.co.nz.