Brett Schklar

Brett Schklar is a leading AI-adoption futurist, founder of AI-First Leadership, and author of AI Without the BS. Known for cutting through hype and jargon, he helps executives replace uncertainty with clarity and action in an AI-driven world. His engaging style makes him a sought-after keynote speaker, offering leaders practical strategies to integrate artificial intelligence not as a side project, but as a central driver of growth and innovation. For Brett, the goal is simple: transform AI anxiety into opportunity, empowering CEOs and teams to lead with confidence in the age of Generation AI.

Brett’s career began at AT&T, where he advanced to Regional Internet Sales Manager and Product Marketing Manager, earning the prestigious Vice President’s Award for Excellence. His skill for aligning technology with customer needs propelled him into leadership roles at IBM Internet Security Systems, where as Director of Offer Management he oversaw the integration of services and achieved an extraordinary 300 per cent growth in managed security solutions within a year. He later joined Q1 Labs as Vice President of Product & Marketing, serving as employee number three and helping to secure over $18 million in financing, brand the company, and position it as a market leader recognised by Gartner and Forrester. At Vericept Corporation, Brett generated a 420 per cent ROI and $43 million in new pipeline revenue in just his first year.

An entrepreneur at heart, Brett went on to co-found Market Creation Group, where he served as Chief Marketing Officer and Managing Partner. Under his leadership, the firm grew to a team of 18, supported 230 clients, and celebrated 23 successful client exits. Twice ranked in the Denver Business Journal’s list of Fastest Growing Private Companies, the company was acquired in 2018. Brett was also recognised as one of Denver’s Forty under 40, earned the BMA B2B Best Practices Award, and contributed to the industry as Vice Chairman of SoftwareColorado and Adjunct Professor of MBA Marketing at the University of Denver. These milestones built the foundation for his authority as both practitioner and educator.

Today, Brett is best known for creating the AI-First Leadership framework, a practical roadmap built on over 1,000 hours of experimentation. He introduced the concept of “Return on AI (ROAI)” to help leaders shift from pilot projects to enterprise-level implementation. His book AI Without the BS, published in 2025, further cemented his reputation as one of the most trusted voices in executive AI adoption. Recent highlights include delivering a top-rated Vistage presentation with a 98 per cent recommendation rate, and speaking at the HSE AI Summit in London and the Rocky Mountain AI Interest Group. Combining humour, energy and clarity, Brett makes complex ideas simple, inspiring leaders to scale smarter, innovate faster and lead stronger in the AI-powered era.