Keynote Speakers

Jeff Utecht will give the Friday General Session keynote at the 2027 Wisconsin State Education Convention on Jan. 22, 2027, in Milwaukee. The author, keynote speaker and consultant is a recognized thought leader on the future of work, artificial intelligence and human-centered leadership.

Over the past 25 years, Utecht has worked as a classroom teacher, instructional leader, international school administrator, consultant and entrepreneur. His career has taken him from public schools in Washington to international schools across Asia and the Middle East, and into leadership conversations with school systems, government agencies and organizations around the world.

Today, Utecht works with educational leaders, business executives and organizational teams navigating one of the most significant shifts in modern history: the convergence of artificial intelligence and changing human expectations about work, learning, leadership and culture.

Utecht is the author of “Human Still Required: Leading Schools—The Work Machines Can’t Do” and “The Next Turn: Work, AI, and Human Expectations.” His work focuses on helping leaders understand what remains uniquely human in an increasingly automated world and how organizations can build trust, judgment, creativity and adaptability into their cultures.

Utecht has supported hundreds of organizations, presented to audiences around the globe, contributed to AI guidance initiatives at the state level, and continues to help leaders make sense of rapid change through practical strategies and meaningful conversations.

Based in Seattle, Wash., Jeff believes the future belongs to organizations that learn how to combine technological capability with human wisdom.