The individual is the key to change: Thomas Barta to lead Mumbrella360 keynote
Thomas Barta will discuss how marketers can move beyond seeking permission to leading transformation
Mumbrella360 has unveiled global marketing leadership expert Thomas Barta as a keynote speaker for this year’s event, taking place from 26–28 May 2026, where he will present on the “Catalyst” theme that underpins this year’s conference.
Drawing on his latest research and insights from the Marketing Leadership Masterclass, Barta’s keynote will give delegates a framework to close the gap between knowing what needs to change and actually making it happen.
Built around the idea that “companies don’t create the future — people do”, the session will explore how breakthroughs are driven by individuals inside organisations.
Flying in from Germany, Barta, a former McKinsey partner, will discuss how marketers can move beyond seeking permission to leading transformation, and evolve from marketing experts into true catalysts for change.
He will also serve as chair of the Mumbrella Awards jury.
New sessions for Mumbrella’s flagship three-day event Mumbrella360 have also been unveiled, adding fresh perspectives on trust, creativity, AI, and leadership to the 2026 program.
These include: The Affection Experiment: A Live Lab on Connection, Courage, and What Brands People Actually Trust.
This will turn the conference floor into a live research lab, allowing delegates explore how trust, belonging, and courage are built in a changing marketing world.
Speaker Jet Swain will turn session into a working lab
Led by Jet Swain, founder of The Affection Economy, the session will encourage participants to co-create insights through live polling and discussion, mapping responses against the six clusters of what’s known as “The Affection Economy” to reveal how audiences define meaning and where brand intention meets experience.
Another newly announced session, The AI Collective: Disrupting the Creative Process or Redefining It?, explores how AI is transforming creativity, ideation, and team collaboration.
Vinne Schifferstein Vidal and Marie-Celine Merret, co-founders of MC&V Creative AI Production, demonstrate co-creation in action while tackling questions of ownership, originality, ethics, and authenticity in AI-driven content.
Completing the line-up, Redrawing Power: Lessons from Australia’s Executive Women shares insights from interviews with some of Australia’s most senior executive women.
Bianca Meek and Genevieve Reynolds, partners at Tenet Advisory & Investments, reveal how influence is built and exercised today, guiding attendees through soundbites, exercises, and live prompts to create a research-backed framework for defining their own personal power.
Mumbrella360 takes place from 26–28 May 2026 at Carriageworks Sydney.
