Aaron Sherwood
Industry X.0 Analyst at Accenture
Aaron Sherwood is the Human X.0 Founder and Industry X.0 Consulting Analyst at Accenture. Aaron is dedicated to the advancement of ethical, next-generation, human-machine augmentation technologies which promise to radically transform all corners of industry - ensuring that the benefits are equitably spread across society. Aaron is a keynote speaker and an active voice on Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Aarons purpose is simple; championing positive mental resilience and driving a workplace where everybody feels empowered to put up their hand and ask for help when they are suffering from mental ill health. Through LinkedIn and his work in professional services, he actively shares his journey overcoming PTSD.
In addition to Aaron being voted Accenture’s ‘UK/I Best Newcomer’ in 2019’, Aaron works with clients applying expertise in design thinking, enterprise agility, business process analysis, project management and change management with a variety of clients in industries including Pharma, Commercial Travel, Aerospace & Defence and FMCG
Tell us about your background and how you developed your social media influence?
Having been diagnosed with PTSD in 2015, I wanted to share my story by empowering others to put their hand up when they are going through tough times. I do this through my work on LinkedIn, Twitter and professional conferences.
What are the key topics you’re most passionate about?
I’m most passionate about new, emerging, human-machine augmentation technologies (including wearable, implantable and ingestible technologies) which promise to radically transform industry. I’m also particularly vocal in the space of mental and physical health, IoT and ‘connected humans’.
Which influencers influence you within those key topics?
Hannes Sjoblad, Amanda Sturgeon, Simon Sinek
What is your social media routine? Do you have any daily habits that you’d recommend?
I use social media platforms as an excellent source of news. I like to stay connected with a global network of like-minded individuals so I tend to use quite a few platforms to enable this
Do you receive any support or encouragement from your organization?
I have an incredibly supportive network of colleagues who inspire me every day to be the very best version of myself. I feel fully empowered to put forth my thought leadership and know that there are leaders in our business who help bring them to life. Before joining the organisation I currently work for, I had a limited understanding of personal branding and social media and how it can do wonders for growing your personal and professional network. At first, I had a case of imposter syndrome in the back of my mind. In my mind, I worried what people might think of a 24-year-old, talking passionately on topics that others have spent their entire lifetime specialising in. However, I believe if you have ideas worth sharing then you should just go for it. When I post on social media, I often feel a mix of emotions, because you never really know whether the content you produce is going to resonate with the audience, and arguably, I’m still trying to build that ‘audience’. Either way, I think it’s an incredible position to be in to be deemed a subject matter expert and provide content that inspires others.
What motivates you to post on social media?
As many of my close friends know, besides technology, I absolutely love tropical plants (in fact, my London apartment has turned into something of a jungle). These plants can be demanding and require very specific conditions to thrive, but either way there’s always a degree of trial and error. I’m still working out what does and doesn’t work on social media and there’s always going to be a risk that what you post isn’t going to catch the eye of the audience, but I’ve begun to take an interest in what content resonates the most and focus on that. I’m not too formulaic with my social media habits either. I just make sure that I post frequently and focus on the quantity. I also have a lot of fun doing it as well – and that’s super important.
What do you feel was your breakthrough moment?
Being invited as a speaker at This Can Happen 2019