Gus Balbontin

Gus Balbontin is an unconventional thinker with a practical mindset, who helps individuals and organisations challenge assumptions, embrace change, and build with intention.

Whether on stage or in boardrooms, Gus’s message is clear: focus on what you can control today to prepare for whatever the future brings. Often called an 'alternative futurist', Gus doesn’t claim to predict what’s ahead, he helps you prepare for it.

Born and bred in wild Patagonia, Gus Balbontin never allowed his small town and humble beginnings to get in the way of his big dreams. With a healthy disrespect for authority and a severe case of FOMO (fear of missing out), Gus arrived in Australia at the young age of 17. By the age of 22, he had dropped out of university, hitchhiked around South America, set up his first business and landed his dream job at travel publisher Lonely Planet. Fast forward a few years and he was leading the company globally, working with companies such as Google X, Nokia and Amazon on the latest technology, creative cultures and high performing teams.

Seeking a change from corporate life, he left his role as Executive Director and CTO of Lonely Planet and decided to move back to his entrepreneurial roots, becoming an investor, founder and mentor across the start-up ecosystem in Australia. Gus loves sharing a story and knowing his stories make a difference to people in their own business and life.