Steph Hamill FRSA: CEO of MettaNoon | Best CEOs of 2021
Steph Hamill strives for #techforgood in our digital world and is a champion of creative innovation in human-centred technology and experience. As a creative solutions pioneer, Hamill has devoted her time to exploring socially conscious opportunities, creatively applying human-centred AI to Experience. Her ultimate mission? To inspire, solve challenges and support society through transformational solutions, trailblazing a new approach to unified capabilities.
“METTANOON IS INNOVATING through Sensory AI, amplifying multisensorial human-centred Experience.”
As MettaNoon CEO, Hamill co-built the boutique consultancy focusing on #SensoryAI and it is the world’s first #SensoryAI design company. At its core, MettaNoon combines AI, biometric data and human-centered design with creative innovation to develop high value products and services that solve live business and societal challenges. Hamill’s work sees her delivering solutions and products to ensure that businesses not only excel but that individuals experience added benefits, too. Additionally, Hamill ensured that MettaNoon leveraged cutting-edge international technology partners in its ecosystem, such as Voice award winners Say It Now, development superstars Dengun and IoT market leaders TeraCode.
Hamill’s journey into AI has been an unorthodox one. Hamill was a lead Experience Partner and Head of Creative, Brand and Digital Marketing for the consulting division of FTSE 250 company, Capita plc, one of the UK’s largest digital services, software and consultancy businesses with a US$4 billion turnover. Prior to that she was an agency creative director and consultant, and earlier in her career she worked for organisations including the BBC, ASOS, Turner-Time Warner, Havas, McCann and Razorfish.
It was while working in advertising that Hamill became interested in the role of human-centred digital experience. “I couldn’t stop thinking that a human-benefits first approach would make a bigger difference in people’s lives, and business successes rather than the ‘tech-function-first’ standard that we’d all become accustomed to.”
Because of this diverse experience she is now able to approach challenges from a synthesised perspective. Hamill combines conceptual thinking, human-behavioural and neuromarketing and science, innovative tech and brand development for transformational experience-centred output.
Working with one of the country’s top neuromarketing specialists transformed Hamill’s way of thinking from the usual prescriptive agency formulas and forced creative processes. In breaking away from those outdated techniques, Hamill collected other like-minded industry leader and pioneer support. As a result, Hamill feels she is finding ways to embrace these skills, tech developments and engage her network for the collective good.
Hamill notes that one person can make all the difference, simply by reframing the questions that we are asking. This is where #techforgood comes into its own: “One person with an idea, who harnesses the power of technology in a fresh, creative and innovative way can change the world,” states Hamill. And while Hamill acknowledges the ‘noise’ around AI, she believes that it “can be an extremely good thing but it is important to make sure that we’re humanising the experience. It’s no longer human vs. machine, our best future is human and machine.”
These practices have led Hamill to write her book, But What Does AI Mean For Me? which breaks down how AI impacts the everyday human experience. As she states: “It’s a completely different take on the subject from the typical AI tech tome and while I didn’t want to frighten people with the extreme blue-sky possibilities, the reality is we’ re a long way from anything overwhelming. The book cuts through the jargon and demystifies the subject.”
Hamill acknowledges that people often dwell on ‘the dark side’ of AI. “With every new technology, there are positives and negatives,” says Hamill. “This has been true throughout history and, if we don’t look back, we won’t have the appreciation and insights to move forward, positively. We must be respectful of technology and its advancements.”
Source: Industry Era Women Leaders
