The futureishuman™ names Heidrick & Struggles and Provantage Media as founding partners

Africa's boldest AI Accelerator, futureishuman™, announces two founding partners ahead of its inaugural event on 20-21 May 2026 at The Forum, Johannesburg. Heidrick & Struggles, the global leadership advisory firm, and Provantage, Africa's largest out-of-home media group. The two-day in-person programme teaches ambitious executives to build with AI, lead with AI, and understand the human forces behind AI change. Delegates leave with a custom AI Think Tank built in four hours using Claude Skills. Zero coding required.

Both founding partners back the same thesis: you can't buy AI capability, you have to build it in your people. 95% of AI adoption fails because tech is treated as the only lever. The futureishuman™ teaches executives to master the other two. Leading people through change and understanding the human forces that make or break AI transformation.

Why nowThe AI skills gap has arrived. Bain & Co forecasts a shortage of 1 million AI professionals by 2027. 68% of executives report moderate to extreme AI skills gaps. 85% of tech leaders have delayed AI projects because they cannot find the talent.

Amy Fane Hervey, Co-Founder, the futureishuman.ai™ and Founder of Architech Global comments, “The futureishuman™ was built on a single idea: the winners in the AI economy will not champion tech alone. AI depth is built across a much wider set of human and machine skills and capability must be built from within. Both Heidrick & Struggles and Provantage instantly understood this promise. Heidrick & Struggles brings the leadership. Provantage turns a two-day event into a continental movement. Africa has a rare window to lead the AI economy and we're thrilled to be partnering with these two forward-thinking organisations to take AI to every audience on the continent.”

Heidrick & Struggles: the leadership depthHeidrick & Struggles advises many of Africa's most consequential boards and C-suites on leadership, culture, and organisational change. Their founding partner role brings two senior partners onto the stage as AI Field Guides: Adam Pacifico, international keynote speaker and host of the Leadership Enigma podcast (#1 leadership podcast UK), and Mark Watt, Leadership Partner in Johannesburg. Together they anchor the Relational Intelligence pillar that sets futureishuman™ apart from pure technical training.

Mark Watt, Partner, Heidrick & Struggles Johannesburg comments: "At Heidrick & Struggles, we see firsthand that organisations succeeding in the AI era are not those with the most advanced tools, but those with leaders who can integrate technology with human judgment, adaptability, and purpose. This partnership positions us as co-architects of a new generation of African leadership, one that is globally competitive and locally grounded. The future of work on this continent will be shaped by leaders who understand that relational intelligence matters just as much as technical AI capability. The futureishuman™ creates a powerful space for that integration, and we are proud to help shape a platform that equips executives to lead with both intelligence and humanity in an AI-driven world.”

Provantage: the movement reachProvantage is one of Africa's largest integrated out-of-home media, marketing services and route-to-market solutions groups, with a network of specialist businesses operating across the continent. As a founding media partner, Provantage's role is to extend the impact of the futureishuman™ beyond the two-day accelerator by connecting the initiative to AI-curious audiences at scale. The partnership reflects a shared belief that capability alone is not enough. Real transformation happens when ideas reach the right people, in the right context, at the right time, and with the right messaging.

Jacques du Preez, Founder and CEO, Provantage Group comments: “At Provantage, our focus has always been on delivering impact at scale by connecting the right ideas, platforms, and people to drive meaningful change. We see AI as a defining shift in how our business operates, competes and grows; ensuring our leaders are equipped to act on that shift is critical. As a founding partner, our role is to take initiatives like this beyond the boardroom, reaching transformation-ready leaders at the point where capability and timing matter most. Together with the futureishuman™ we are turning that intent into real, applied impact across our businesses and into the marketplace.”

Delegates leave withOver two days, delegates build a bespoke AI Think Tank, a custom AI agent trained on their own expertise and business using Claude Skills, zero coding required. They leave with a personal AI tool stack, hands-on mastery of AI tools, and a leadership playbook grounded in behavioural science. Day 1: Learn the Language. Day 2: Build the Machine. Spaces limited by design.