Jim Carroll

Timeline

1. 1959–1981

   A Dalhousie commerce degree

   He is born in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, in April 1959. He earns a Bachelor of Commerce from Dalhousie University in Halifax in 1979 and qualifies as a chartered accountant in 1981.

2. 1979–1990

   Accountant turned technology consultant

   He begins his career in 1979 at the Halifax accounting firm that later becomes KPMG Canada. There he manages the rollout of the firm's national email and data conferencing systems and hosts Micro Minute, a local radio series on microcomputer applications. In 1990, he leaves to found J. A. Carroll Consulting, an independent technology practice.

3. 1994

   The Canadian Internet Handbook

   He and Rick Broadhead publish The Canadian Internet Handbook in March 1994, a guide for readers new to computers that reaches number one on Canadian bestseller lists within six weeks. The book warns that many people who talk about the information highway will have little practical knowledge of the Internet.

4. 1996–2002

   Internet Person of the Year

   He is named Internet Person of the Year in 1996. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario makes him a fellow in 2000, and the Canadian New Media Awards give him a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.

5. 1998–2008

   A Globe and Mail column

   From 1998 to 2008, he writes a regular technology and business column for The Globe and Mail. In September 2001, he joins the federal Government On-Line Advisory Panel, which advises the Government of Canada on delivering services over the internet.

6. 2000s

   Futurist and keynote speaker

   In the early 2000s, he moves his focus from internet consulting to business futurism and keynote speaking. BusinessWeek names his innovation blog one of four leading global sources of insight on innovation and creativity in 2006. His books from these years include What I Learned from Frogs in Texas (2005) and Ready, Set, Done (2007).

7. 2018

   World Government Summit in Dubai

   In 2018, he speaks at the World Government Summit in Dubai about the disruptive trends shaping the global economy, on an agenda that includes the head of the International Monetary Fund and the prime ministers of France and India. His clients include Mercedes-Benz, for a talk on the future of self-driving cars, and NASA, on the disruption of the space industry.

8. As of October 2026

   The AI Acceleration Advantage keynote

   He is a Canadian futurist and keynote speaker whose signature talks include The AI Acceleration Advantage, a roadmap for what generative AI, machine intelligence and automation change in a client's industry and workforce. His AI talks include a keynote on AI and crimefighting for RCMP senior leaders in Surrey, British Columbia, and an AI megatrends session for more than 1,100 KPMG Ireland staff in Dublin. His book Being Unique, published in July 2026, presents uniqueness as the quality AI cannot commoditize.