Leadership Speakers

Leading sales expert Victor Gonzalez uses buyers’ perspectives to help organizations up their sales by nudging, not pushing. The riveting speaker’s programs cater to entrepreneurs and business owners as well as to those who need a little motivation to get started. He is also a popular choice for university commencement ceremonies, having spoken at more than 20 graduations. Growing up in a rough neighborhood in Chicago, Victor defied statistics and… Read More

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is a world authority on leadership and employee relations, demonstrating how good management of human resources can achieve positive, lasting change in the age of globalization. Dr. Goldsmith has authored or edited thirty-one books, including MOJO and What Got You Here Won't Get You There, both of which made the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. The latter title won the Harold Longman Award… Read More

CEO and co-founder of Virgin Unite Mentors (VUM), the network established by Sir Richard Branson for coaching and entrepreneurial innovation, Mark Thompson's expertise in coaching leadership for senior executives is unequaled. In addition to his position at VUM he is a Founding Patron of Virgin Unite's Entrepreneurship Centre and Program Chairman for the Board of Governors of the Hesselbein Leadership Institute and the John F. Kennedy Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership.… Read More

Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D., is President of Cross-Cultural Communications, a San Diego-based training firm. She has served as a consultant to the University of California and the American Cancer Society, and she was appointed by Elizabeth Dole to serve on the Diversity Cabinet of the American Red Cross. Her extensive media experience includes mentions in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and U.S.A. Today. She… Read More

One of the most influential women in the entertainment industry, Geraldine Laybourne is the founder of Oxygen Media, former manager of Nickelodeon, and has served in several other leadership positions within the world of tech and entertainment. She is admired and respected for her pioneering role in the development and growth of cable television during the 80s and 90s. During her sixteen years at Nickelodeon, Ms. Laybourne grew the children’s… Read More

Hamish Taylor began his career in brand management at Procter & Gamble Ltd., where he eventually took charge of the household cleaner portfolio for Flash brands. He went on to become a management consultant at PriceWaterhouse and head of brand management at British Airways. He was appointed managing director of Eurostar Ltd. in 1997, and two years later he was promoted to chief executive officer. Later that year he became… Read More

A leading light of the contemporary Israeli music scene, Itay Talgam is not only one of the world's most highly regarded conductors; the models for organizational behavior and inspired leadership he has found within the orchestra are applicable to team building, creativity and innovation in any organization. Talgam began his international conducting career at the invitation of Leonard Bernstein, sharing a podium with him at a special concert with the… Read More

Jim Lawless’ remarkable success as a speaker and advisor stems from the fact that he has followed his own advice to achieve extraordinary results. Famous for his “Taming Tigers” talk, the international speaker became the UK’s deepest free diver (the first Briton to pass 100m on one breath). He is also known for his dramatic transformation from non-riding unfit consultant to Jockey in just 12 months as a response to… Read More

With talents that established him as a Fortune 500 leader and professional stand-up comedian, Garrison Wynn, CSP, fuses comic timing and research to deliver motivational business expertise. For 20 years, he has given keynote presentations to clients (such as American Express, Wells Fargo, Oracle and NASA) at corporate and association events. He is the author of the Amazon bestseller The Real Truth about Success, the Amazon #1 bestseller The Cowbell… Read More

Michelle Gielan, national CBS News anchor turned positive psychology researcher, is the bestselling author of Broadcasting Happiness. Michelle is the Founder of the Institute for Applied Positive Research and is partnered with Arianna Huffington to study how transformative stories fuel success. She is an Executive Producer of “The Happiness Advantage” Special on PBS and a featured professor in Oprah’s Happiness course. Michelle holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from… Read More

For 21 years, astronaut Ed Gibson held the American record of 84 days in space. One of the U.S.’s first scientist astronauts, Dr. Gibson contributed to numerous landmark missions and discoveries before taking his outstanding leadership to the private sector. Dr. Gibson earned a BS in engineering from the University of Rochester and a MS and PhD in Engineering and Physics from the California Institute of Technology. After a year… Read More

Rated by Toastmasters International as one of the top three speakers in the world, Dr. Janet Lapp has helped over 2,000 audiences from Argentina to Hong Kong become disruptive leaders. The licensed clinical psychologist has an enviable client list that includes IBM, AT&T, Allstate, New York Life, Toyota, and Kawasaki. Author of five books, Janet is the founder of ChangeFit™ Leadership Boot Camps/ChangeFit™ Labs and the creator and host of… Read More

Chris Widener is widely recognized speaker who has presented dynamic programs in countries around the world, such as: Egypt, China, Singapore, Spain, Russia, Germany, Canada, the U.S. and Australia. Organizations and businesses like Harvard Business School, General Electric, Microsoft and Cisco Systems are among Chris’s clients. Chris started a small publishing company called the American Community Business Network before changing the name to "Made for Success." He grew the company… Read More

Business coach and U.S. National Elevator Pitch Champion, Chris Westfall dedicates his life to improving the world by teaching his clients the art of authentic persuasion - also known as the elevator pitch. He firmly believes that when it comes to business, whoever has the best story wins. Chris got his undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX and a Masters in Business Administration from Texas Christian University.… Read More

Mallory Weggemann is an American Paralympic swimmer who became a paraplegic following a routine epidural to treat her back pain in 2008. Less than four months later, she started training in the pool with the goal of winning the gold medal at the 2012 Paralympic Games. After winning the gold for the 50 m freestyle S8, she turned her focus to her ultimate dream of walking again. To realize this… Read More