The Sweeney Agency

About Mark Thompson - Expert on Sales and Leadership:

Mark Thompson is co-founder and CEO of Richard Branson's Business Innovation & Entrepreneurship Hub for Virgin Unite. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of Best Buy, Korn Ferry, Interwoven (HP) and other global firms. He is Charles Schwab's former Chief Communications Officer, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Chief IR Officer, and Exec Producer of Schwab.com. During his tenure, the company’s customer assets grew ten-fold to more than $800 billion dollars in over five million client accounts and continue to grow during the greatest economic storms in history. Thompson created the Schwab Leadership Series and worked face-to-face with many of the world’s best global leaders and entrepreneurs – from Richard Branson and Steve Jobs to Warren Buffett, AG Lafley, Herb Kelleher, Michael Dell, Bill Gates, Ford CEO Alan Mulally and Zappos founder Tony Hsieh.

Today, he is an expert advisor on Level V Leadership and Built to Last – transforming how leaders inspire managers to boost sales, innovation and lead change in a volatile world. Thompson did research for Jim Collins and Jerry Porras on Built to Last and Good to Great; during his presentations, he shows how to the principles discussed in Good to Great. Along with Jerry Porras and Stewart Emery, he co-authored the bestseller Success Built to Last. By focusing on Collins’ five levels of leadership, Thompson coaches leaders to get things done fast!

In 2010, the American Management Association published Thompson’s bestselling book – Now, Build a Great Business. He also edited two books for Harvard Business Press – Weathering the Storm and Crisis As Opportunity.

Thompson has worked with executive teams in 12 industries plus 35 firms. In addition, Thompson is Chairman of the American Express Leadership series for Peter Drucker’s Leader to Leader Institute. He is a member of the Board of Governors for the Institute and is a board member, investor and advisor to 8 companies while serving on the faculty of the World Economic Forum, John F. Kennedy University, and a visiting scholar at Stanford University.

What Mark Thompson Talks About:

Prior to every engagement, Mark Thompson and his Stanford team will interview executives and customers of your firm in order to create an exact fit with the theme of your event. This added insight will assure that his research is right on target with your audience.

Make Change Happen – Success Built to Last

• How do you convince your team not only to embrace change, but actually lead the transformation now – with urgency and passion?
• How have world-class companies taken the leap that you’re facing?
• What’s the difference between the top 3 market leaders & all others?
• How do you take advantage of turbulence to steal bases on competitors?

Some speakers talk about change, but they’ve never done it before. Thompson has made it happen. He’s been an operating executive with a front-row seat on transformations at Charles Schwab, Best Buy and Apple’s top iPhone and iPad app companies. Thompson bets his own wallet on change and innovation by investing directly in emerging companies that are on the leading edge of change and transformation of their industries.

Make Sales Happen– Practical Ways to Boost Business

• The Invisible Close – How to win clients who don’t want to be sold
• Create Your Irresistible Offer – Defining better outcomes and benefits
• How to Build Partnerships From the Start – Investing in client loyalty
• What Does Your Market Crave? Helping clients understand the cost of ignoring your offer
• Five Mistakes That Repel Customers & Cut Sales in Half
• Five P’s That Double Sales: Positioning–Pain–Promise–Proof–Planning
• How to convert loyal clients into higher ticket up-sell opportunities
• The Two Personalities of the World’s Most Profitable Customers

NOW, Build a Great Business! – Success Built to Last

• How world-class teams generate unstoppable growth
• Seven ways to boost profits in any market
• How to actually grow leaders from Good to Great – Level 1 to 5
• What are the best practices from managers and entrepreneurs with track records of more than two decades of success?
• What are the critical three drivers of influence for every high achiever?

Based on the business classic Built to Last that sold over one million copies, Mark reveals the tools of the world's most successful leaders for the sequel, Success Built to Last. This inspiring and fun keynote provides the secrets from hundreds of high producers with whom Mark has studied and met face-to-face.

All presentations include a special survey of your industry and audience along with video clips from interviews with actual leaders in your business.