Mark Thompson is cofounder & 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 .

Today, Thompson 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. He 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.

Business Keynote: Success Built to Last - The Five Strategic Drivers of Growth

Only 1 in 10 companies will grow this year. Do you know what makes them Built to Last? Based on his bestselling book, Success Built to Last and global research at Stanford, business exec Mark Thompson provides a down to earth look at the economy and the five strategic drivers that make the best companies grow even in this market.

Mark focuses his content-rich and inspiring presentations on these strategic drivers of growth:

1. The Secret Life of Your Customer - How to increase loyalty and profitability
2. The Tripping Point - How to 'harvest' failures to accelerate your innovation
3. The Silent Scream - How to listen and respond to clients
4. Thought Styles & Action Styles - Key mindsets that drive productivity
5. Naked Conversations - How great teams turn passion into action

Mark explodes the myths and unravels the essential elements of long-term success, using video clips of his personal interviews with world business leaders to underscore each point.

Each presentation is designed specifically for you. As a top investor, Mark Thompson has been directly engaged in more than 20 industries - he will interview your key managers and your customers to make sure his presentation is customized and right on target for your business. Mark will also use video interviews with famous leaders from around the world that are directly relevant to your organization. These two elements enable Mark to focus precisely on the economic and organizational drivers of growth in your business.

Other Keynotes:

• Eight Best Practices of the World's Most Innovative Firms
• Building Loyalty in Turbulent Times
• What's Your Company Worth?