Mark Thompson

One of the most successful senior business communication executives and angel investors of our time, Mark C. Thompson has been a board member and advisor to Global 1000 companies and is Charles Schwab’s former Chief Customer Experience Officer, download pdfChief Communications Officer and Chief of Staff. 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. Now, Build a Great Business, Success Built to LastThompson 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.

Thompson co-authored the bestseller Success Built to Last, the sequel to Jim Collins and Jerry Porras’ classic, 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. 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 of 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 scholar at Stanford University.

Mark’s expertise on Success Built to Last reveals key insights into business growth, sales, service, innovation, leadership, customer engagement and talent management in a presentation ideal for groups looking for a “meaningful secret formula for success.” (Richard Branson, Virgin)

Thompson is a current Member of the Board of Directors and founding investor in Smule.com, one of Apple’s top iPhone and iPad applications companies. He was also Executive Producer of Schwab.com and Chairman of Rioport, which popularized the mp3 audio technology now used in Apple’s iTunes.

In addition to an MBA, Thompson holds a Masters degree in Social Media studies from Stanford University, where he became an investor in Facebook, Baynote, CNS Response, Cancer Genetics, Goldman Sachs Special Opportunities.

Thompson is a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University and a founding advisor to the Stanford Realtime Venture Design Lab. He has also served on the faculty of John F. Kennedy University, World Economic Forum, Tony Robbins Business Mastery series.

Thompson is the Producer & Host of the Leadership Dialogue Series: sponsored by American Express.

Make Change Happen: How world-class teams lead change faster

• 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 firms 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 in your markets in order to steal bases on competitors and build value for customers?
• What are the three fundamental factors that galvanize change in every person?
• What are the seven steps to change in every organization?

Make Sales Happen: Level 5 Sales Growth and Good to Great Business Performance

• The Invisible Close — How to win clients who don’t want to be sold. What is Level 5 Sales Growth and how it can take Business Performance from Good to Great?
• 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. How to gain strategic advantage over every other 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 Clients

NOW, Build a Great Business! - Customer Service that's Built to Last, Seven Ways to Boost Profits in Any Market

• How world-class teams generate unstoppable growth
• Five Customer Service strategies that are Built to Last
• Seven ways to boost profits in any market
• How to actually grow leaders from Good to Great — Level 1 to 5 — What are the three steps necessary for developing the best teams?
• 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?

"Now, Build a Great Business! is absolutely the right book at the right time. Read it, soak up Brian and Mark’s shrewd and sensible advice, and go out and do it. You now have the instruction manual you need for success!" — Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager® and Leading at a Higher Level

"Mark Thompson's inspiring message is just what your leadership team needs! He customizes his keynotes to provide actionable ideas and insight for your organization." — Chief Marketing Officer, VISA

"Mark Thompson is the Napoleon Hill of the 21st Century: bestselling author, corporate adviser, economic wizard and leadership guru, whose bestselling books and keynotes heal and inspire world leaders. He is a true Renaissance man who helps focus energy and find solutions in these difficult times. It's truly rare to find someone so consistently brilliant and empathic at the same time.” — ABC NEWS National Producer Law & Justice Unit