KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Tom Asacker

Innovator, Change Agent, Provocateur, Author of 5 Books, including The Business of Belief

BIO

KEYNOTES

TESTIMONIALS

VIDEOS

BOOKS

Tom Asacker has been teaching and inspiring organizations and entrepreneurs for over 20 years. World-class companies including Procter & Gamble, UPS, and G.E. have called on Tom to shake up their people, fill them with ideas and charge them with inspiration. Often described as a catalyst and non-conformist and acclaimed for his no-nonsense style, Tom is the author of 5 critically acclaimed books: The Business of Belief, Opportunity Screams, A Little Less Conversation and A Clear Eye for Branding, groundbreaking books that describe new practices and ideas for success in times of uncertainty and change. His first book, Sandbox Wisdom, a heartwarming story about a CEO’s search for meaning and success in the world of business and work, was a business bestseller in the U.S., and was published internationally to rave reviews.

A popular speaker, Tom has lectured on innovation, leadership, the customer experience, and marketplace trends to corporate, association, and university audiences around the world. As an independent business consultant, he’s advised start-up ventures, NPOs, and Fortune 500 companies on leadership, emerging trends and strategic brand development. Asacker brings a breadth of business development, marketing, management and operational expertise from prior management posts at G.E., as well as from his entrepreneurial experience as co-founder and President of a high-tech medical device company. He is a recipient of the George Land Innovator of the Year Award; he holds medical patents and product design awards; and he is recognized by Inc. Magazine, MIT, and the Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization as a past member of their “Birthing of Giants” entrepreneurial executive leadership program. Tom holds degrees in Economics and Business Management, and lives in the great Northeast.

Keynote Presentations

The Buisness of Belief: Creating Passionate and Unwavering Belief
Two realities have redefined the nature of influence in today’s modern marketplace. First, our choices have increased exponentially. Every new product, service, cause and idea must now work overtime to capture people’s attention. The second, a fact lost on many, is that people have become very distrusting and easily distracted, making attention increasingly scarce and fleeting.

Based on his best-selling book and expanding on his popular TEDxCambridge talk, this entertaining and thought-provoking presentation will describe the three self-¬enhancing value components that brands are struggling to implement in order to engage today’s skeptical and discerning customers and clients, and create one¬-of- ¬a-¬kind experiences and unwavering belief.

Negative Capability: Courageous Leadership in Chaotic Times

We’re living in chaotic times. Uncertainty and change are our constant companions. And the moment we submit to not knowing is the moment we begin to discover what to do next. Not knowing does not connote inaction. Instead, it requires letting go of certainty, control and comfort and acting from a place of curiosity, compassion and creativity.

In this unique, engaging talk, Tom shares his ground-breaking paradigm for leadership in the new millennium: Negative Capability. He advances the idea that to rebel against certainty and identity is the greatest intellectual, creative and moral leap a leader can make. By staying in the present and focusing on the process instead of the outcome, courageous leaders ignite people’s passion for aliveness, creation and contribution.

Brand Transformation: Redefine and Revitalize Your Brands and Customer Experiences
What if you were told that the way you view the world of branding, marketing, customer experience design, strategic communication, and selling is backwards? That the traditional model is not only outdated, but has your people and advisors hypnotized and on autopilot with their strategies and tactics. And what if you were told that, by viewing the world through a new lens, your organization could reduce costs, improve impact, and create team member engagement, creativity, and a motivating sense of purpose?

In this engaging address, Tom will present innovative concepts to improve everyone’s perception and understanding, and move them to be more strategic in the creation of experiences and value. You’ll learn a powerful framework based on recent discoveries in the fields of cognitive psychology, behavioral economics and neuroscience and discover how the mind actually works, not how you wish it did. This process will provide a new lens to help you better understand the marketplace, be a clearer thinker, and make better decisions. And it will provide the insights, ideas and inspiration required to create new value and stand out in today’s hypercompetitive world.

Tom Asacker Testimonials

“Tom Asacker’s Business of Belief earns the word ‘profound.’ Every word should be savored.”

Tom Peters

“Tom is one of the most gifted and inspiring speakers I have seen in my career.”

John Coyle, Senior Vice President – Innovation Leadership Development, Maddock Douglas

“I have hired and listened to many keynote speakers over the last 30 years. Tom Asacker is one of the very few who delivers all of what I look for: great content with an excellent platform style and appealing visuals. He knows the craft very well, especially how to draw in an audience, hold them and create memorable phrases they will not forget. I give him my highest recommendation!”

Tony Mullen, CEO, Best Practice Seminars

“Tom is a passionate, humorous and very engaging speaker. His presentation during our planning retreat inspired a new level of passion and commitment to excellence. Highly recommended!”

Laston Charriez, SVP Marketing, Western Union

“You are the best. Just the best. No two ways about it. Here’s some of what attendees wrote on their surveys about you: ‘amazing!’, ‘inspiring!’, ‘bring him back!’

Nan McCann, Executive Producer, BTN

“Throughout the course of the year, we attend many meetings and conferences and listen to many speakers. They present their message on how we can become better at what we do. We listen and think about the message. We leave. And with rare exceptions, two weeks later we have forgotten the speaker and the message as we again get caught up in the daily grind. Well, I would suggest to you that Tom Asacker is one of those rare exceptions. I recently had the good fortune to hear Tom’s presentation at one of those many meetings. He was absolutely excellent! He delivers his message with energy. He is entertaining and his message is extremely relevant for today’s real world– much different than some who assault you with the newest theories, which in many cases are simply last year’s theories wrapped in a new package! So, if you are in need of a good motivator for your next event, consider Tom Asacker. And no, I did not get a commission of any sort for this letter. I just think Tom can add value to virtually any program.”

Barry Jolette, President and CEO, San Mateo Credit Union

“Wicked smart, timely and thought-provoking. I went to school on Tom’s ideas.”
Jeff Taylor, founder, Monster.com

“High energy … engaging style … insightful … inspiring! A great mix of stories, facts and experience. Our attendees raved about your presentation at our annual conference!”
Andrea Woodward, Innovation Network

“I don’t normally put myself out there with this sort of recommendation, but Tom was hands- down one of the most engaging speakers I’ve ever seen and his presentation was highly creative, highly informative, and highly inspirational. What’s more, I can attest that this sentiment was echoed by our meeting attendees, as well.”

Christopher T. Grundner, President & CEO, Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA)

“Your mind opening presentation and dynamic delivery style inspired the Brand Managers to think and act differently. One attendee commented, ‘So refreshing to have someone come in with a sense of realism that is energizing and makes you get out of Procter mentality and push the boundaries.'”

Gina Gourley, NA Marketing Capability Manager, Procter & Gamble

“What a lovely guy! His presentation was fantastic and every single person I spoke to agreed. We do not do formal evaluations at this event, but all tremendous feedback.”

Ronit Lawlor, Director of Education, Path to Purchase Institute

Videos

Books