Gerry Valentine
HE / HIM / HIS
Gerry Valentine inspires people to be resilient, overcome setbacks, and see disruption as a source of opportunity. He is a BIPOC keynote speaker on empowerment, executive coach, and business advisor with more than 25 years of experience as a Fortune 100 leader. He is author of “The Thriving Mindset—Tools For Empowerment In a Disruptive World.”
To thrive in the face of disruption and uncertainty, and to understand that adversity also brings opportunity.
Popular Talks
The Thriving Mindset—Tools For Empowerment In a Disruptive World
We’re living through the most disruptive time in human history and people are struggling to adapt. Gerry Valentine provides a hands-on guide for turning the disruption of today’s world to your advantage.
Attendees will learn:
- How to reframe your thinking in disruptive times and adopt a Thriving Mindset.
- How to identify and break the self-defeating cycles that prevent people from thriving.
- The five key skills that will allow you to thrive amid disruption and uncertainty.
- How to lead and inspire others in uncertain times.
- How to turn disruption into a source of innovation.
Become a Courageous Leader—Deliver Outstanding Results
The greatest leaders display a very specific quality—Courageous Leadership. It’s about establishing a shared vision; engaging and motivating others towards that vision; leading through uncertain times; and using the best in yourself to inspire the best in everyone around you—and it delivers outstanding results.
You will learn:
- The 5-key principles of courageous leadership
- Why courageous leaders deliver superior results
- The trap of fear-based leadership and how to avoid it
- How to use courageous leadership in tough and uncertain times
- How to instill a culture of courageous leadership across your organization
Re-Invention Thinking—How to Overcome Challenge and Uncertainty
Change, uncertainty, and an ever-accelerating pace are the hallmark of today’s business world. Most people see it as pure chaos and they struggle to keep up. But some people know how to harness the chaos to their advantage, and they use uncertainty and change to drive success.
You will learn:
- The 5 principles of Re-Invention thinking, and how to apply them in your organization
- How to avoid the trap of fear and paralysis that holds organizations hostage
- Re-Invention leadership styles that foster innovation
- How to shift burn-out and cynicism towards creativity and optimism
- How Re-Invention thinking drives bottom-line results
Speaking, Workshops, Consulting, & Coaching
Coaching
Gerry is an expert in career advancement, executive presence, executive communication, navigating uncertainty, leading through disruptive change, and overcoming career setbacks. His clients include C-suite leaders and other senior executives across a broad range of business disciplines.
“Gerry recently gave an exceptional keynote talk on “How to Excel and Thrive in Changing Times” to our department of about 175 individuals from across the globe. Stylistically, Gerry is poised and focused in his demeanor, which allows him to deliver powerful statements without being overly verbose. In terms of his message, Gerry first took the time to speak with us several times before the talk to ensure he could craft his message appropriately. It quickly became apparent to me that Gerry is not only an engaging speaker, but is also a pleasure to work with. On the day of our meeting, Gerry captivated our audience almost immediately. He inspired us with every minute he spoke, but he didn’t just leave us with inspiration. He also distilled his thoughts into succinct, key takeaways that we could all take home and implement in our daily lives. Following his talk, he also led a workshop on Leadership Presence. Following both sessions, several individuals came up to me and glowingly remarked how wonderful his talks were. I couldn’t agree more!”
– Matthew Wong, Director, Global Regulatory Strategy of Bristol Myers Squibb
“Gerry presented a wonderful session on building resilience at our flagship event, CampMinder Camp. Drawing from outside research and his own personal experience, he shared valuable concepts for turning adversity into an advantage, utilizing an interactive format that kept audience members interested and engaged. In addition to presenting a high-quality session, Gerry was a pleasure to work with throughout the entire process. I would highly recommend him to any organization interested in offering impactful content to clients or staff.”
– Analiese Brown, Vice President of People & Culture, CampMinder
“Gerry Valentine captivated an audience of more than 170 employees of the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority throughout his keynote speech on reinvention thinking at our recent End-of-Year Celebration. Gerry spoke to the group about how each person can find their own resilience and use it to motivate them in embracing change as a source of opportunity. The stories told and tools provided in Gerry’s talk were nothing short of inspirational! His message was precisely the kind of thing our nonprofit utility needed as we enter a new year of the transformational journey we are on. Gerry’s keen insight on how we can all overcome fear of the unknown to embrace change and innovative thinking was invaluable to employees throughout our organization. Following his keynote, Gerry facilitated an executive session workshop with members of my senior leadership team and me about cultural change and business transformation. His engaging and highly interactive approach was strategic, relevant and thought provoking; and he provided very relevant tools to be an effective leader. I highly recommend Gerry to any company or group seeking inspiration and guidance on how they can overcome challenges, adapt for the future and thrive.”
– Larry Bingaman, President & CEO of South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority
- BIPOC & LGBTQ-owned Business
- Traveling from East Coast, USA
- The Thriving Mindset
Gerry Valentine inspires people to build resilience—to overcome setbacks, to look at challenges in new ways, and to understand that adversity can become a source of opportunity. Gerry’s a public speaker, executive coach, and business advisor with more than 25 years of experience as a Fortune 100 leader. He is author of the bestselling book, The Thriving Mindset—Tools for Empowerment in a Disruptive World.
As the founder of Vision Executive Coaching, Gerry is a trusted advisor to corporate executives, business leaders, and entrepreneurs. He helps his clients understand how to use setbacks as a teacher; how to unlock creativity, imagination, and innovation; and how to use the best within oneself to inspire the very best in others.
Gerry built a career with some of the world’s most respected firms—companies such as American Express and Pfizer, Inc.—where he led multi-million-dollar lines of business. But this was an unlikely path. Gerry’s early life was spent in poverty, in a low-income part of New York City, and as the child of a single mother.
He went on to earn a BS in Engineering from Cornell University, and an MBA from the New York University Stern School of Management. Along the way, Gerry found that the adversity of his youth had given him the resilience he needed to succeed in the corporate world, and that building resilience is a skill he can teach others.
Today, Gerry gives keynotes and workshops across the country on building resilience, leading with resilience, and unlocking innovation. He is a TEDx speaker and a contributor to Forbes.com. Gerry is also a member of the Society for Human Resource Management.
Gerry divides his time between New York City and New Paltz, New York—a picturesque town in the Hudson River Valley. He’s an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys running, cycling, hiking, and skiing. Gerry has also completed eight Ironman Triathlons, five marathons, and many shorter-distance events.
Let’s collaborate to ensure a transformative experience.