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Geoff  Colvin

Geoff Colvin

Senior Editor-at-Large, Fortune Magazine & Bestselling Author

Biography

The best companies and leaders win by confronting reality faster than the competition. Geoff Colvin of Fortune delivers valuable insights to help them do just that. His unique perspective stems from unparalleled access to top global business leaders who tell him what they’re seeing, thinking, and doing. As a result, Geoff can provide audiences with a clearer path for an uncertain future. Geoff unpacks actionable insights on the economic, market, political, and technological forces driving disruptive change. Geoff’s columns and cover stories in Fortune have earned him millions of loyal fans, many of whom also hear him on the CBS Radio Network, where he reaches seven million listeners each week. Geoff Colvin is author of four books including the groundbreaking international bestseller Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else. His latest book is The New York Times bestseller Humans are Underrated which looks at the future of work and how humans will fit into a workplace filled with robots and smart technology. Read More >

As Fortune magazine’s senior editor-at-large, Geoff Colvin is now in his fourth decade at Fortune. He is one of business journalism’s sharpest and most respected commentators on leadership, management, globalization, government regulation, corporate governance, competition, the economy, the InfoTech revolution, human performance and related issues.

In addition to his daily CBS Radio Network segments, Geoff has appeared on Today, Good Morning America, Squawk Box, CBS This Morning, ABC's World News Tonight, CNN, PBS's Nightly Business Report, and dozens of other programs. He also served as anchor of Wall Street Week with Fortune on PBS.

In addition to speaking, Geoff is also a brilliant panel moderator, emcee and interviewer whose subjects have included Jack Welch, Henry Kissinger, Richard Branson, the Prince of Wales, Bill Gates, Alan Greenspan, Steve Case, Tony Blair, Michael Dell, Ted Turner, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Henry Paulson, Ben Bernanke, and many others.

Geoff is a respected author whose groundbreaking international bestseller, Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else, has been published in a dozen languages. The Upside of the Downturn: Management Strategies for Difficult Times was named “Best Management Book of the Year” by Strategy + Business magazine. Geoff’s latest book is Humans are Underrated: What High Achievers Know That Brilliant Machines Never Will.  It’s based on the idea in his wildly popular Fortune article “In the Future Will There Be Any Work Left for People to Do?”  It looks at the trend of technology displacing more jobs than it creates, and the ways humans will create value for their organizations and their careers in the changing economy. The ideas he shares have profound implications for every business and industry.

A native of Vermillion, South Dakota, Geoff Colvin is an honors graduate of Harvard with a degree in economics and has an M.B.A. from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Read Less ^

Speaker Videos

A Video Profile: Preview of Speech Offerings

Serious Experience for Serious Times

Speeding Up the Legislative Learning Curve

Humans are Underrated: The Future of Work

China and the Global Economy

Winners are Winning Bigger Than Ever

Future of Global Business

Leading, Managing & Competing Overview

Economic Outlook: Overview

Hosting and Moderation: Overview Video

21st Century Corporation: Friction Free Product Design Manufacturing

Drivers of Business and Economic Change

Speech Topics

No New Normal: Leading in Continuous Change

The pandemic accelerated just about every trend you can think of. Nonstop change has now become the norm, and the world isn’t going back. While there is no “new normal,” the good news is we aren’t doomed to play defense. Geoff Colvin shows audiences how to embrace a world of continuous disruption while building powerful competitive advantages. This uplifting talk shows step-by-step how we can all respond faster to change and even get ahead of it as individuals, teams, and enterprises. Read More >

Geoff provides actionable takeaways to help leaders face change smarter: Read Less ^

  • What the best leaders and companies are doing right now to create the future
  • Why confronting reality faster is the key to seizing new opportunities
  • Biggest pandemic lessons for business
  • Scenario planning: surviving bad times begins with better decisions in good times
  • 3 best ways to lead during crisis and disruption
  • Creativity and innovation – how to unleash it individually and organizationally

The New Economic Order: Risks & Opportunities

Global turmoil has roiled an already fragile economic order in ways that are still unfolding. At Fortune, Geoff tells the economic story in terms that focus on the risks and opportunities. Business people already know the numbers – what they might miss is the big picture; the forces driving the trends causing disruptive change in their world and, most importantly, what to do about it. In this presentation, the economy isn’t a bunch of statistics; it’s a story that Geoff tells engagingly, humorously, and memorably with valuable takeaways because, as he says, “Even in tough times, somebody’s going to win, why not you?” Read More >

Geoff covers: Read Less ^

  • Why, even in times like this, it’s vital to remain optimistic
  • The latest data and trends curated for the audience/industry he’s addressing
  • A plain-spoken explanation of what’s going on now – on Main Street, Wall Street, in Washington, and globally.
  • How successful companies are winning in this economy

How to Create a Business Model Built for the Future

Brace yourself: In 2022, 94% of CEOs said their company’s business model will have to change in the next three years! More important: The majority of them also feel they aren’t making progress fast enough. Business model innovation has become a must-have competence for all companies. That’s a problem for those that are unprepared but a huge opportunity for the rest. Geoff Colvin identifies the inescapable forces that are rendering reliable old business models obsolete and shows how companies of any size in any industry can – and must – rise to the challenge. Read More >

Geoff reveals: Read Less ^

  • Inspiring examples of companies transforming their business model and winning
  • Key trends driving the need for business model change
  • How to just do it: Stop protecting yesterday and start creating the future
  • The secrets to becoming a business model innovator
  • How to adapt to a friction-free economy and create outsized opportunities
  • Why human capital is the most valuable kind and how to make the most of it

The Good-News Future of Work

The nature of work changed drastically in the pandemic, but that’s only the beginning of what’s to come. New technology tools will profoundly alter what we used to call office work. Other technology will transform the 80% of work that isn’t done in offices (or at home). Beyond tech, changing social norms and reordered personal priorities will change who does what, where and how. While all this is quite disruptive, Geoff Colvin says the big picture is a bright one – billions of people worldwide being more productive, more content, and – believe it or not – less stressed. Read More >

Geoff reveals: Read Less ^

  • How forward-thinking leaders are embracing these changes and winning big
  • The increasing value of human skills and which will be most valuable
  • The enduring power of physical presence at work
  • How to win the war for talent which will only get more competitive
  • Actionable to-dos to manage the future of work

Where This Economy is Headed – And How Winners Are Responding Now

Economics can be exciting! It reflects and impacts the environment in which we live and breathe, and in these tumultuous times it’s always changing. Business people already know the numbers – what they might miss is the big picture; the forces driving the trends causing disruptive change in their world and, most importantly, what to do about it. In this presentation, the economy isn’t a bunch of statistics; it’s a story that Geoff tells engagingly, humorously, and memorably with valuable takeaways because, as he says, “Even in tough times, somebody’s going to win, why not you?” Read More >

Geoff covers: Read Less ^

  • Why, even in times like this, it’s vital to remain optimistic
  • The latest data and trends curated for the audience/industry he’s addressing
  • A plain-spoken explanation of what’s going on now – on Main Street, Wall Street, and in Washington.
  • How successful companies are winning in this economy

Panel Moderator, Discussion Leader, Emcee/Host

Geoff Colvin’s unique gift is his ability to brilliantly moderate panels, lead onstage interviews, and host/emcee. He’s played these roles for more than three decades at Fortune conferences worldwide. Top companies and associations regularly utilize Geoff because he gets the most out of participants; he asks the right questions, listens intently to what’s being said on stage, and responds to that. He also connects ideas and insights across sessions, transforming a multi-part program into a satisfying, unified whole. He always keeps the discussion relevant and the energy high.