Keynote Speaker Bio

Anthony Reed, CPA, PMP is a polymath and transformative leader. He is one of only eight recipients of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition Hero Award. As a risktaker and change agent, he excelled as a

Fortune 500 technology executive,
Author of six books and over fifty articles for publications ranging from ComputerWorld to Runner’s World,
Two-time National Distance Running Hall of Fame inductee,
World history making marathoner with personal artifacts in Washington DC’s Smithsonian Museum, and
Thirty-two-time award-winning documentary director and writer.

This high achiever has delivered rock solid, practical advice to professionals and executives throughout the USA, Canada, Brazil, and Europe.

During his years in executive positions, he inspired and motivated international, multigenerational, multicultural teams. He appeared in eighty-five publications, including PMI Today, ESPN’s The Undefeated, Runner’s World, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and the Journal of Accountancy.

Anthony has completed over one hundred, thirty marathons, including marathons in all of the fifty States and all seven continents, including Antarctica. A video recording of his life story is in a special US Library of Congress collection.

He wrote and directed two feature-length documentaries, which earned festival awards in the US, Canada, Sweden, and India, including for Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Sports Film, Best Music/Original Song, Best Biographical, Best Human Interest, Best Historical, Best Social Message, and Best Talk Show/Podcast/Interview. In 2023 Runner’s World selected his documentary as one of the most motivational and inspirational of all time.

Keynote Title: Running to Leadership: Transformative Leadership and the New Type T Manager

Abstract: Did you know that there’s a direct link between managers and marathoners? They’re both Type T’s. This is a thrill seeker. Managers are “mental” Type T’s. And marathoners are “physical” Type T’s.

Successful endurance athletes and business managers exhibit the same characteristics to thrive. They manage change by taking calculated risks and gradually expanding their comfort zones. They must incorporate change, manage risk, and motivate people to go up hill at a time when they want to quit. All of this must be achieved in a stressful, challenging, and changing business environment.

Preparing for and completing a marathon is the perfect backdrop for examining the problems and challenges faced by today’s business leaders. While all certified marathons are the same distance, the dangers, terrain, altitude, and weather offer unique and varying challenges. You quickly learn that hills build character.

Running up and down 3,600 steps during the Great Wall Marathon is like managing a 3,600-task project schedule.
Fighting through the Antarctica Marathon’s bitter cold relates to setting realistic project goals and self-motivation.
Encountering predators on Kenya’s Lewa SafriCom Marathon course is like managing project risks and mitigation.

The manager should weigh the advantages of a short-term sprint with finishing in the long run. You must become a marathoner, who successfully uses their knowledge to mentally and physically push towards new limits. The presenter implemented a $12 million IT project for only $2.6 million. He shares his experiences as a corporate IT executive, thirty two-time award-winning documentary director, and marathon “hat trick” finisher to show you methods to lead teams using marathon techniques and strategies. This involves f inishing at least one-hundred, 26.2-mile marathons and a marathon in all fifty states and seven continents.

Learning Objectives:

Motivate yourself and your team members without a budget.
Manage the negative, victim mentality.
Embrace fear and risk to move outside your comfort zone.

Key Objectives:

Expanding your comfort zone leads to a better quality of life.
Your team will embrace change and risk taking.
Your team will follow your example as you lead by doing.