I was fortunate to meet and overlap with Torn while living in various places all over the world. In Prague, London, and in the U.S., I witnessed firsthand Tom’s ability to attract and lead people. Using his vast international and cultural experience, Tom created the four ‘Keys of Influence,’ which are a must study for anyone interested in improving their business and lives in this new interconnected and global world.
About Me and My Story
I’m Tom Kereszti, a Legacy Builder and Leadership Culture Sage. My mission is to help international C-suite executives create healthy company cultures that not only thrive today but build the future leaders of tomorrow.
My Journey
My path has been extraordinary. As the CEO of a $400M global company, I’ve navigated the complexities of international business, restructuring struggling companies into profitable enterprises and leading global acquisition projects across Brazil, Europe, and the Middle East. I’ve directed a $1B merger and managed $100M companies in Central America and Eastern Europe.
Through leadership roles at industry giants like Colgate Palmolive, Philips, ReckittBenckiser, and the Strauss Group, I’ve discovered that businesses flourish when their cultures are robust and their teams cohesive. These experiences taught me to lead effectively across borders and cultures, enabling me to build and mentor high-performing executive teams worldwide.
My educational foundation includes Engineering from NYU and an MBA from PACE, supplemented by leadership development through the Wharton Fellows and Harvard Business School Executive Education programs.
What I Do Now
After retiring from my corporate career, I authored the best-selling book “C-Suite and Beyond: The Four Keys to Leadership Success,” distilling my global leadership experiences into actionable principles. The book shares candid stories of success and failure from my life as an international executive, husband, and father.
Today, I serve as:
- An industry influencer, author, and speaker
- A strategic advisor and mentor to C-suite executives
- A provider of high-impact workshops and masterminds for emerging executives and culture transformation
- A leadership competency architect helping executives master essential C-suite skills
- A consultant leveraging AI tools to benchmark and elevate leadership and company culture
I share my leadership insights through keynote addresses and workshops across South Africa, Singapore, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Australia, New Zealand, and throughout the United States.
My Philosophy
I believe in empowering self-led teams and nurturing future leaders who can drive sustainable growth and profitability. My approach is grounded in the principles of honesty, integrity, trust, and empowerment—all founded on Biblical values.
If you’re an executive leader committed to fostering a positive organizational culture and developing your next generation of leaders, let’s connect. Together, we can transform your organization and build your lasting legacy.
About Me and John Maxwell
I met John Maxwell in 2004 during his book signing of Today Matters, forming a lasting friendship and mentorship. Today, I’m proud to be a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member, Coach, Speaker, and Trainer, as well as a DISC Certified Consultant. I am passionate about mentoring leaders and transforming organizations. My leadership philosophy is grounded in servant leadership principles, rooted in time-proven, biblically based values. I am also a local San Diego host for the Live2Lead leadership conference each year.
Early in my career, I did not receive formal leadership training and believed leadership was about individual success. However, midway through my journey, I experienced a major shift, realizing true leadership was about empowering teams to share a common vision, build trust, and achieve collective goals. I realized that it was not about me but about something much bigger than me—a vision and mission for all to benefit from.
John’s mentorship profoundly shaped my leadership philosophy. His teachings on intentionality, the Law of the Lid, and the 5 Levels of Leadership helped me understand that leadership is not about position but influence. Through his guidance, I learned that servant leadership—putting others’ needs first and helping them develop their full potential—creates the strongest, most sustainable organizations. John’s emphasis that “leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less” became the cornerstone of how I approach every leadership opportunity.
Through John’s mentorship, I became a dedicated student of the science of leadership, with a specific focus on servant leadership. As I studied these principles, I discovered that I had actually been implementing many of these practices throughout my career without recognizing the formal concepts behind them. The terminology and frameworks gave structure to what I had intuitively developed over time. This realization was both affirming and enlightening, providing me with scientific validation for approaches that had proven effective and giving me a structured way to further refine my leadership style.
At John Maxwell Leadership, we are people of value, who value people and love to add value to people.
4 Reasons to Hire Tom
Here are 4 reasons people & companies LOVE booking Tom:
Testimonials
What people say about Tom:
I have known Tom for many years and he has helped me tremendously throughout my career and he is one of the reasons for whom I am and where I am today. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to be a better leader. Highly recommended.
Leadership is exhibited when people step up and take action. This is especially true in challenging times. Tom was a perfect example of leadership for our team. He said what needed to be said, took appropriate actions, and drove results. Tom was always an inspiration as we worked together. He was always loyal, smart, with a get it done attitude but always with genuine respect and caring for people. If you put all of the above together it defined a true and respected leader.
Tom is a brilliant business executive, not only because he is open-minded to understand the characteristics of each market, but also because he presents an excellent strategic analysis and orientation
Tom’s leadership qualities helped set direction to our company by identifying the pillars to build on and areas that needed to be restructured. Tom helped identify & implement a new vision and returned our company to growth and profitability. Tom’s leadership & drive, integrity, hard work & people coaching skills were a testimony to his character and our results.
Would you or your company like to achieve better results?
Tom can help you and/or your organization become better leaders through workshops and one-on-one coaching.