ABOUT TOM KERESZTI

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:

Personable

Tom easily connects with people.  He is truly diverse. Throughout his career, he has formed relationships with CEO’s, factory workers, firefighters, political leaders and stay at home moms. His friends & colleagues live in the USA, Europe, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Israel.

Inspirational

Tom has coached both young and mature executives who have started companies and have to lead $1B multinational organizations. He understands the difference between coaching and mentoring and can strike a balance between the two.  He will motivate and unleash your highest potential.

Motivational

Tom’s keynote presentations are fun, engaging, and full of stories about his lifetime global experiences.  He connects with his audience and keeps them glued to their seats.

Practical

Tom’s workshops provide clarity and a roadmap that is easy to implement.  He has a gift of simplifying complex issues into simple down-to-earth real-life solutions that move people to action.

Testimonials

What people say about Tom:

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.