2020 Mega HR Conference Closing Keynote Speaker

Closing Keynote: It's All About The People

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

9:00 a.m.

It’s All About the People - don't be a soul sucking CEO. It’s often said, with nods of wise agreement, that any organization is nothing without its people. Countless books and courses on leadership, over many decades, address this well-known and accepted axiom. Then why are nearly 70% of all employees in the U.S. disengaged at work? Clearly, the conferences, books, courses and motivational speakers are insufficient to make a difference. This session by WD-40 Company Chairman and CEO Garry Ridge will be a look “under the hood” of one of the world’s most recognized brands, where employee engagement is above 93%, 98% say they “love to work at WD-40 Company”, and 99% say that their “opinions and values are a good fit” for WD-40 Company. This high engagement has resulted in a company that has doubled in revenue in the last decade, and is on a trajectory to double again in the next. Garry will share his company’s “learning moments” over the course of his efforts to transform the company’s culture, beginning in 1997. Lessons and principles covered include:

Garry O. Ridge, As chairman and chief executive officer of WD-40 Company, Garry Ridge is responsible for developing and implementing high-level strategies, all operations, and the oversight of all relationships and partnerships for the company. Garry is passionate about the learning and empowering organizational culture he has helped establish at the WD-40 Company, and his vision and leadership have positively impacted the WD-40 Company in both measurable and immeasurable ways.

Garry joined WD-40 Company in 1987 and has held various management positions in the company, including executive vice president and chief operating officer, and vice president of international. He has worked directly with WD-40 Company in over 70 countries.

Garry is an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego where he teaches leadership development, talent management, and succession planning in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program. In 2009, he co-authored a book with Ken Blanchard outlining his effective leadership techniques, titled “Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy called ‘Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A.’”

A native of Australia, Garry holds a certificate in Modern Retailing and wholesale distribution and a Master of Science in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego.

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