GO, MOVE
THE NEEDLE!

Hi. I’m Thomas Barta. I study marketing leadership—the art and science of making change happen. On most days, I spread the word through keynotes, teaching, and writing. Occasionally I advise blue chip firms.

I’m a former partner of McKinsey. My research includes the world’s largest study—involving over 68,000 executive profiles—on what makes an impactful customer leader, in a digital, global world.

Forget the grand corporate plan. What customers want is simply changing too fast, too often. Winning firms build entrepreneurs in every department. People who act. People who want forgiveness—not permission.

Subscribe to Thomas’s TryThis.Blog

ABOUT
THOMAS

What I’ve been up to (in a nutshell):

Former partner of McKinsey

Conducted the world’s largest study, involving over 68,000 assessments, on what makes an impactful customer leader

Consulted and marketed for over 20 years, in 14 industries, in 45 countries for many of the world’s top organizations, including over two dozen from the Fortune 500

Spoken to thousands of leaders at over 100 events for organizations such as Amazon, Adobe, Adweek New York, Financial Times, Google, Oracle, SAP

Written the #1 marketing leadership book The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader with Patrick Barwise

Organizational Psychologist

Dean, McKinsey leadership program

Leadership Dean of the global CMO Fellowship (a McKinsey and Marketing Academy JV that prepares CMOs to become CEOs)

Columnist for Forbes, Marketing Week, and my TryThis.Blog

KEYNOTE
SPEAKER

‘Inspirational, powerful—simply 5 out of 5!’

– Emma Roborgh, CEO, B2B Marketing Leaders Forum

‘He has a unique ability to draw people in.’

– Catherine Tabaka, President & CEO HC North America, Sodexo

‘He has a unique ability to draw people in.’

– Catherine Tabaka, President & CEO HC North America, Sodexo

‘By far one of the best audience scores we’ve ever seen.’

— Joyce Joanne Verburg, Google

… about ditching your job description

… about leading marketing

… about leading digital change

… about marketers’ career diseases

Each year I speak at numerous events about change, digital transformation, the power of marketers, sparks, movements, and how to ditch the job description. My passion is to get onstage, make the case for change, and motivate people to act.

Act, to put customers first

Act, to transform the organization

Act, to make change happen

Example Keynotes

The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader

Doing marketing isn’t the same as leading marketing. Learn the influencing tricks and tips from the world’s largest study on marketers’ success. The aim? More growth, more influence, and quite simply, more fun!

Ditch Your Job Description—Save Your Firm

How to grow a business in times of rapid change? The “Silo Inc.” has stopped working. Customers are too impatient, too well informed, and too powerful. Learn how customer heroes help firms crack the code on customer focus, how to make the firm your firm, and why your job description should be the first thing to go.

Digital Leader

Everyone knows: technology is key for long-term success. But too many executives struggle to get their firms to adopt technology. Unfortunately, you can’t just tell people what to do—nobody can. Hear the stories and ideas of the world’s most effective mobilizers. Beat the barriers to change!

Customer Freak

Who wins in a fast changing world? Brave leaders with a customer passion, big dreams, and fire in their eyes. They push big thinking. They lead the customer transformation. They ignite action. Learn the tricks from today’s most inspirational customer freaks. Be the spark that lights the fire!

Download my
speaker brochure

DOWNLOAD

Contact me
for availability

CONTACT

Thomas Live

Date	Event		Where
Apr 08	The Marketing Academy	Masterclass host	New York
Mar 12	The Marketing Society	Masterclass host	Edinburgh
Mar 06	Marketing Week Live	Keynote speaker	London
* 2018 *
Dec 06	Think With Google	Keynote speaker	Lisbon
Dec 03	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	North. Europe
Nov 30	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Europe
Nov 14	The Braver Conference	Keynote speaker	London
Oct 10	Festival Of Marketing	Keynote speaker	London
Oct 04	Corporate Marketing Conference	Keynote speaker	San Francisco
Oct 02	Marketo Advisory Board	Keynote speaker	Napa Valley
Sep 19	B2B Marketing Leaders Forum	Keynote speaker	Singapore
Sep 14	The Marketing Academy	Masterclass host	London
Jun 18	CMO leadership masterclass	Masterclass host	Cannes
May 22	Private corporate event	Masterclass host	London
Mar 19	Think With Google	Keynote speaker	Stockholm
Mar 08	Marketing Week Live	Keynote speaker	London
Mar 07	Think With Google	Keynote speaker	Oslo
Feb 22	Think With Google	Keynote speaker	Brussels
Feb 21	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Vienna
Mar 01	Amazon	Keynote speaker	London
Feb 28	Imperial College	Keynote speaker	London
Feb 28	The Marketing Academy	Masterclass host	London
Feb 01	McKinsey/Marketing Academy	Masterclass host	Kitzbühel
Jan 12	Private corporate event	Masterclass host	Zurich
Jan 11	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	London
Jan 11	Capital Group	Keynote speaker	London
* 2017 *
Dec 19	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Den Hague
Dec 04	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Hong Kong
Nov 29	IBM Watson Summit	Keynote speaker	California
Nov 26	Atlanta CMO Executive Summit	Keynote speaker	Atlanta
Oct 4	Internet and Mobile World	Keynote speaker	Buchsrest
Sep 22	The Marketing Academy	Keynote speaker	London
Sep 21	Financial Services Summit	Keynote speaker	London
Sep 20	The Marketing Academy	Masterclass host	London
Aug 24	Amplify Marketing Festival	Keynote speaker	Edinburgh
Jul 25	Adobe Experience Forum	Keynote speaker	Singapore
Jul 25	Adobe Experience Forum	Masterclass host	Singapore
Jun 22	Adobe Think Tank	Confernece host	Cannes Lions
Jun 21	Private corporate event	Confernece host	Cannes Lions
Jun 14	The Marketing Academy	Masterclass host	London
Jun 07	LikedIn & Marketing Society	Keynote speaker	New Delhi
Jun 06	Marketing Society	Keynote speaker	New Delhi
May 31	Think With Google	Keynote speaker	Madrid
May 30	Think With Google	Keynote speaker	Madrid
May 23	Adobe Symposium	Keynote speaker	Sydney Opera
May 19	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Sydney Opera
May 16	The Marketing Academy	Keynote speaker	Sydney
May 16	B2B Leaders Forum	Keynote speaker	Sydney
May 04	Adobe Symposium	Keynote speaker	Mumbai
Apr 21	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Bangkok
Apr 11	Corporate Financial Group	Keynote speaker	NewYork
Apr 09	CMO Fellowship	Keynote speaker	London
Apr 08	Google Double Click	Keynote speaker	Spain
Mar 22	Advertising Week London	Keynote speaker	London
Geb 10	London Business School	Masterclass host	London
Jan 18	CMO Fellowship	Masterclass host	Kitzbühel
Jan 17	SAP	Keynote speaker	Singapore
* 2016 *
Nov 17	The Marketing Society	Keynote speaker	London
Nov 17	CMO Fellowship	Masterclass host	London
Nov 15	London Business School	Keynote speaker	London
Nov 15	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Munich
Nov 10	Inspire Leadership Lecture	Masterclass host	London
Nov 09	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Amsterdam
Nov 08	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Paris
Nov 04	The Corporate Financial Group	Keynote speaker	New York
Oct 18	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	London
Oct 13	The Marketing Society	Masterclass host	London
Sep 28	Advertising Week New York	Keynote speaker	New York
Sep 21	CMO Fellowship	Masterclass host	London
Sep 16	Private corporate event	Masterclass host	UK
Aug 25	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Tokyo
Aug 02	Private corporate event	Masterclass host	UK
July 28	Private corporate event	Masterclass host	UK
July 18	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Scotland
July 11	Private corporate event	Masterclass host	New York
July 06	Private corporate event	Masterclass host	London
Jun 16	CMO Fellowship	Masterclass host	London
May 21	Adobe Summit	Keynote speaker	London
May 09	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Paris
Apr 20	cmo.com executive event	Keynote speaker	London
Feb 05	Private corporate event	Masterclass host	Zurich
Jan 27	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Amsterdam
Jan 20	CMO Fellowship	Masterclass host	Kitzbuehel
* 2015 *
Nov 26	World Marketing Congress	Keynote speaker	Mumbai
Nov 12	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Zurich
Oct 14	Data IQ Link	Keynote speaker	London
Oct 16	Pärnu Marketing Conference	Keynote speaker	Pärnu
Sep 25	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	London
Sep 21	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Cologne
Sep 15	Swiss CRM Forum	Keynote speaker	Zurich
Sep 25	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Heidelberg
Jul 16	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	London
Jul 10	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	London
Jul 07	ad:tech asean	Keynote speaker	Singapore
Jun 30	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Hamburg
Jun 05	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	HongKong
Jun 02	FT Marketing Innovators Summit	Keynote speaker	London
May 14	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	London
Apr 29	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	London
Apr 29	Adobe Summit 2015	Keynote speaker	London
Apr 08	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Singapore
Mar 19	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	London
Jan 08	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Bangkok
* 2014 *
Dec 08	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Park City
Dec 04	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	London
Nov 24	Private corporate event	Masterclass host	Kitzbühel
Oct 13	Private corporate event	Masterclass host	Kitzbühel
Oct 01	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	London
Sep 22	Private corporate event	Masterclass host	New York
Sep 15	Private corporate event	Masterclass host	Park City
Aug 15	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Singapore
Jul 01	Private corporate event	Masterclass host	London
Jun 16	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Park City
May 28	Private corporate event	Masterclass host	Singapore
Apr 07	Private corporate event	Keynote speaker	Tokyo
Mar 03	Private corporate event	Masterclass host	Charlotte
Mar 18	Corporate Financial Group	Keynote speaker	New York
Feb 27	CMO Council Advisory Board	Keynote speaker	New York