In this time of Blackberrys, blogs, the Internet, e-mail, cell phones and other demands for
attention, leading corporations know that cutting through the noise of all this “communication”
to connect meaningfully with employees and customers has never been more challenging. But
they
also know it is crucial to staying competitive. Susan Bird reveals the landmines as well as the
opportunities presented by this new era in which several minutes engaged in the right
conversation can be worth more than a year at your desk. Susan shares her expertise with
companies who seek to connect employees—at all levels—in face-to-face dialogue that drives
performance with ROI impact. And her fresh insights on how to engage customers
in “Brandversation™” are invaluable for marketers who want to create brand experience that
moves beyond awareness to preference.
Inspiring Communicator
Susan's Profile
A Stanford lawyer, Susan is Founder of MainEvent®, the annual global interactive business
forum, and the author of The ABC’s of Authentic Conversation.
Her company’s client roster includes the best brand names on the planet, like Accenture,
BT, DOW, IBM, Daimler Chrysler, Maytag, Nikkei (Japan), the New York Stock Exchange, and
Verizon, and many call her the “Queen of Conversation” for her provocative thought leadership.
Susan’s take on the strategic use of conversation to transform businesses, careers, and
the world has captured the imagination of audiences all over the world, including Cairo, Tokyo,
Paris, New York, Sydney, London, Dubai, Italy, Harvard Business School, and Yale, and for
several years she has been keynote speaker for the 360 Summit, an annual gathering hosted
by the New York Stock Exchange for senior executives and board directors of publicly listed
companies.
Susan has served as President of American Mediation Council, LLC, and enjoyed a
distinguished career in the real estate investment industry, as a senior officer with Grubb & Ellis
Company and later with her own firm. Earlier in her career, Susan practiced law at Pillsbury,
Madison & Sutro in San Francisco, with an emphasis on corporate litigation.
She is a Founding Member and former Chair of the Committee of 200; a member of the
International Women’s Forum; a member of the Women’s Leadership Board of the Kennedy
School of Government at Harvard University; and a member of the International Council for the
Kilby International Awards.
Susan has been featured in numerous print articles, including the Wall Street Journal, New
York
Times, Newsweek, Inc., Business Week, New York Woman, Crain’s New York Business, Venture,
Glamour Italy, USA Today and The Australian Financial Review, and has participated in
numerous radio and television interviews, including appearances on ABC, CBS, CNNfn, FNN,
Reuters Japan and CNBC.
She has received the Crain’s New York Business Award for Success and Leadership in
Business as well as the “Life of the City Award” from New York Woman magazine saluting her
for extraordinary business achievement.
Topic Categories
Communication
Leadership, Management
Entrepreneurs, Networking
Presentation Titles
It’s Not Just Talk: How Your Company Can Build a Global Network Through Meaningful
Conversation -- In global organizations today, communication across geographies,
between groups, and among individuals with diverse backgrounds is essential to success. Yet
ensuring that employees engage in meaningful, strategic conversations is challenging, and
embedding such skills starts at the top. Leaders committed to interaction with and among
employees— whether 8 or 80,000 of them— can build a “conversational company” in which
employees effectively communicate their own points of view as well as learn from the points of
view of others including customers, turning that knowledge into productivity and revenue. Bird
reveals the 8 steps to igniting and maintaining an organization-wide TalkSystem™ that turns
conversation into asset-building action.
I is for Intercourse: The ABC’s of Authentic Conversation -- Before the age of two,
virtually everyone in the world has learned to talk. But only a small minority of people – even
after reaching adulthood – know how to converse. That disparity can mean the difference
between a date and a proposal for marriage; a job interview and a job; a casual business
contact and a long-term client relationship. “I is for Intercourse” de-mystifies and simplifies
the art of conversation for people who want to make the extraordinary happen in their
professional lives. These days, when we’re surrounded by chatter but crave authentic
connection, the ability to engage in meaningful conversation can be a powerfully strategic
advantage for a business professional with something to say. Susan gives you the tools you’ll
need to move from small talk to Wow! conversation.
Kissing Frogs: Building the Endurance of a Successful Entrepreneur --
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted. Susan shares her own story as the successful
owner of a series of businesses, and the visionary behind MainEvent®, the global leadership
conversation that connects thousands of corporate executives around the world in meaningful
dialogue. She offers practical tips for facing the perils of entrepreneurship with gusto, and
offers hope to those starting out. Building a business of your own does not require a special
gift or gene. It does, however, require the guts to take a stand for your vision and the
perseverance to execute, especially when the going gets tough. Susan uses examples from a
wealth of real-life success—and failure—stories to show you how.
360 Leadership: How to Connect the Facets of Your Expertise to Create a Circle of
Extraordinary Power -- Susan has engaged hundreds of senior executives all over the
world in provocative, revealing dialogue. Out of those conversations, she coined the concept
of “360 Leadership,” the term she uses to describe the ability of an extraordinary leader to
perform with excellence in a variety of arenas, each requiring different skills. A 360 Leader has
the ability to draw on all aspects of her personality, adjusting appropriately to the situation at
hand, and making certain her organization draws on the best of thought leadership from a
diversity of perspectives. Susan’s articulation of “360 Leadership”—and her first-hand
repertoire of real-life behind the scenes stories involving business and thought leaders
everyone has heard or read about—provides insider knowledge that every attendee interested
in leadership issues will find invaluable and take away to use in his own professional and
personal lives.
Audience Testimonials
"I was in the audience in Paris when Susan Bird addressed a gathering of business executives
from all over Europe. Within minutes she had transformed this group of strangers into a
network, using conversation in new ways that ignited everyone’s vision of business leadership.
She is amazing. " -- Susan Lucas-Conwell, Founder, The Forum for Women Entrepreneurs
"It was a great group (as usual) this morning and you do a magnificent job of provoking a
fascinating discussion and making sure that we get the benefit of the wisdom of all there.
There's nothing quite like it." -- Noreen Culhane, EVP, Corporate Listings & Compliance, New
York Stock Exchange
"Susan Bird reinforces the importance of good communication skills and presents them as the
art form they truly are. " -- Lillian Vernon, Founding Chairman, Lillian Vernon Corporation
In Her Own Words
"I believe strongly that conversations can change the world."
Susan in action 