Press Kit

John's Bio, By-line, and Introduction

John Spence is the 2026 Thinkers360 Thought Leader of the Year and a recognized authority in leadership and building high-performance organizations. The American Management Association named him one of America's Top 50 Leaders to Watch, alongside Sergey Brin and Larry Page of Google and Jeff Bezos of Amazon.

He has shared his insights at more than 50 universities, including Stanford, Princeton, Cornell, and the Wharton School of Business, where he has been a lead instructor at the Securities Industry Institute for 27 years.

John has served as CEO of four companies and currently serves as a board member or adviser to several organizations. As a speaker, coach, and advisor to organizations around the globe, from startups to the Fortune 10, John is dedicated to helping people and businesses be more successful by "Making the Very Complex… Awesomely Simple.”

For John’s full by-line, introduction, and biography, download the PDF below.

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Awards and Accolades

Top Thought Leader of the Year (2026)

Thinkers360 awarded John Spence with the highest individual honor in the Thinkers360 Annual Awards. The award is presented to one expert worldwide following a global public vote and independent review by a panel of industry judges evaluating innovation, impact, and authority.

Thinkers360

  • Top 25 Global Thought Leaders & Influencers in Business Strategy (2026)
  • Top 50 Global Thought Leaders & Influencers in Business Strategy (2023, 2024, 2025)
  • Top 50 Global Thought Leaders & Influencers in Coaching (2023, 2024, 2025)
  • Top 50 Global Thought Leaders & Influencers in Customer Experience (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026)
  • Top 50 Global Thought Leaders & Influencers in Culture (2020, 2022, 2023, 2026)
  • Top 100 Global Thought Leaders & Influencers in Careers (2026)
  • Top 100 Global Thought Leaders & Influencers in Leadership (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)
  • Top 100 Global Thought Leaders & Influencers in Entrepreneurship (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)
  • Top 25 Global Thought Leaders & Influencers in AI Safety (2026)

Global Gurus World's Top 30 Management Professionals

Ranked #29 globally in the 2025 awards, announced in 2026.

Distinguished Achievement Awards Shortlist – Breakthrough Idea Award (2017)

Recognized among the world's leading emerging management thinkers for the Breakthrough Idea Award, one of the Distinguished Achievement Awards presented by Thinkers50.

Top Biggest Voices in Leadership to Watch in 2022

I am honored to be included on the Top 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership in 2022 list by LeadersHum.

100 Best Leadership Blogs to Follow in 2026

Feedspot has ranked John Spence's blog among the top 50 leadership blogs for company leaders two years in a row.

New York Distance Learning Association - Top Global Thought Leaders

The NYDLA has recognized John as one of the Top Global Thought Leaders. No matter what labels we use, the NYDLA aims to be the premier remote work, distance/digital learning, and collaboration association in the United States and beyond.

Top 100 Leadership Speakers For 2018

Inc. Magazine has named John Spence as one of the top 100 great leadership speakers for 2018.

AMA’s Leaders to Watch in 2015

The American Management Association, one of the world’s most respected business and professional development organizations, has named John Spence as one of the top 50 leaders to watch in 2015.

100 Great Leadership Speakers

Named as one of the 100 best leadership speakers, others on the list include: Tom Peters, Gary Hamel, Jim Collins, Jim Kouzes, Barry Posner, Bréne Brown, Tony Hsieh, Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Marshall Goldsmith.

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