Videos
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Leaders on Purpose CEO Summits 2024| Christa Gyori and Tatiana Tarnowski -
Christa Gyori on Purpose
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Inspiring Infinity: Why businesses must look beyond their lifetime | Live Panel Discussion
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A Chat with Co-founders of Leaders on Purpose: Christa Gyori and Dr. Tatiana Kazakova.
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Leaders on Purpose | Christa Gyori & Dr Tatiana Kazakova | Hub Culture Davos 2022 -
Leaders On Purpose
Learn More About Christa Gyori
Christa Gyori (“JOR-ee”) is a globally recognized leadership strategist, CEO advisor, and co-founder of Leaders on Purpose. She equips executives with proven frameworks to lead through disruption, align strategy with long-term value, and unlock innovation through practical transformation. Her insights, rooted in exclusive research with 100+ global CEOs, help boards and C-suites navigate uncertainty, attract top talent, and prepare for what’s next.
As described by Dr. Sanjeev Khagram, CEO of ConnexctAi and Vice Chair of Altos Bank, “Christa Gyori is among the most inspiring and deeply insightful speakers with whom I have engaged. She has a rare ability to connect with diverse audiences, translating complex global leadership challenges into actionable strategies. Her talks leave leaders not just motivated, but equipped to drive meaningful change in their organizations and beyond.”
Inspired by a mission to address sustainable development goals (SDGs) while helping leaders maximize value for organizations and stakeholders, Gyori and her team endeavor to share insights and methodologies, including her co-authored 2018, 2019 and 2020 Leaders on Purpose CEO Studies, for supporting multinational business leaders who want to embed long-term purpose into the core of their strategy.
“Leaders are facing a moment where what they do in the next 10 years will impact the next 10,000 years,” explains Gyori, a founding member of Unilever’s North American FS Sustainability Council who was named by Forbes one of 11 women positively and inspiringly impacting the world through purpose. “Multinational businesses touch billions of people with their products every day, so when they make change, it has huge implications.”
Achieve Ambitious Goals Through High Impact Sustainability Leadership
Organizational sustainability goals have quickly become just as important as financial goals. How can leaders ensure that the rigorous approach companies take to finances are also being applied to sustainability?
According to Gyori, executives must become fluent in the steps to becoming high impact sustainability leaders, a process she facilitates through her 5-phase framework for building a sustainable business model. She shows that when change is navigated mindfully, purpose and profit can in fact bolster one another.
“We all know change is scary and while many leaders want to make changes, they just don’t know how,” explains Gyori, co-founder of SysMeta, an intuitive systemic data exploration platform and visualization tool. “I help leaders understand that it’s possible to harness this moment and move much faster toward a sustainable future than they ever thought possible.”
She empowers leaders to visualize the five phases in a systems-based approach. Doing so allows executives to take stock of where they are, where they want to be and how to get there in a practical, realistic way that will allow them to lift their organization by achieving ambitious sustainability goals.
The Role of a Leader as an Authentic Communicator
Mapping out a path to sustainability isn’t the only challenge today’s leaders face. With increasing expectation to step up and take a stand on values, effective managers must prioritize open communication. Drawn from her time interviewing and working with more than 100 of the world’s top CEOs, Gyori zooms in on authentic communication as one of the most important qualities of exceptional leaders.
“When taking a stand on values leaders support for themselves and their organization, they need to specify whether they’re speaking individually or for the company and be clear about that,” explains Gyori, a Harvard T.H. Chan School Professional of Excellence fellow from 2014 to 2021. “You have to be as authentic as you can while being clear about who you’re speaking for. Mistakes will happen. The best leaders aren’t afraid of mistakes – they own them and learn from them.”
Gyori and her team continue to engage with and draw proven insights from top multinational executives. From purpose-driven leadership to genuine communication strategies, Gyori’s expertise and practical frameworks can help leaders of organizations of all sizes ensure their company is optimally positioned to succeed financially and socially long into the future.
Christa Gyori is the co-founder and CEO of Leaders on Purpose. Prior to Leaders on Purpose, she spent much of her career as an executive at Unilever where she was a founding member of their North American FS Sustainability Council. Inspired by a mission to address sustainable development goals (SDGs) while helping leaders maximize value for organizations and stakeholders, she co-founded Leaders on Purpose with colleagues from Unilever, Harvard, the World Bank, and the London School of Economics.
Gyori is a co-founder of SysMeta, an intuitive systemic data exploration platform and visualization tool. She also sits on the board of Space4Girls, an organization dedicated to providing opportunities for girls and young women in space and innovation through STEM programming.
Shortlisted for the 2023 Thinkers50 Ideas Into Practice Award, she was named a Conscious Leader of the Year by Conscious Company Magazine in 2018 and was the 2013 winner of the TED Global-Unilever Innovation Award.
Gyori has worked with leaders across 5 continents, has an MBA in International Business from Thunderbird School of Global Management, and regularly serves as faculty for Harvard’s Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership program.
Christa Gyori is available to advise your organization via virtual and in-person consulting meetings, interactive workshops and customized keynotes through the exclusive representation of Stern Speakers & Advisors, a division of Stern Strategy Group.
Christa Gyori Addresses the Following Topics Through Keynotes, Workshops and Advisory Services:
- Thriving in Disruption: How Future-Fit Leaders Are Redefining Strategy and Resilience
- Leadership & Strategy in an Uncertain World: Insights from the Global CEO Study
- The New Leadership Playbook: Navigating Complexity Without the Buzzwords
- How Boards Can Prepare for the Next Wave of Business Risk (and Opportunity)
- Leading What You Don’t See: The Rise of the Algorithmic Workforce – what every executive needs to know about training AI agents
Lead Forward: The Insider's Guide to Purpose-Driven Transformation
In a world where purpose and profit are no longer mutually exclusive, a ground-breaking group of companies is redefining success by tackling society’s greatest challenges head-on. What’s their secret? A playbook of six unconventional strategies that defy traditional business norms. In this exclusive session, you’ll gain unparalleled access to CEO and co-founder of Leaders on Purpose Christa Gyori’s years of research on the world’s most progressive purpose-driven organizations, as revealed through extensive research and exclusive conversations with the visionary leaders at their helm. From forging unexpected partnerships to reimagining the role of leadership itself, you’ll discover the surprising and counterintuitive approaches that are powering their transformative impact. You’ll discover how tomorrow leader’s will:
- Set audacious sustainability goals that unleash an organization’s full potential.
- Leverage impact mapping to identify untapped opportunities for innovation.
- Build unshakeable trust through authentic alignment of purpose, strategy, and action.
- Form unconventional pro-competitive partnerships to drive systemic change.
- Master the art of strategic sequencing to navigate the complexities of transformation.
- Foster a vibrant, purpose-driven culture that attracts and retains top talent.
Gyori also delves into the challenges and pitfalls that leaders face on the path to sustainability, offering valuable insights on how to navigate these hurdles with resilience and agility. But the real magic lies in the stories behind the strategies – the pivotal moments, the tough decisions, and the game-changing insights that have shaped these companies’ extraordinary journeys. Get ready to be inspired, challenged, and equipped with a radical new blueprint for business as a force for good. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to gain insider access to the purpose-driven playbook and unlock the secrets to achieving profits with purpose. Your invitation to “lead forward” awaits.
Achieve Ambitious Goals Through High Impact Sustainability Leadership
Organizational sustainability goals have quickly become just as important as financial goals – so how can leaders ensure that the rigorous approach companies take to finances are also being applied to sustainability? According to CEO and co-founder of Leaders on Purpose, Christa Gyori, executives must become fluent in the steps to becoming high impact sustainability leaders. By revealing the five phases organizations must move through to build a sustainable business model – from inactive to generative – she shows how purpose and profit can in fact bolster one another. Gyori will reveal her accessible framework for navigating the five phases in a systems-based approach. Audiences will be empowered to take stock of where they are, where they want to be and how to get there in a practical, realistic way that will allow them to lift their organization by achieving ambitious sustainability goals.
The Role of a Leader as an Authentic Communicator
The role of a leader is more consequential now than ever before. According to CEO and co-founder of Leaders on Purpose, Christa Gyori, what leaders do in the next ten years will impact the next 10,000 years. How can executives ensure they are working toward a future all can be proud to be part of? In this enlightening presentation, Gyori draws on the insights gained from interviewing and working with more than 100 of the world’s top CEOs to outline the most important qualities of exceptional leaders. She zooms in on why it’s vital to prioritize authentic, transparent communication when sequencing and mapping out strategy. Audiences will leave with immediately applicable strategies for setting big goals, clearly communicating those goals and the steps to get there, and authentically recovering from mistakes to move a company forward in a purposeful fashion.
Expert Guidance for Creating a Top Purpose-Led Organization
Co-founder and CEO of Leaders on Purpose, Christa Gyori is a global authority on impactful sustainability leadership and transition. With over 20 years’ experience as a senior international executive, including as a founding member of Unilever’s North American FS Sustainability Council, she is a top advisor for leaders who aim to create sustainable enterprises that can boost both purpose and profit long into the future. She is available to discuss any or all of the following topics in programs that can be customized to meet the needs and goals of your organization with the added option of meeting virtually or in person.
- Achieve Ambitious Goals Through High Impact Sustainability Leadership
- The Role of a Leader as an Authentic Communicator
- Business Practices of the World’s Top Executives
Leading Through Disruption — Strategy, Innovation & AI Readiness for Executive Teams
This interactive session helps leadership teams prepare for disruption, from geopolitical uncertainty to the rise of AI and intelligent agents. Drawing on exclusive insights from 100+ top CEOs, Christa Gyori equips executives with the tools to assess readiness, align around bold strategy, and implement human-centered innovation. Participants leave with a clearer view of how AI will impact leadership, decision-making, and organizational trust — and how to move forward with confidence. Available in half- or full-day formats.
Target Audiences:
- Board retreats and director education programs
- Private equity and investment firm leadership gatherings
- C-suite strategy sessions and executive forums
- Industry association leadership conferences
"In my forty year global leadership career working with the likes off Desmond Tutu, Condi Rice, and Halla Tomasdottir, Christa Gyori is among the most inspiring and deeply insightful speakers with whom I have engaged. She has a rare ability to connect with diverse audiences, translating complex global leadership challenges into actionable strategies. Her talks leave leaders not just motivated, but equipped to drive meaningful change in their organizations and beyond. I recommend her most highly for VIP speaking engagements - you won't regret it!"
"Throughout the day, we explored the 'why' of leadership and purpose — Christa brought us the 'how.' Her insights delivered practical actions that every leader could immediately take forward.
"Christa Gyori is one of the most inspiring, authentic voices in leadership today. She combines deep strategic insight with a rare ability to connect personally with audiences, leaving people energized, clear, and ready to lead with greater courage and humanity."
"Christa’s talk was truly motivating and moved us toward action. She helped me realize that no matter how small our platform, we each have the power to make a difference. Her message combined inspiring leadership insights with a real-world focus on how business success and societal impact go hand in hand."
"Christa’s talk was inspiring and refreshingly interactive. She didn’t just deliver insights — she engaged the audience, creating a powerful, action-oriented experience."
"Christa’s speaking is powerfully moving and action-focused. She has a rare gift for inspiring leaders to not just think differently, but to act with greater purpose, courage, and strategic clarity."
"I've known [Christa] for about 5 years and have seen her present to big audiences at the annual Leaders on Purpose conferences. She has a very strong ability to connect with audiences, whether they are senior executives or emerging leaders. I value the way she brings lofty concepts to life by connecting them to actionable leadership frameworks and how-to points. Her passion shines through, in a grounded and engaging way (not flaky, like some "purpose focused" speakers)."
"Christa has an uncommon gift and capacity to engage, captivate and connect with audiences. An alluring, commanding yet warm stage presence, she speaks from her heart, pairing deep knowledge with evocative stories. To hear Christa speak is to feel invited into a global, timely, essential conversation that educates, entertains and inspires action."
