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James H. Killian, PH.D.

Executive Advisor; Speaker; Business Professor; Founder of The Customer-Driven Leader

Most organizations don't have an AI problem—they have a leadership problem. Dr. James Killian challenges leaders to rethink how they lead, showing why customer-driven leadership is the missing link between AI investment, employee engagement, customer loyalty, and business growth.

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Bio

James H. Killian, Ph.D., is executive advisor, keynote speaker, business professor, and founder of The Customer-Driven Leader. He helps organizations transform leadership, culture, and employee experiences into sustainable customer and business growth.

His leadership experience spans Hogan Assessment Systems, IBM, Qualtrics, Marsh, several acquired startups, and instructing in the Broad College of Business at Michigan State University. James combines behavioral science with practiced executive experience to help leaders move beyond customer-centric buzzwords and create organizations that customers and employees genuinely want to be part of.

James teaches leadership strategy and organizational effectiveness, advises senior executives and leadership teams, and is the author of Obsessed: Cultivating the Customer-Driven Leader. His work focuses on the intersection of leadership behaviors, workplace design, employee experience, and customer outcomes.

Through keynotes and executive workshops, James delivers practical frameworks that help leaders create cultures that drive engagement, innovation, retention, and measurable business performance.

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Keynotes

Featured Keynote

Leadership in the Age of AI: How Customer-Driven Leaders Will Win the Next Decade
Most companies don't lose customers because of bad products. They lose them because leadership systems unintentionally train people to avoid customers.

AUDIENCE TAKEAWAYS
- Understand the four customer-leadership "types"
- Learn how to align your culture, systems, and behaviors around the customer
- Build teams empowered to solve customer problems
IDEAL FOR: CEOs, CXOs, Sales Leaders, HR Leaders, Customer Experience Professionals, SKOs

FORMAT OPTIONS

Keynote
45–60 min

Workshop
Half-day / Full-day

Executive Session
90–120 min

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE IS BROKEN: Why Workplace Design Matters More Than Engagement
EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE IS BROKEN: Why Workplace Design Matters More Than Engagement
For two decades, organizations have measured employee engagement, yet burnout, turnover, and disengagement continue to rise. The problem isn't motivation—it's workplace design. Great leaders don't just engage employees; they create the conditions where great work can happen.

AUDIENCE TAKEAWAYS

Understand why engagement alone isn't enough

Learn the five workplace conditions that drive performance and retention

Build cultures where people thrive instead of simply survive

IDEAL FOR: CHROs, HR Leaders, People Managers, CEOs, Culture Leaders, Employee Experience Professionals

FORMAT OPTIONS

Keynote
45–60 min

Workshop
Half-day / Full-day

Executive Session
90–120 min
AI + HUMAN LEADERSHIP: Using AI to Amplify Impact Without Losing Humanity
AI + HUMAN LEADERSHIP: Using AI to Amplify Impact Without Losing Humanity
AI won't replace great leaders—but it will expose average ones. The organizations that win won't simply deploy better technology; they'll develop leaders who know when to automate, when to empathize, and how to combine artificial intelligence with uniquely human judgment.

AUDIENCE TAKEAWAYS

Learn where AI creates value—and where people remain irreplaceable

Build leadership practices that increase productivity without sacrificing trust

Create an AI-ready culture where technology amplifies human potential

IDEAL FOR: CEOs, Executive Teams, Technology Leaders, HR Leaders, Operations Leaders, Innovation Teams

FORMAT OPTIONS

Keynote
45–60 min

Workshop
Half-day / Full-day

Executive Session
90–120 min
CUSTOMER OBSESSION AT SCALE: Lessons from Organizations That Transformed Culture
CUSTOMER OBSESSION AT SCALE: Lessons from Organizations That Transformed Culture
Customer obsession isn't created by mission statements—it's built through thousands of leadership decisions made every day. Learn what the world's most admired organizations do differently to create cultures where employees consistently deliver exceptional customer experiences.

AUDIENCE TAKEAWAYS

Discover the leadership behaviors that create customer-first cultures

Learn practical lessons from organizations that transformed performance

Understand how culture becomes a sustainable competitive advantage

IDEAL FOR: CEOs, Customer Experience Leaders, Sales Leaders, Operations Leaders, Marketing Leaders, Executive Teams

FORMAT OPTIONS

Keynote
45–60 min

Workshop
Half-day / Full-day

Executive Session
90–120 min
EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCES WITH IMPACT: Building Direction, Coaching, and Career Conversations That Retain Talent
EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCES WITH IMPACT: Building Direction, Coaching, and Career Conversations That Retain Talent
People rarely leave organizations because of a single bad day—they leave after hundreds of missed conversations. Great leaders don't just manage performance; they create meaningful moments that build clarity, trust, growth, and long-term commitment.

AUDIENCE TAKEAWAYS

Master the three conversations every employee needs from their leader

Learn practical coaching techniques that improve performance and retention

Build stronger teams through intentional leadership conversations

IDEAL FOR: People Leaders, HR Leaders, Frontline Managers, Executive Teams, Learning & Development, Talent Management

FORMAT OPTIONS

Keynote
45–60 min

Workshop
Half-day / Full-day

Executive Session
90–120 min

Topics

Artificial Intelligence Trending
Customer Relations & Experience

Leadership Trending
Workplace Culture

James Killian Speaker Reel 2026

James Killian Sizzle Reel (Short)

When great employees fail, it's usually the workplace design

HR Executive Article about the future of Work Experience

3 Rules For Gathering Employee Feedback — And When To Break Them

Forbes Article on Employee Feedback

Employee Recognition Isn't Broken – Your Workplace Design Is

HRM Outlook Magazine Article - Focus on how to create cultures and create the conditions for success and delivering superior customer-driven experiences

Rethinking The Candidate Experience

Forbes Article on creating better candidate experiences

No Medals for Medallia: When Financial Engineering Undermines Customer Experience

How Private Equity ruins good brands

2026 Obsessed: Cultivating the Customer-Driven Leader

Such a powerful framework to understand how leadership and culture drive the journey that customers experience.

Ania Rodriguez CEO & Founder, JourneyTrack

Too many organizations talk about being customer-centric while making it hard for customers to feel seen, heard, or valued. Obsessed gets underneath that gap—showing how customer-driven leadership shapes what employees do and what customers experience.

Bruce Temkin Leader of the Humanity at Scale movement; Founder of the Qualtrics XM Institute and Customer Experience Professionals Association

The impact of James's skills and tools continued well beyond our Leadership Academy. Leaders repeatedly shared how valuable it was to learn new ways to support people as individuals and meet them where they are.

Jennifer Hogge, VP of Human Resources Forest City Trading Group

We will soon publish James' engaging session as a members-only webinar, and I have no doubt it will be one of our most popular webinars this year.

Jeremy Lockhorn SVP Innovation, 4As

I'll never forget the time I met a peer at another company who was envious that I could secure time on James's calendar—a reflection of the reputation he has earned as a trusted expert in the Workplace Experience field.

Paige Blackhurst Director, Global Employee Experience & Talent Management, Lumen Technologies

Dr. Killian's presentation at our HR Evolution conference was one of the highest-rated sessions of the entire event. What made James stand out was his ability to take complex research, data, and leadership concepts and turn them into practical, actionable strategies leaders could immediately apply. His interactive style, thought-provoking questions, and ability to engage the audience created a level of participation we rarely see at conferences. Truly outstanding.

Peter Leckemby, Head of Talent Management, Dish Network

Dr. Killian's argument is great. A step up, intellectually, from the usual business book.

Robert T. Hogan, Ph.D. Founder & President, Hogan Assessment Systems

Dr. James Killian delivered a powerful daylong session for our accelerated leadership development program. His practical insights on becoming a better coach and mentor, and how that directly drives organizational performance, resonated strongly with our group of 30 high-potentials. Participants left energized with actionable tools they are already applying to elevate their teams on the trading floor. With his excellent facilitation skills and real-time content creation, James truly knocked it out of the park. He is an exceptional speaker who adds tremendous value to any leadership event.

Ryan Ross, Chief Revenue Officer or Enlite Talent

I love how his model separates the pyramid (i.e., culture) (the split) into customer-aligning and customer-derailing behaviors. You're either focused on the customer—or you're not.

Shep Hyken New York Times Best Selling Author

Dr. James Killian hit a home run with this book. He doesn't just talk about customer experience—he shows exactly how to connect it to employee behavior and real financial outcomes.

Tom DeWitt, Ph.D. Founder, XM Global Collaborative

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James H. Killian, PH.D.

Bio

Keynotes

Leadership in the Age of AI: How Customer-Driven Leaders Will Win the Next Decade

Topics

Such a powerful framework to understand how leadership and culture drive the journey that customers experience.

Too many organizations talk about being customer-centric while making it hard for customers to feel seen, heard, or valued. Obsessed gets underneath that gap—showing how customer-driven leadership shapes what employees do and what customers experience.

The impact of James's skills and tools continued well beyond our Leadership Academy. Leaders repeatedly shared how valuable it was to learn new ways to support people as individuals and meet them where they are.

We will soon publish James' engaging session as a members-only webinar, and I have no doubt it will be one of our most popular webinars this year.

I'll never forget the time I met a peer at another company who was envious that I could secure time on James's calendar—a reflection of the reputation he has earned as a trusted expert in the Workplace Experience field.

Dr. Killian's argument is great. A step up, intellectually, from the usual business book.

I love how his model separates the pyramid (i.e., culture) (the split) into customer-aligning and customer-derailing behaviors. You're either focused on the customer—or you're not.

Dr. James Killian hit a home run with this book. He doesn't just talk about customer experience—he shows exactly how to connect it to employee behavior and real financial outcomes.

Let's find your perfect speaker!

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Keep Up To Date

James H. Killian, PH.D.

Bio

Keynotes

Leadership in the Age of AI: How Customer-Driven Leaders Will Win the Next Decade

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE IS BROKEN: Why Workplace Design Matters More Than Engagement

AI + HUMAN LEADERSHIP: Using AI to Amplify Impact Without Losing Humanity

CUSTOMER OBSESSION AT SCALE: Lessons from Organizations That Transformed Culture

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCES WITH IMPACT: Building Direction, Coaching, and Career Conversations That Retain Talent

Topics

Such a powerful framework to understand how leadership and culture drive the journey that customers experience.

Too many organizations talk about being customer-centric while making it hard for customers to feel seen, heard, or valued. Obsessed gets underneath that gap—showing how customer-driven leadership shapes what employees do and what customers experience.

The impact of James's skills and tools continued well beyond our Leadership Academy. Leaders repeatedly shared how valuable it was to learn new ways to support people as individuals and meet them where they are.

We will soon publish James' engaging session as a members-only webinar, and I have no doubt it will be one of our most popular webinars this year.

I'll never forget the time I met a peer at another company who was envious that I could secure time on James's calendar—a reflection of the reputation he has earned as a trusted expert in the Workplace Experience field.

Dr. Killian's argument is great. A step up, intellectually, from the usual business book.

I love how his model separates the pyramid (i.e., culture) (the split) into customer-aligning and customer-derailing behaviors. You're either focused on the customer—or you're not.

Dr. James Killian hit a home run with this book. He doesn't just talk about customer experience—he shows exactly how to connect it to employee behavior and real financial outcomes.

Let's find your perfect speaker!

Explore

Quick Links

Keep Up To Date