Stephen M. R. Covey is co-founder and CEO of CoveyLink Worldwide. A sought-after and compelling keynote speaker and advisor on trust, leadership, ethics and high performance, he speaks to audiences around the world.

He is the author of The SPEED of Trust, a groundbreaking and paradigm-shifting book that challenges our age-old assumption that trust is merely a soft, social virtue and instead demonstrates that trust is a hard-edged, economic driver - a learnable and measurable skill that makes organizations more profitable, people more promotable and relationships more energizing. He advocates that nothing is as fast as the speed of trust, and that the ability to establish, grow, extend and restore trust with all stakeholders is the critical leadership competency of the new global economy.

Covey passionately delivers that message and is dedicated to enabling individuals and organizations to reap the dividends of high trust. Audiences and organizations alike resonate with his informed, practical approach to real-time issues that affect their immediate and long-term performance.

A Harvard MBA, he joined Covey Leadership Center as a Client Developer and later became National Sales Manager and then President & CEO. Under Covey's direction, the company grew rapidly and profitably, achieving Inc. 500 status. As President & CEO, he nearly doubled revenues to over $110 million while increasing profits by 12 times. During that period, both customer and employee trust reached new highs, and the company expanded throughout the world into over 40 countries. This greatly increased the value of the brand and company. The company was valued at only $2.4 million when Covey was named CEO, and, within three years, he grew shareholder value to $160 million in a merger he orchestrated with then Franklin Quest to form FranklinCovey.

Over the years, Covey has gained considerable respect and influence with executives and leaders of Fortune 500 companies as well as with mid- and small-sized private sector and public sector organizations he's consulted. Clients recognize his unique perspective on real-world organizational issues based on his practical experience as a former CEO.

Covey currently serves on the board/advisory board of several entities, including the Human Performance Institute-the leader in energy management technology-where he serves as Advisory Board Chairman.

• Leading at the Speed of Trust - The Speed of Trust challenges our age-old assumption that trust is merely a soft, social virtue and instead demonstrates that trust is a hard-edged, economic driver - a learnable and measurable skill that makes organizations more profitable, people more promotable and relationships more energizing. This fast-paced and engaging presentation dramatically reveals TRUST as the hidden variable that will become your most leverageable tool, fueling your current strategic imperatives.