Simon T. Bailey

What does it take to build a future that your best people — including the next generation of talent your industry depends on — actually want to follow?

In this research-grounded, cross-industry keynote drawn from his latest research from the State of Working America – Thriving in Resilience & Brilliance, Simon T. Bailey delivers a masterclass for C-suite leaders at the intersection of the future of work, organizational culture, and the emerging science of hope as a leadership discipline.

Drawing on behavioral research from healthcare, retail, SAAS, financial firms and luxury hospitality — and translating those cross-industry insights directly into the foodservice context — Simon reframes the conversation that too many CEOs are having internally but not saying out loud: How do we lead an organization through complexity, keep our best people, and build a culture that the next generation of leaders actually chooses?

This is not a motivational talk. It is a strategic briefing for leaders who understand that the future of their enterprise depends on their ability to build — right now — the kind of culture that makes talent want to stay, grow, and lead.

Understand the Artemis Era — and What It Demands of CEOs Right Now

The command-and-control leadership model that built the industry’s iconic brands is no longer sufficient. Research from McKinsey, Deloitte, and Harvard Business School consistently shows that organizations with intentionally inclusive leadership structures outperform peers on innovation, retention, and profitability. Simon translates that data into a clear framework: what the Artemis Era requires of leaders at the top, and what happens to organizations whose CEOs have not yet made the shift.

2. The Future of Work Is Not Coming — It Has Already Arrived in Your Dining Room

Five generations are now in the workforce simultaneously. Gen Z will represent 27% of the global workforce by 2025. They do not respond to legacy management styles. Gallup data shows that only 23% of the global workforce is engaged — and in hospitality and foodservice, that number drops further. Simon surfaces what the research actually says about what moves this workforce: not perks, not pay alone, but leaders who build futures people can see themselves in.

3. Hope Is Not a Feeling. It Is an Economic Strategy.

C.R. Snyder’s Hope Theory at the University of Kansas — and subsequent studies across healthcare, education, and high-performance sports teams — demonstrate that hope is a cognitive framework, not an emotion. Leaders who operationalize hope — by giving their people clear pathways, real agency, and visible futures — see measurable gains in discretionary effort, reduced turnover, and higher guest satisfaction scores. Simon shows CEOs how to activate this inside their organizations at every level of the enterprise.

Purpose

In today's oversaturated market, average service is extinct. Simon reveals the transformative insight from his seven years as a Disney cast member and sales director of the Disney Institute that elevates customer experiences from mundane to memorable.

Process

- Cut through digital noise with emotional connections

- Turn every interaction into a "wow" moment

- Harness the power of being a “plus in a minus world" creates viral, organic growth

- Engage customers' heads, hearts, and hands for unshakeable loyalty

Payoff

Create passionate brand advocates.

Elevate your competitive edge in a world driven by recommendations and reviews.

Transform your team. Electrify your brand.

Every organization has them — the ones who clock in but checked out long ago. The quiet quitters. The fence-sitters. The employees who are physically present but psychologically absent, running on autopilot and waiting for someone else to light the fire.

But here's what the data won't tell you: sitting right next to them is someone extraordinary. Someone with untapped potential, concealed genius, and a deep capacity for contribution — who hasn't been given the language, the permission, or the framework to unleash it.

Simon T. Bailey calls them Thrivers. And in this high-energy, deeply practical keynote, he shows your people exactly how to become one.

Thrivers don't wait for a promotion to lead. They don't need a title to make an impact. They find genuine meaning in their work, take radical ownership of their performance, and transform their job from the inside out — propelling themselves, their teams, and the entire organization into a brighter future.

This is not a motivational pep talk. It is a masterclass in career significance.

Your people will leave knowing how to:

Own the room without owning the title. True influence is not assigned — it is earned. Thrivers lead from wherever they stand, and this session shows exactly how.

Turn quiet quitting into quiet brilliance. Simon gives practical tools to positively shift the energy of fence-sitters and disengaged team members — not through pressure, but through purpose.

Activate the five imperative skills of transformation. In a world that is constantly changing, surviving is no longer enough. These five skills separate those who drift from those who drive.

Push open the door to their own potential. Every person in the room carries strengths they have yet to fully leverage. This session is the key.

Refuse the cycle of discontent. Thrivers don't long for greener pastures. They grow the ground beneath their feet.