Joseph R. Folkman, Ph.D.

Joe Folkman is co-founder and President of Zenger Folkman, a firm specializing in

leadership and organizational development. He is a highly acclaimed keynote speaker at

conferences and seminars the world over. His topics focus on a variety of subjects related

to leadership, feedback, and individual and organizational change.

As one of the nation’s renowned psychometricians, his extensive expertise focuses on

survey research and change management. He has over 30 years of experience consulting

with some of the world’s most prestigious and successful organizations, public and private.

A distinguished expert in the field of measurement, his unique surveys and assessments are designed utilizing a database comprised of over 1.6 million assessments on over 150,000 leaders. Because these tools specifically address critical business results, facilitating development and change is the main focus of measurement efforts.

Joe has had engagements with clients such as AT&T, Celgene, General Motors, General Mills, Reed-Elsevier, Invesco, Wells Fargo, MUFG, and Yale University. The diversity of industries and business models has provided him with a powerful learning opportunity and an exceptional research base. Joe’s research has been published in several publications, including The Harvard Business Review, Forbes, The Wall

Street Journal’s National Business Employment Weekly, Training and Development Magazine, and Talent Quarterly. In 2021, he was honored with ATD’s Distinguished Contribution to Talent Development award, which recognizes an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to the talent development field that has had a sustained impact. He is

also the recipient of HR.com’s Top Leadership Partner and Provider, ISA’s Thought Leader of the Year, and the William G. Dyer Distinguished Alumni awards.

Prior to forming Zenger Folkman, Joe was a founding partner of Novations Group, Inc., where he led the employee survey and 360-degree assessment practice. Joe holds a doctorate degree in Social and Organizational Psychology, as well as a master’s degree in Organizational Behavior from Brigham Young University. He is the author or co-author of nine books: Turning Feedback into Change, Making Feedback Work, Employee Surveys that Make a Difference, The Extraordinary Leader, The Handbook for Leaders, The Power of Feedback, The Inspiring

Leader, How to be Exceptional, SPEED—How Leaders Accelerate Successful Execution, and his latest endeavor The Trifecta of Trust.