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"I couldn't have written a more relevant and 'on point' talk for the messages we were trying to convey in the Foundation Session if I had written it myself! Your story about the start of the Wolfpack ventures within Best Buy reinforced and solidified this message in a way that we never could - you've lived it and your company benefited from it. Your story about bringing voices of the unheard to the table was extremely powerful. Many, many students commented to me about how inspired they were by your story and how powerful was your message."
"She was entertaining and inspiring. I feel that once again the Masters Forum has identified a "need" and opened our eyes to great thinking on a leadership challenge." - Masters Forum attendee
"Julie has proven that, through hard work and perseverance, one person's efforts can make a difference. She truly has conquered many "giants" in her journey to the benefit of 1000's of people and her willingness to go the distance will positively impact countless others." - Masters Forum attendee
"Julie is the first of, I hope, many speakers who will address the need to change the work environment to respond to different cultural norms and values." - Masters Forum attendee
"Julie forced me out of comfort zone and opened my mind to other business approaches different form my own." - Masters Forum attendee
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Julie Gilbert
BIG IDEAS
SNAPSHOT BIO Julie Gilbert motivates individuals to find their voices, link to their passions, re-think their leadership possibilities, and reinvent themselves, their organizations, and their communities. She inspires others to create empowering networks and build new businesses to fuel innovation, change, and winning business results. Her initiatives have earned her a reputation as one of the fastest-rising leaders in corporate America. A seven-year company veteran, Julie is committed to building the business by finding, growing, and retaining great talent and linking this to unmet customer needs. She has demonstrated this commitment in her career with the creation and launch of new businesses for the companies with which she’s worked. Today, she works to unlock the leader in every single Best Buy employee by overseeing teams that develop and implement the training curriculum for Best Buy’s 140,000 U.S. store employees and leverage the lives and experiences of tens of thousands of female employees to transform Best Buy’s business. Her highly acclaimed retail leadership forum gives high-potential employees the opportunity to partner with corporate support teams and take on new business initiatives for the company. Julie is a 2008 honoree of the The White House Project's Circle of 10, a group of exceptional women across sectors who have made women’s leadership possible by virtue of their philanthropic, personal and professional endeavors. She was named one of Minnesota’s Women to Watch by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and one of the 100 most successful women in business by Profiles in Diversity Journal Magazine. She has been featured in BusinessWeek, USA Today, and PINK magazine, and profiled on ForbesTV and ABC, among other media outlets. A firm believer in giving back, Julie incorporates community outreach into the development initiatives at Best Buy. Furthermore, she currently partners with the Girls Scouts (to help inspire girls at all ages to pursue their passions and help each other), the International Museum of Women (which links women globally), and the Grameen Foundation (which helps women in the most poverty stricken areas of the world build new businesses). A South Dakota native, Julie earned her master’s degree in strategy and marketing and her bachelor’s degree in accounting—both with highest distinction—from the University of Minnesota. She is also a licensed CPA in the state of Minnesota.
A Closer Look at Julie
FOCUS AREAS Julie helps create significant organic innovation and business growth by:
Julie considers giving back to communities to be an important, strategic part of business. She aims to inspire and link women across the globe, providing them with the business-building and leadership skills they need to transform themselves and their environments for the better
ENGAGEMENTS Julie is a passionate change agent with proven business credibility. She helps transform organizations and cultures through creative organic business growth, leadership development, and networks of voices that fuel innovation and real change. Organizations are interested in the unique ways that she has embedded the gender component into business goals and outcomes. An inspirational presenter, Julie shares how she helps others develop life skills, tie their passions to their work, and create new business opportunities through networks. Julie has presented at The Masters Forum, the Forbes Conference, the American Marketing Association, the Ross Leadership Initiative-Foundation Session, the Minnesota High-Tech Association Annual Conference, the Heartland Institute Conference, the Girls Scouts Annual Event, the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show, the 15th Annual Society of Consulting Psychology, Division 13 of the American Psychological Association, and many others. Upcoming engagements include the 2008 National Human Capital Summit, the Institute of Management Accountants 88th Annual Conference & Exposition and the National Girls Scouts Conference.
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE Julie is influenced the most by people that do not have official power, whose voices are not heard. These groups include primarily those with backgrounds and experiences not typically heard in the board room (aka the company's customer growth). She is most drawn to people who are somehow not in the social traditional norms of culture. These people influence Julie because of their ability to accomplish amazing things against all odds, right down to basic human survival and because they comprise the majority of employees and customers any company could look to for organic growth. These individuals also tend to have the most passion and courage, and they are the often the most creative and self-sufficient. They will reinvent future companies and the sustainability of the world. Julie is also significantly influenced by historical change agents such as Catherine the Great, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Gandhi, Jesus, and Susan B. Anthony.
RECOMMENDED READING The Great Bridge, by David McCullough, about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge; Mavericks at Work, by William C. Taylor and Polly G. Labarre; Tripping the Prom Queen, Susan Shapiro Barash; Vanity Fair
MIND FUEL Julie gleans insight and information by observing human behavior on a daily basis in myriad situations and settings. She looks specifically for common human behavior in difficult situations, as those ignite the largest business growth possibilities and promise for broad change. She says, “I also try to throw myself into unfamiliar cultural situations and many times travel alone to ensure I am ‘in it’ with the local people.” The solo trips put her in unfamiliar situations and force her to understand what’s happening around her. "People and their behavior fascinate me in all social classes, groups, and unique settings. It is through real life that I see opportunities for business and sustainable positive change for all."
OUTREACH
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