David Novak

David Novak

Keynote Speaker: Entrepreneur, Author, Philanthropist, Founder and CEO of oGoLead, Co-Founder and Retired Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of YUM! Brands Inc.

David Novak Biography

David Novak is Co-Founder, retired Chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands, the world’s largest restaurant company with over 45,000 restaurants in more than 135 countries and territories. After retiring in 2016, he became Founder and CEO of David Novak Leadership, a leadership development company that teaches Novak’s proprietary method of modern team leadership through online courses, books and live workshops. Novak is also the host of the top-ranked business podcast, How Leaders Lead with David Novak.

Novak’s passion is to make the world a better place by developing leaders at every stage of life through David Novak Leadership, How Leaders Lead, his family’s Lift-a-Life Foundation, Lead4Change, Global Game Changers and the Novak Leadership Institute at the University of Missouri.

A renowned expert on leadership and recognition culture, Novak is also a bestselling leadership book author. His highly referenced and critically acclaimed books include The New York Times bestseller Taking People With You, The Only Way to Achieve Big Things Happen; O GREAT ONE! A Little Story About the Awesome Power of Recognition; and his latest book, Take Charge of You, How Self-coaching can transform your life and career.

During his tenure as CEO, Yum! Brands became a global powerhouse, growing from $4 billion in revenue to over $32 billion.

Novak has been recognized as “2012 CEO of the Year” by Chief Executive magazine, one of the world’s “30 Best CEOs” by Barron’s, one of the “Top People in Business” by FORTUNE and one of the “100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World” by Harvard Business Review. He received the Horatio Alger Award for his commitment to philanthropy and higher education, and the 2012 United Nation’s World Food Program Leadership Award for Yum! Brands World Hunger Relief.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on David Novak and other top speakers and celebrities.

David Novak Speaking Topics

Taking People With You: The Only Way to Make Big Things Happen

Why are Warren Buffett, Jamie Dimon, Jack Welch, Jeffrey Immelt and so many other top leaders praising David Novak’s upcoming book? Novak, recognized as one of the best-performing CEO’s in the world by Harvard Business Review, runs Yum! Brands—the world's largest restaurant company and parent of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell—with a staggering 1.4 million employees. He learned long ago that you can't lead a great organization of any size—from a tiny startup to a global giant—without getting your people aligned, enthusiastic, and focused relentlessly on the mission. But how do you accomplish that?

As Yum’s chairman and CEO, and as the author of TAKING PEOPLE WITH YOU: The Only Way to Make Big Things Happen, Novak has personally trained thousands of managers with his leadership guide—which has been 15 years in the making and tested on more than 4,000 managers—and is an action plan that challenges leaders to rise to higher levels of performance.

Novak knows that managers in the trenches don't need leadership platitudes or business theories. With a focus on corporate culture, customer relations and employee empowerment that enabled him to grow Yum! Brands globally, Novak cuts right to the chase and shares the secrets of the unique leadership program he’s developed in easy-to-follow steps: setting big goals, getting your people on board, blowing past your targets, celebrating together after you shock the skeptics, and doing it again and again until consistent excellence becomes a core element of your culture. Highly engaging and motivated, Novak inspires teams—from front line to front office—while delivering a specific process to help organizations achieve growth.

David Novak Videos

The Power of Taking People With You | David Novak | EDGE|X 2018 ...
Frmr. Yum Brands CEO David Novak: President Donald Trump's ...
David Novak | RestaurantSpaces - YouTube

How do I book David Novak to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like David Novak for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for David Novak, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for David Novak or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book David Novak for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for David Novak, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book David Novak are $100,000 - $200,000 for live events and $50,000 - $100,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire David Novak, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does David Novak speak about?

David Novak is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Business, Executive Leadership, Innovation, Marketing, Corporate Strategy, Strategic Leadership, Food & Beverage, Business Leadership, Teamwork & Teambuilding, Leadership and Communication.

Where does David Novak travel from?

David Novak generally travels from Louisville, KY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for David Novak?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like David Novak for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book David Novak for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host David Novak or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


David Novak is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Business, Executive Leadership and Innovation. The estimated speaking fee range to book David Novak for live events is $100,000 - $200,000, and for virtual events $50,000 - $100,000. David Novak generally travels from Louisville, KY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Greg Creed, Marc Randolph and Sara Blakely. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling David Novak for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 09/09/2024.

David Novak Speaking Topics

  • Taking People With You: The Only Way to Make Big Things Happen

    Why are Warren Buffett, Jamie Dimon, Jack Welch, Jeffrey Immelt and so many other top leaders praising David Novak’s upcoming book? Novak, recognized as one of the best-performing CEO’s in the world by Harvard Business Review, runs Yum! Brands—the world's largest restaurant company and parent of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell—with a staggering 1.4 million employees. He learned long ago that you can't lead a great organization of any size—from a tiny startup to a global giant—without getting your people aligned, enthusiastic, and focused relentlessly on the mission. But how do you accomplish that?

    As Yum’s chairman and CEO, and as the author of TAKING PEOPLE WITH YOU: The Only Way to Make Big Things Happen, Novak has personally trained thousands of managers with his leadership guide—which has been 15 years in the making and tested on more than 4,000 managers—and is an action plan that challenges leaders to rise to higher levels of performance.

    Novak knows that managers in the trenches don't need leadership platitudes or business theories. With a focus on corporate culture, customer relations and employee empowerment that enabled him to grow Yum! Brands globally, Novak cuts right to the chase and shares the secrets of the unique leadership program he’s developed in easy-to-follow steps: setting big goals, getting your people on board, blowing past your targets, celebrating together after you shock the skeptics, and doing it again and again until consistent excellence becomes a core element of your culture. Highly engaging and motivated, Novak inspires teams—from front line to front office—while delivering a specific process to help organizations achieve growth.

David Novak Videos

The Power of Taking People With You | David Novak | EDGE|X 2018 ...
Frmr. Yum Brands CEO David Novak: President Donald Trump's ...
David Novak | RestaurantSpaces - YouTube
  • How do I book David Novak to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like David Novak for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for David Novak, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for David Novak or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book David Novak for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for David Novak, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book David Novak are $100,000 - $200,000 for live events and $50,000 - $100,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire David Novak, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does David Novak speak about?

    David Novak is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Business, Executive Leadership, Innovation, Marketing, Corporate Strategy, Strategic Leadership, Food & Beverage, Business Leadership, Teamwork & Teambuilding, Leadership and Communication.
  • Where does David Novak travel from?

    David Novak generally travels from Louisville, KY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for David Novak?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like David Novak for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book David Novak for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host David Novak or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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