Drawing on his 25+ years of experience as CEO of major corporations in multiple industries, Mr. Manby assists CEOs and boards in transforming their organization’s business performance and culture through a set of proven processes and tools.
Previously, Mr. Manby was the President, CEO, and Director of SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. He stepped in when SeaWorld was mired in a brand crisis which caused sales and profits to plummet. Mr. Manby reset SeaWorld’s vision and guest experience, turning around sales and cash flow while improving the culture, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction scores.
For over a decade, he served as the President and CEO of Herschend Family Enterprises, which operated internationally respected brands such as the Harlem Globetrotters and Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Parks and Resorts. During this time, he developed the seven behaviors of the verb, love, which defined Herschend’s caring culture and inspired his book.
Prior to Herschend, Mr. Manby spent 20 years in the auto industry and served as CEO of Saab Automobile during Saab’s U.S. turnaround. During his tenure, sales increased by nearly 70%, and Saab rose from 30th to 5th in the auto industry in dealer and customer satisfaction.
Mr. Manby authored “Love Works. Seven Timeless Principles for Effective Leaders,” detailing how to integrate love, the verb, into the leadership ethos and philosophy of any organization. This servant leadership approach has been systematically proven to transform organizations through lower turnover, higher employee engagement, more satisfied customers, and stronger profits. Love Works has sold over 100,000 copies and has been re-released in an expanded and updated version.
For over 20 years, he has served as the non-executive Chairman of Orange, a non-profit organization dedicated to the development & distribution of youth curriculum and leadershiptraining for more than 9,000 churches in over 40 countries.
Mr. Manby received his M.B.A., with honors, from Harvard Business School and was Valedictorian at Albion College, where he since received the distinguished alumni award and an honorary doctorate for his service and achievement. He and his wife Shannon reside in Naples, Florida.
Speaking Topics:
- Love Works: Seven Timeless Principles for Effective Leaders
- 5 Steps to Culture Transformation
- 4 Ways to Assure Your Success as a Leader
- You Can’t Give a Killer Whale Mouth to Mouth: Life and Leadership Lessons from SeaWorld’s Transformation
- Vision and Focus: Establishing Your Personal and Professional Vision
- C-Suite Mentorship – Year of Mentorship with Your Team
