marcus buckingham

Marcus Buckingham is an English author, motivational speaker, and business consultant known for his work on strengths-based management and employee engagement. After co-authoring the New York Times best-seller ‘First, Break All the Rules’ in 1999, which sold over a million copies, Marcus Buckingham established himself as a leading authority in strengths-based management and employee engagement. This foundational work followed his recruitment by educational psychology professor Donald O. Clifton, the founder of Selection Research, Incorporated (SRI), and his subsequent tenure at The Gallup Organization starting in 1988, where he was a key member of a team focused on employee engagement.

Buckingham earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social and Political Sciences from Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1987. Building on the success of his debut, he co-created the acclaimed StrengthsFinder system and co-authored ‘Now, Discover Your Strengths’ with Donald O. Clifton in 2001, further solidifying his influence in talent optimization. In 2006, Buckingham founded The Marcus Buckingham Company (TMBC) to expand his impact through management training programs and innovative tools, including the ‘Simply Strengths’ workshop.

Under his leadership, TMBC developed and launched products such as ‘Trombone Player Wanted’ and the highly influential StandOut assessment, which he created in 2010. The StandOut assessment has since been completed by over 2 million individuals globally. His continued commitment to the topic led to the publication of ‘StandOut 2.0’ in 2015. TMBC’s significant contributions to talent development culminated in its acquisition by ADP, LLC in 2017, integrating his methodologies into a broader HR technology platform.

As a highly sought-after motivational speaker and business consultant, Marcus Buckingham consistently delivers transformative insights to global audiences, empowering individuals and reshaping organizational cultures through his strengths-based methodologies.