Best Public Speakers Series: John Mackey

by: Stephanie Bickel

Why We Chose John Mackey for the Best Public Speakers Series

We included John Mackey in our Best Public Speakers list because of how thoroughly and thoughtfully he lays out his arguments—and how he never shies away from the tough questions or dissent he knows he’ll face.

What makes a visionary CEO like John Mackey such compelling speaker? It’s not just his message - it’s the clarity, authenticity, and the restraint he brings to the stage.

A strong believer in free market principles, Mackey co-founded the Conscious Capitalism Movement and co-authored a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling book entitled “Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business” (Harvard Business Review Press 2013) to boldly defend and reimagine capitalism and encourage a way of doing business that is grounded in ethical consciousness. In his 2020 follow-up, “Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity through Business,” Mackey provides a roadmap for innovative, values-based leadership.

In 2022, Mackey was inducted into the World Retail Congress Hall of Fame, which honors retail’s most influential representatives whose ideas have shaped retailing through the businesses and brands they have created, or by their skills in running the retail industry’s giants. He has been recognized as one of Fortune’s “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,” Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year Overall Winner for the United States,” Institutional Investor’s “Best CEO in America,” Barron’s “World’s Best CEO,” MarketWatch’s “CEO of the Year,” and Esquire’s “Most Inspiring CEO,” while Whole Foods Market was named to Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work for” list for 20 consecutive years.

Mackey is also a featured speaker at the 2024 ARC Conference, coinciding with the release of The Best of Our Inheritance—a book that reflects ARC’s core values and vision for ethical leadership.

John's communication strengths

• Concision: Mackey has a way of saying very complicated things in a very concise way. He knows that his audience have a lot of knowledge on the subject, yet he doesn't elevate his language and go over their heads. While he is a self-made and extraordinarily wealthy businessman, he doesn't' try to over play his success with heightened language or turns of phrases.

  
  

• Enthusiasm: Mackey has a way of letting the audience know he is passionate about the subject matter without pushing hard at all. He allows his natural enthusiasm for the international marketplace to be present even when he's talking about the dryer aspects of it such as statistics and growth charts.

  
  

• Depth of knowledge: He is able to look at capitalism from many different perspectives. Historically, he gives a great overview of it, siting scholars and historians. He also has a way of getting to the core issues of why capitalism seems to be a negative things these days and flips that to a more positive understanding, particularly when he compares it to communism.

Where could John improve?

Physicality: Mackey’s posture can appear closed and slightly withdrawn, with his head down and shoulders hunched. A more open stance, combined with deliberate stillness, would strengthen his presence.

Audience Connection: To build greater rapport, he could make more eye contact and engage the audience with direct address. Asking questions or acknowledging the listeners more personally would enhance the emotional resonance of his delivery.

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