Donald Thompson is a visionary business leader, award-winning CEO, multi-exit entrepreneur, author, and acclaimed speaker whose career is defined by innovation, cultural transformation, and sustained business growth across multiple industries—including technology, marketing, healthcare, manufacturing, and professional services. With more than 25 years of executive experience, Donald has built, scaled, and successfully exited companies, consistently delivering outstanding returns for stakeholders and creating lasting enterprise value.

A recognized authority in leadership and business strategy, Donald stepped into his first CEO role at just 36 years old, taking the helm of a technology startup and scaling it from 15 to 150 employees before leading it to a successful acquisition by global tech firm KPIT. He later led Walk West as it became one of North Carolina’s fastest-growing marketing agencies, and founded The Diversity Movement, a pioneering consultancy that served over 150 clients in just two years before its acquisition by Workplace Options.

Donald’s impact has been widely recognized. He is a recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award and was named to the Forbes Next 1000, which honors bold leaders transforming the future of business. He is a trusted strategic advisor to leading brands such as Subaru, Hugo Boss, Lenovo, and The Fresh Market, guiding Fortune 500 companies and startups alike through cultural change, leadership development, and business model reinvention.

He currently serves on the boards of multiple organizations across diverse sectors, including his role as Chair of the Board at Earfluence and Vice Chair of the Board at Easterseals PORT Health (North Carolina and Virginia). His leadership extends into the startup ecosystem as well, having served as a mentor for Google’s Entrepreneurs Exchange, where he advised early-stage founders on funding, team building, and scaling with resilience in high-growth markets.

Donald is a prolific thought leader. His insights on leadership, organizational performance, and inclusive culture have been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, CNBC, Entrepreneur, and Inc. He is the host of the globally ranked “High Octane Leadership” podcast. Donald has authored two books: the award-winning memoir Underestimated: A CEO’s Unlikely Path to Success and The Inclusive Leadership Handbook: Balancing People and Performance for Sustainable Growth.

Through every chapter of his career, Donald Thompson has been driven by a singular mission: to build exceptional organizations by elevating people, empowering leaders, and transforming culture into competitive advantage.