Former CEO with deep experience. Valuable message about overcoming adversity as the key to successful leadership.

Highlights

The former executive chairman and former CEO of the Principal Financial Group, J. Barry Griswell is a seasoned business leader, with deep experience and a distinctive approach to being a more successful leader. Principal Financial Group is a diverse family of financial services companies founded in 1859 with $308.0 billion in assets under management and 19 million customers in 12 companies around the world.

Mr. Griswell is well known for his hands-on approach to management, strong support for his employees and deep involvement in his community.

His is the coauthor of The Adversity Paradox: An Unconventional Guide to Achieving Uncommon Success, which offers not only inspiration but also concrete steps to increase your business savvy at any stage in your career.

In his presentations, Mr. Griswell shows how to make adversity your friend and how to apply the lessons learned from overcoming it to power your success trajectory.

J. Barry Griswell joined Principal Financial Group in 1988 and has held several senior level executive positions. He also has been president and CEO of MetLife Marketing Corporation. He serves on several boards in both the private and nonprofit sectors, including National Financial Partners Corp, Herman Miller, Inc. and the United Way of America.

He is a Chartered Life Underwriter, a Chartered Financial Consultant and LIMRA Leadership Institute Fellow. He is a member of the Horatio Alger Association as Role Model for Overcoming Humble Beginnings.

The Adversity Paradox

How to acquire the business savvy that can only come from overcoming adversity.

One trait above all others reliably predicts whether a person will be successful—experience in overcoming adversity.

The Adversity Paradox tells the stories of top business executives who have found that overcoming career-toppling adversity powered their success trajectories, and now they consider adversity their friend. Instead of secret formulas for leadership success, J. Barry Griswell offers candid accounts from leaders whose skills, resourcefulness and confidence have been tested and who have learned invaluable business lessons. This business savvy has made them better and more successful leaders.

In his presentations, J. Barry Griswell unpacks these lessons. He offers both inspiration and practical guidance on how to turn the difficulties that will inevitably challenge your success into assets that will power your career.

Credentials

• Former Executive Chairman and former CEO, Principal Financial Group
• Author, The Adversity Paradox (Bob Jennings, coauthor)
• Former president and CEO, MetLife Marketing Corporation
• LIMRA Leadership Institute Fellow

Boards

National Financial Partners Corp.
Herman Miller, Inc.
Business Roundtable
LIMRA/LOMA Global Board
United Way of America
President, Community Foundation of Des Moines
Business Committee for the Arts (Chairman)
Americans for the Arts
S.S. Huebner Foundation for Insurance Education
Trustee, Central College, Pella, Iowa
Trustee, Berry College, Rome, Georgia

• Chartered Life Underwriter
• Chartered Financial Consultant
• Member, Horatio Alger Association as Role Model for Overcoming Humble Beginnings

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