Ira Blumenthal collects quotations. One of his favorites is “The true measure of a man is how many lives he can jam into one lifetime…” Ira has certainly jammed many lives into his productive, successful life. From college football and lacrosse coach to business executive… from consultant to talk show host… from university professor to public speaker… from author to philanthropist… and more… lots of lives here… diverse, distinctive and dynamic.
He is respected as a subject matter expert on helping corporations, associations and individuals create a brighter future in the midst of changes, challenges, even chaos. His customizable speech title says it all…Your Best is Next!
After serving as the CMO of a division of Sara Lee, then the President of a $300-million food company, Ira founded and presided over CO-OPPORTUNITIES, an Atlanta based consulting company that advised companies such as Nestle, Tyson, Kroger, Harrah’s, American Airlines, Disney, United Artists, Exxon, Walmart and more. Noteworthy, Ira is the single longest continually retained consultant in the 134-year history of the Coca-Cola Company as a lead consultant for 26 years. He is the recipient of the highest honor in the food industry, “The Key Person Award.” His expertise? Branding, Change Management, Strategic Alliances and Business Development.
Having published over 200 magazine articles and three books, “Ready, Blame, Fire!” (Myths and Misses in Marketing)…“Managing Brand You” (best seller)… and “Your Best Is Next”… Ira is a respected author who received “The George Washington Honor Medal for Literary Excellence” (Freedoms Foundation). Ira has been featured and quoted in media such as CNN, The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, BrandWeek, USA Today and more.
He has hosted a radio talk show (“Success Talk”)… served as a visiting professor (Michigan State University, the University of Notre Dame, Kennesaw State University, etc.)… was the “Executive In Residence” at Georgia State University… presided over a foundation (Ted Turner’s “Captain Planet Foundation”)… is on the board of Blaze, The Legacy Paralympic Organization… and with his friend, Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), co-founded and serves on the Executive Council of Janie’s Fund, an organization that raises money for programs for “at risk” and “abused” girls.”
Delivering over 2500 speeches on 5 continents as well as serving as the “opener” for the likes of both President Bushes, General Colin Powell, Mikhail Gorbachev, Henry Kissinger, Lech Walesa, Cal Ripken Jr., Tommy Lasorda and others… Ira is a high-energy, high-content, passionate public speaker with a motivational flair. He customizes his speeches which are both onstage (live) and online (virtual). As well as serving as a speaker, Ira is a dynamic emcee and panel moderator. From Australia, Brazil, Canada, Dubai, England, France and throughout the U.S., Ira is a respected, profound thought leader.
On a personal note, Ira is a tireless community activist and youth sports coach (with a state and national championship to his credit). Ira was both a member of a collegiate national championship team and a “World Cup” athlete as well as a college Football and Lacrosse Coach (1974 US “Coach of the Year”). Originally from New York, Ira lives in Atlanta with his bride of 39 years, Kim. He is the father of 5 children and has 10 grandchildren. Another of Ira’s favorite quotations is Mark Twain’s “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you found out why…” Renaissance Man, Ira Blumenthal, surely found out his why.
There is one constant in life (and business)… change! Yet, change is not new. What is new is the incredible speed of change. Industries, companies and careers have gone from “distinction” to “extinction” because of their inability to adapt, adjust and master change. This session offers a high-content, high-energy, “hands on” approach to embracing, as well as capitalizing on change in business building. After all, change is to business what oxygen is to life.
“Here it is ten days later and I am still energized by your presentation. How the heck do you do that on a regular basis? What kind of vitamins are you taking? I think you could tell by the extended ovation that you were well received by the footwear executives.
Your seminar on co-branding was definitely a hit, and helped make this year’s conference our biggest and best ever. We have had tremendous comments about your presentation from our distributors and employees alike.
Ira Blumenthal is a man from the future. Some people recommend out-of-the-box thinking and positioning. Ira lives out-of-the-box and is an expert in challenging conventional wisdom in both his counseling and presenting.
Ira was awesome. He got a standing ovation at the end. Ira was fantastic! He was wonderful. Everyone loved him and his style was perfect for the audience, time and theme.
Ira has a unique knack for engaging an audience. And while the audience is engaged, he educates them. One thing you can be guaranteed with Ira is that you never know what he’s going to do next. He is an incredibly dynamic and knowledgeable speaker.
Your energy and practical life examples really captivated the audience. I appreciate that you took the time to educate yourself about the Group Insurance business so that you could relate your presentation to the realities we are facing. You dealt with the topic of change in a humorous yet meaningful way and your remarks set the tone for the remainder of the conference. We received excellent feedback from your program.