Marshall Goldsmith is a member of the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame. He is the only two-time #1 Leadership Thinker in the world and has been ranked the #1 Executive Coach in the world for many years. His books have sold over 4 million copies and have been published in 36 languages. At age 76, his mission is to share all that he knows with as many people as he can. I have been a direct beneficiary having been selected seven years ago into Marshall’s @100 Coaches community of execut

The first edition of ‘Performance at the Limit, Business Lessons from Formula 1 Motor Racing’ published in 2005, set a benchmark for learning about business and leadership from how F1 teams operate. Two revised editions and several translations followed. In 2007, my co-authors and I also collaborated with the BBC to make an 8-part television series, “Formula for Success.” Produced by Sunset + Vine Productions, the episodes were based on the book’s eight chapters. The series a

Today, I had the wonderful experiencing of unboxing my latest book, “A Lost Chapter in the Transformation of the Turkish Banking Industry,” and holding it in my hands for the first time. After researching, visiting Istanbul to conduct interviews, and writing, it is very special to see a manuscript turned into a physical book (and e-book if preferred). https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966837577?ref=sp_email The story explores when I headed a project to create the Center for Internat

Formula 1 Grand Prix racing began in Miami in 2022 and returned this past weekend. I was reminded that it was in Miami, ten years ago, that I delivered my first of many “Performance at the Limit, Business Lessons from Formula 1” workshops in the U.S. for a select group of participants. Working closely with Bonnie Hagemann and her EDA, Inc. colleagues, we examined how F1 teams deliver high performance while under extreme pressure. The insights discussed about leadership, teamw

I look forward to being in Istanbul this June to deliver a two-day “Performance at the Limit, Leadership Lessons from Formula 1” workshop at the Global Turks Foundation’s Leadership Academy. It is 5-month program co-developed with Özyeğin University, designed to equip the next generation of Turkish leaders with future-ready skills and real-world business insights. For my introductory session I had prepared a slide showing that a Formula 1 Grand Prix had taken place in Istanbu

Last Thursday the print version of my new book, “A Lost Chapter in the Transformation of the Turkish Banking Industry” was launched. It tells the previously unknown story about my experiences establishing the Center for International Banking Studies in Istanbul which helped develop a new generation of banking leaders in Türkiye and the Middle East. I am pleased to announce the e-book version is also now available. Both can be found at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966837577?ref=

I am delighted to announce the launch of my new book: “A Lost Chapter in the Transformation of the Turkish Banking Industry.” The book covers a dynamic period in Türkiye’s economic history and my personal journey designing and establishing the Center for International Banking Studies (CIBS) in Istanbul. It shares the challenges faced, the people involved, and the significant impact CIBS made to Turkey’s banking sector and its contribution to the development of bankers from ot

On June 12, 1987, about one year after I had arrived in Istanbul, the sun was shining for the Official Opening of the Center for International Banking Studies. We had already been teaching at our Dragos-Kartal location since January, even while renovations were underway. And prior to that, in September 1986, we began teaching courses at an employee camp owned by Yapı Kredit Bank, thanks to the support of CEO Hüsnü Özyeğin. Zafer, my driver, picked me up before dawn that morni

As I recount in the soon to be published “A Lost Chapter in the Transformation of the Turkish Banking Industry” the plan establishing the Center for International Banking Studies (CIBS) was to start teaching courses in English. Over time we were to train Turkish instructors and translate the curriculum into Turkish with the help of bankers seconded to the institute from local banks. That plan encountered roadblocks that I describe in the book. But we also faced another challe

Continuing the story of establishing the Center for International Banking Studies (CIBS) leading to the upcoming publication of my new book, “A Lost Chapter in the Transformation of the Turkish Banking Industry.” The project had substantial financial backing from the Banks Association of Türkiye and the support of its chairman, who at that time, was the Governor of the Central Bank of Türkiye. Although, during two years, I worked with three different Governors. The project a

Arriving in Istanbul in 1986 and seconded from Citibank to the Central Bank of Türkiye, I was tasked with a design and reconstruction challenge, renovating the dilapidatedHotel Dragos on the Marmara Sea into the Center for International Banking Studies (CIBS) and turning it a world class residential training center for bankers. Classrooms and team breakout rooms were created out of common areas that had previously been the lower-level restaurant and mezzanine level public spa

When I first visited the future site of the Center for International Banking Studies CIBS), reality set in. The 6-story building was an abandoned seaside hotel on the Asian side of Istanbul. Apart from the shock of seeing sheep wandering through the lobby, the extent of the complete renovation hit me hard. It meant designing and building: · Classrooms and breakout rooms for small group discussion · Dedicated micro-computer lab for teaching IT skills · Bourse room for te

When the idea for establishing a Turkish banking institute was first studied by experts in 1985, they found that: • Less than 20% of bank employees in the country had university degrees • Fewer than 4% spoke a foreign language Yet the country was opening rapidly to international finance and trade. The need for training and education was URGENT, and a new banking institute was proposed by the World Bank to help build a new generation of professionals. In 1986, I was working fo

During a clean-up of my home office in Helsinki, I came across a box of documents, photographs, and diaries from 40 years ago. They told the story of something that once existed in Istanbul — a world-class, residential international training center for bankers. But when I searched the internet, even with the power of AI, I found almost nothing about it. No records. No history. No stories. That led me to write my new book about an important chapter in the transformation of t

Today I attended the BlackBook Motorsport Forum in London, a full day program of presentations and panel discussions with executives from several F1 teams; F1 sponsors e.g. Heinekin, Lego and Revolut; plus, representatives from other motor sports like NASCAR and Formula E, and much more. The first interview of the day was with Willem Dinger, Chief Partnerships Officer at CadillacF1. When he walked onto the stage, I had an aha moment. Eleven years ago, Mark Jenkins and I were

The Chinese Grand Prix returns this weekend, and it reminded me of a memorable experience. During the event’s second year, Richard West and I ran a “Performance at the Limit” event for a major Chinese enterprise, built around our newly published book. We started at their headquarters with a “Business Lessons from Formula 1” workshop for senior leaders and key clients, including a Pitstop Challenge featuring an F1 car we had flown in from the UK. Then we all headed to the

It has been reported that Red Bull advisor, Helmut Marko, is retiring at the end of this year. He has overseen Red Bull Racing’s driver development program since 2005 and provided the team with an incredible list of talent including four-time world champions Sebastain Vettel and Max Verstappen. I have been holding a photo I took of Marko and Verstappen at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps in 2005. At the time, Verstappen was driving for Toro Rosso, Red Bull’s junior

Just back from a nostalgic trip to Istanbul where I reconnected with two former Governors of the Central Bank of Türkiye, three former bank CEOs, and two former senior HR/Learning and Development executives, all who supported me forty years ago when establishing the Center for International Banking Studies - Istanbul (CIBS) during a transformative period in Türkiye’s modern economic history. In 1986, with the financial backing of the Banks Association of Türkiye and the World

Two views from my balcony at the Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus overlooking that famous waterway, almost 40 years to the day that I first arrived in Türkiye and stayed at this hotel. A full schedule of meetings this week with friends and colleagues from those days. I look forward to sharing stories from a transformational time in Türkiye’s relatively recent history; and what was an exciting and challenging experience for me and my family when we moved here in 1986.

Last evening Amcham Finland celebrated both the Thanksgiving holiday and its 20 th anniversary. It was a sold-out dinner of Amcham Finland’s members who purchased raffles for donated prizes; played a trivia quiz about popular American songs; and volunteered to sing Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” in the front of the room, all to raise money for HelsinkiMissio, whose mission is to reduce loneliness and increase well-being. The evening was hosted by Amcham CEO Alexandra Paster