Knowledge Kinetics and I live at the intersection of Marketing, Innovation, and Strategy, as it is impossible to think holistically about the demand side of the business without summoning all three to the decision table. Allow me to explain through the following set of interlinked assertions.• Every company wants to grow – and grow profitably.• The most effective way to grow is to offer customers current, relevant, and competitively superior value.• Customer value, however, is not constant over time. • Consequently, investing in innovation is essential, so a company can constantly renovate and innovate the value it offers customers.• The outcome of innovation, however, is not certain, which is why a company needs to place strategic bets on its future growth. As a result, I focus on design thinking and customer driven innovation for co-creating customer value. The consulting goal is to help clients fuel profitable future growth by provoking deeper thinking and more rigorous execution of initiatives related to creating, delivering, and innovating customer value, and co-creating compelling customer experiences. The mentoring goal is to help executives with future leadership potential nurture and cultivate soft skills, as well as domain specific knowledge and skills that develop customer-centric, entrepreneurial mindsets.In the past several years, I have helped educate, coach, and mentor executives with global, regional, and local responsibilities from companies such as, Microsoft, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Caterpillar, EMC, Citi, Capital One, Bajaj Allianz, Renault-Nissan, Boston Scientific, Maersk Shipping, and Samsung to name a few.Though the bulk of my clients are from the commercial sector, I also have extensive experience working with government and non-profit organizations, and associations like Indian Railways, Department of Transportation, Department of Health, NIH, National Association of Broadcasters, and National Industries for the Blind.

I have been active in the executive training and development field since 1985. During this time, working directly with companies and collaborating as an Adjunct Professor with leading Business Schools like Georgetown, Duke, Robert H. Smith School of Business, Indian School of Business, Singapore Management University, and GIBS - South Africa, I have designed and delivered customized and open enrollment courses in over 25 different countries to a variety of Fortune 500, non-profit, and public sector companies.A brief sampling follows:• Pharmaceutical and Health Care – Glaxo Smith Kline, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Warner Lambert, Kaiser-Permanente• Financial and Insurance – Nasdaq, Capital One, Axis Bank, Citi, Metlife, Bank of America, Legal & General• Manufacturing/Shipping – Boeing, Caterpillar, IBM, Maersk, GM, ESSAR, Ambuja, BPCL • Professional Services – Optum, HCL, Cognizant, Deloitte• Utilities/Public Sector – Virginia Power, Indian Railways, US Dept. of Agriculture, • CPG/Hospitality – Unilever, P&G, Hershey, Marriott, HeinzI teach in a variety of contexts - classroom, online, and blended learning, and favor interactive learning and discussion tools, like case discussions, action learning workshops, and simulations, that add passion and energy to my programs. For additional comments, information, and testimonials, please visit my website - www.gauravbhalla.com

Speaker: Passion, energy, and enthusiasm are part of my DNA. I bring these qualities into play in both my speaking and writing. What distinguishes me is not just my domain expertise and knowledge, or just my corporate, consulting, and training experience, it is both, and my ability to integrate the two in a coherent thinking-action agenda. The above skills and traits, coupled with my platform and presentation skills, are why participants find my presentations dynamic, high-energy, and entertaining. My ability to present complex ideas in simple ways, to provoke out-of-the-box thinking, and inspire action make me a sought after speaker at corporate/association events (Renault-Nissan, First American Equipment Finance, NAB, NIH), and national/international conferences (Greece, Turkey, Australia, India, Malaysia) on topics related to the market leader mindset, customer-first thinking, innovation, and collaboration—both internally with employees, and externally with stakeholders, like customers. I am a member of the National Speakers Association, and of NSA-DC.Author: I am among the few who are published in both business and literature. My HBR article, “Rethinking Marketing,” and my book, “Collaboration and Co-Creation: New Platforms in Marketing and Innovation,” are my two most recent and in-demand publications. In addition, I have also published several other articles (publications like Journal of Consumer Research, Strategy and Leadership, and PDMA’s Vision magazine), and book chapters in books on Strategy, Marketing, and Service Science.In literature, my poems and short stories have been published in magazines and trade publications since my teen years. My first novel, “The Curse and the Cup,” was launched globally in November, 2014. Set in South Africa against the backdrop of apartheid and cricket, it is a story of unpaid karmic debt, and is currently selling in several English speaking countries, like Australia, India, South Africa, UK, and USA.

A globally acclaimed thinker-doer and trusted expert in Leadership, Marketing, Innovation, and Strategy, Gaurav Bhalla has helped numerous clients achieve stellar success in:♦ Nurturing next-generation visionary leaders♦ Winning the hearts and wallets of customers, and♦ Unleashing the power of innovation.He has changed the lives of thousands of individuals worldwide by encouraging them to ask tough, game-changing questions related to work and non-work, through his dynamic, interactive, and entertaining speaking, seminars, workshops, and coaching.Passionate about helping organizations and individuals Learn, Act, and Grow, Gaurav's 40+ years of global experience ranges from senior management positions at Richardson Vicks, Nestle, and TNS Worldwide, to hundreds of engagements with clients both large and small, for-profit and not-for-profit, in a variety of sectors, such as Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Technology, Financial, Educational, Consumer Packaged Goods, Automotive, and Telecom.Published in both business and literature, his leading-edge thinking is reflected in his HBR article "Rethinking Marketing" and his book "Collaboration and Co-Creation: New Platforms for Marketing and Innovation." His latest book "Awakening A Leader's Soul: Learnings Through Immortal Poems," articulates a new direction for Leaders and Leadership, and is due for launch in June, 2017. His novel "The Curse and the Cup," was published at the end of 2014.What sets Gaurav apart from other speakers and trainers is his growth mindset, his diversity and breadth of experience, his passion for translating knowledge into action, and his purpose that values the humanity of individuals more than their executive brilliance.

1 Habit™can change your life forever. I am very fortunate that I get to inspire others with the habits that have changed my life for the better. Enrich yourself with 100 of these habits from myself and my esteemed colleagues in the new book “1 Habit: 100 Habits from the Happiest Achievers on the Planet”. Pick 1 and you can change your life. Pick 5 and you'll change a lot more than just your life.

During my tenure as Global Innovation Director, I was responsible for creating new and incremental value for key global clients through a mix of co-creation, internal development, and acquisitions.A sampling of the outcomes achieved by the innovation programs are listed below:Successfully launched the following in-demand and highly valued offerings by clients:1. Marketing Accountability2. Web Listening and Text Analytics3. Brand and Customer Equity4. Open Innovation and Value Co-Creation5. Shopper Insights and Consumer EngagementLaid the platform for an organization-wide innovation competence through a multi-tiered network of innovation ambassadors and idea-exchange forums.Developed core competencies for the company in the areas of trends monitoring and business portfolio innovation.Prior to my role as the Global Innovation Director, I helped create and lead the Center for Strategic Services. The strategic goal of the center - a new core competence for the company - was providing incremental value to key clients through a mix of consulting, modeling, and analytical services, and to lay the platform for enabling TNS migrate up the information-value-chain from a marketing research and data company to an information and advisory services company.

As President of G. Bhalla & Associates I played the twin roles of entrepreneur and manager. The boutique strategy and consulting company provided consulting, research, and training services to large global clients in the Pharmaceutical, Financial, Telecom, and Technology sectors, like Glaxo, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Comerica, Capital One, Nasdaq, Microsoft, Hughes Electronics, Sprint, Heinz, Exxon-Mobil, and Hershey. A Trusted Business Advisor, the company enjoyed a sterling reputation for providing cutting edge strategic solutions, and unimpeachable client-service. The roster of achievements is long, but the ones listed below stand out and are especially noteworthy. 1. For several years the company served as one of the largest consultants on at that time the world's largest drug - Zantac. It also played a key role in helping Zantac transition from Rx to OTC, and participated as a member of the global switch committee. 2. The company played a key role in the rebranding of Nasdaq as “The Stock Market for The Next 100 Years.”3. For over a decade, the company was Sprint's go-to resource for marketing and customer insights, and its findings and recommendations concerning customer retention, customer loyalty, and service quality featured on the front page of the CEO’s monthly state-of-the-company report.4. The company played a pivotal role in the commercialization strategies of the first ever drug in the migraine and flu categories - Imitrex and Tamiflu. 5. Consistently designed and executed international projects in markets like UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, India, Japan, Brazil, and Mexico, and research and ethnography programs among minorities like Hispanic, Russian, Polish, Korean, Chinese, and Filipino consumers, and small business owners. G. Bhalla and Associates was acquired by TNS in February, 2003.