International Keynote Speaker | Leadership Development & Strategic Influence Expert

Gary C. Laney is a three-time bestselling author, international keynote speaker, startup advisor, entrepreneur, and CEO of Success Masters LLC. With more than 35 years of experience, he helps organizations grow through influential leadership, strategic partnerships, sales excellence, and high-performing teams.

Before beginning his entrepreneurial career, Gary spent 25 years in high-tech software, SaaS, and commercial publishing. He built top-tier sales organizations and led worldwide sales for Eloquent as the company prepared to go public.

As CEO of Success Masters, Gary has built and led approximately 12 companies and held high-level roles in more than 10 additional ventures spanning business networking, online media, e-commerce, and high-tech intellectual property. He is also the Co-Founder and former CEO of Trustegrity Business Networking Communities, a national professional and business networking organization.

Through his keynote presentations, books, and leadership training, Gary helps leaders identify their competitive competencies, develop influential relationships, strengthen strategic partnerships, build high-performing teams, and create measurable growth.

Gary holds a triple-major MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in Finance, Marketing, and Policy, with a minor in Information Technology.

At TALTalks 2026, Gary will present:

Leaders Are Made, Not Born: Identify and Leverage Your Competitive Competencies

The session will explore how leadership can be developed through continuous learning, disciplined action, and a clear understanding of one’s unique strengths. Gary will also highlight how leaders can combine complementary capabilities, build influential relationships, and create stronger strategic partnerships around shared goals.

The session aligns with SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, emphasizing the role of leadership, collaboration, and strategic influence in creating sustainable impact.