GREG HICKS

Greg Hicks first gained national attention in the late 1990’s as a pioneer in happiness and its connection to health, leadership, organizational success, and enhanced biochemistry. An international best-selling author, popular keynote speaker and seminar leader, Greg is CEO of FosterHicks, a company that provides people and organizations with the tools to thrive. www.FosterHicks.com

Greg and partner Rick Foster have traveled to more than 60 countries and all 7 continents (yes, even Antarctica) interviewing people who have flourished despite every imaginable adversity. From the resulting acclaimed research, they developed the FosterHicks System of Nine Behaviors. This system, which has been studied at the Mayo Clinic and UCSF Medical Center, has proven to lead to an increased ability to adapt to change, better physical and emotional health, greater capacity to cope during times of illness and stress, and an overall higher quality of life.

Books

A first of its kind, Greg and Rick’s debut book, How We Choose to Be Happy – the 9 Choices of Extremely Happy People (Putnam, 1999) became an immediate bestseller. Published in 22 languages, it was selected by the Book of the Month Club as a “Best Book of the Year” and was nominated as “Best Motivational Book” by the prestigious Books for a Better Life Award.

In 2003, Hicks wrote LeaderShock – And How to Triumph Over It (McGraw-Hill). Based on the FosterHicks system, it was selected by Amazon as the #2 best business book of the year.

Based on a wealth of medical research as well as hundreds of interviews with patients and doctors, Greg and Rick wrote Happiness & Health (Penguin, 2009). This guide to the new science of positive behavior and attitude, provides the reader with a roadmap to a better life through enhanced brain and immune function.

Their most recent offering, a charming yet provacative children’s book, The Martha is Mine, is an almost-true tale about possessions, prejudice, and the power of community.

Programs & Training

Keynotes:
Through his energetic and transformative presentations, Greg has inspired people around the world at global conferences and national conventions with his talks on The Art of Thriving, True Leadership in Times of Change, The Biochemistry of Sales, and Tribes that Thrive.

Training:
Greg has gained renown for his uniquely effective and practical approach to creating collaborative, high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures that motive people even in times of extreme change. Based on behavioral, social, and neuro-scientific research, his programs provide participants with tangible tools that result in positive biochemistry. This biochemistry keeps individuals and teams in the executive function of the brain where innovation, problem solving and relationship building can flourish.

Greg has presented his work to the executive teams of some of the most recognized global companies, among them GE, Walgreens, Wells Fargo, Hilton, Mercedes-Benz USA, Kohl’s, AXA, and Google, as well as to successful start-ups like Snapfish, FreshDirect, and SlightLife. A growing specialty is in healthcare (both on the business and clinical sides) at places such as NYU Med Center, UCSF Med Center, Stanford Med Center, Permanente Medical Group, and The Mayo Clinic where he’s presented at Grand Rounds, taught in the School of Medicine, and worked with Department Chairs and more than 5000 physicians and nurses.

Testimonials

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Deborah Patton

“Greg Hicks has been an extremely popular speaker at the Applied Brilliance Conferences and many of the other thought leadership events I’ve produced. He’s empathetic, smart, savvy, funny, enlightening, compelling and surprising every time he presents his model of leadership, success and happiness. Greg’s story resonates with individuals of all ages, professions and life stages; and he customizes his message to create a life changing, life affirming and inspirational experience for any audience.”

Deborah Patton
Director, Applied Brilliance Worldwide Conferences

Laura Esserman, MD, MBA

“Greg Hicks has masterfully helped us build highly trusting and functioning oncology and research teams through his evidenced-based approach to success. It’s hard to sort out what makes Greg’s work so magical – the person, or the content. Actually, it’s the combination that makes his impact so transformative, and sustainably so.”

Laura Esserman, MD, MBA
Director, UCSF Carol Franc Breast Cancer Center
Voted one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World

Amy L. McGuire, JD, PhD

“Working with Greg has been transformative for everyone on our faculty and staff, both professionally and personally. He has helped us create a high-trust work environment. We now have a culture of accountability and a common language, which allows us to resolve conflict more quickly and respectfully. It is amazing that in just a few days Greg could have such a profound and lasting impact. Working with him is the most important thing I have done as a leader!”

Amy L. McGuire, JD, PhD
Director,
Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy and Professor of Biomedical Ethics,
Baylor College of Medicine

Carole Pertofsky, Director

“When I first saw Greg Hicks in action, I was astonished at his ability to be completely engaging, funny and yet so wise.  Whether presenting at one of our leadership conference, or engaging with University students in a classroom setting, Greg lights up the room as he ignites courage, curiosity,  and hope.  Greg’s presence and the practical strategies, activities, and tools he teaches are gifts, recognized by audiences everywhere with rousing standing ovations!”

Carole Pertofsky, Director
Wellness and Health Promotion Services,
Stanford University

Eithne Treanor, Moderator

“Greg Hicks is one of the most dynamic and exciting keynote speakers I’ve met. With the audience in the grips of his hands, he creates connection, engenders trust, and leaves the participants with concrete and tangible tools. The feedback from business leaders representing over 40 countries was superb.”

Eithne Treanor, Moderator
World Retail Congress, Dubai

Valerie Aguirre

“Greg Hicks and Rick Foster are not only the most talented and inspiring trainers I know, they’ve also used their system of individual and organizational well-being to create the best template for leadership I’ve come across. It’s practical, easy to follow, and panoramic in its implications. Their work has had a dramatic impact on me personally and a powerful effect on the many leadership teams they’ve trained throughout our organization.”

Valerie Aguirre
Vice President of Human Resources, Chubb & Son, Inc.

Eden Feder, Executive VP of Human Resources

“FosterHicks is without doubt the most effective leadership development consulting company with which I have ever worked. I measure the quality of leadership and executive development consultants in terms of their ability to truly effect change. Foster and Hicks have been able to create positive, sustainable behavior change with hundreds of leaders within our organization. Both Greg and Rick are knowledgeable, approachable, and know how to balance support for the individual with an action orientation on behalf of the Company.”

Eden Feder
Executive VP of Human Resources
Zenith Insurance Company

Dr. Joseph Mori

“Greg and Rick blew us all away. With their dynamic presence and incredible roadmap for leadership and high-powered teams, they made our conference a smashing success. The standing ovation and stellar evaluations said it all: A perfect 10.”

Dr. Joseph Mori
Chair, Silicon Valley Financial Institute Conference
(Attended by over 500 executives from over 30 companies)

Elizabeth Summy

“Rick and Greg bring so much energy and enthusiasm to their work with people and organizations. Their style is simultaneously serious and humorous — because the issues we deal with are serious, and humor helps us deal with them. Their tools and strategies are practical and powerful and have spanned my professional, personal, and community relationships in an extremely positive way.”

Elizabeth Summy
Executive Director, American Society for Healthcare Risk Management

Julie Ryan

“With incredible showmanship along with their powerful and inspiring message, Foster and Hicks continually bring down the house at every event they’ve done for us. They are energizing and entertaining speakers who share powerful information that change lives and create a strong, trustful and results-oriented team. A standing ovation every time!”

Julie Ryan
Program Director, Dept. of Finance and Accounting, San Jose State University

Joann Francavilla

“Greg and Rick’s keynote was the perfect opening and set the tone for our entire global conference. Their message was life-changing, practical, entertaining, and brought us together as a cohesive group. Our audience loved it!”

Joann Francavilla
Senior Manager of Education
Meetings and Membership FCIB – Executives in Finance, Credit, and International Business

Jeffrey S. Oxendine

“The powerful FosterHicks Model and the way Greg and Rick teach it, has changed my life and greatly enhanced the happiness, health, and leadership of hundreds of people I’ve connected to them. We’ve been fortunate to have them teach courses and lead multiple seminars for students at UC Berkeley, and be keynote speakers at our conferences on leadership and collaboration for physicians and other health professionals. Greg and Rick always get top ratings and participants go out of the way to tell me the profound difference they make—and to ask for more!”

Jeffrey S. Oxendine
Associate Dean, UC Berkeley School of Public Health

Academic Affiliations

Greg has been on the faculties of the American Hospital Association Fellowship Programs, the UC Berkeley School of Public Health (where he recently taught Leadership, Sustainability, Happiness and Health to graduate students) and continues to be a guest lecturer at Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Baylor College of Medicine, and the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin Madison. Through the Greenwall Foundation, he also runs a two-year leadership program for prominent bioethics leaders at leading universities.

Happiness and Wellbeing

Based on the FosterHicks System, Greg developed and runs the popular Pathways Program at UCSF Med Center that gives women in all stages of breast cancer a practical roadmap for a greater sense of control, resilience, and purpose. As presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Conference, the results of a recent study showed that his program decreased levels of anxiety and depression and increased psychological flexibility in cancer survivors.

Other programs include Choosing Happiness and Health for chronic disease management through the Phyllis Newman Woman’s Health Initiative, Seniors in Crisis for the Actors’ Fund of America, and Greg and Rick’s Personal Leader Program, a one-day session that empowers people to take control of their lives by making nine conscious choices which lead to successful relationships and careers.

Greg’s Non-profit: Institute for Applied Neuroscience

Along with Rick Foster and neuroscientists Melina Uncapher, UCSF, and Kevin Weiner, Stanford, Greg is co-founder of IAN, a non-profit dedicated to using the latest in brain and behavior research to build high-impact programs that solve critical public and social needs in the areas of education, parenting, disease management, and the juvenile justice system. The organization has consulted with many school districts and non-profits and has worked closely with the Department of Education at the White House.

www.appliedneuro.org

Media

Highlighted in the award-winning documentary Pursuing Happiness, Greg has also appeared on numerous national TV programs and radio shows (including Oprah and Martha Stewart) and has been featured in the New York Times, Wall St. Journal, and magazines such as Health, Fitness, Self, Good Housekeeping, Fit, Prevention, Working Mother, Redbook, Reader’s Digest, and Cosmo!

A singer and avid traveler who’s been to some of the most remote places on earth, he divides his time between the San Francisco Bay Area and Palm Springs. Greg and Rick have four grown children and a grandson named Jack.

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