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Lee Cockerell        

Former Executive Vice President of Walt Disney World Resort Operations; Expert on Leadership, Management & Service Excellence; Author of "Creating Magic" & "The Customer Rules"

Lee Cockerell is the former Executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney World Resort, where he led a team of 40,000 Cast Members for a decade. During his tenure, he managed the operations of 20 resort hotels, four theme parks, two water parks, a shopping and entertainment village, and the ESPN sports complex, making it the world’s top vacation destination. One of his key contributions was the creation of Disney Great Leader Strategies, a program designed to train and develop over 7,000 leaders at the resort.

Before joining Disney, Cockerell held executive roles in the hospitality and entertainment industry, working with Hilton Hotels for eight years and Marriott Corporation for 17 years. He played a pivotal role in launching Disneyland Paris and has served on various boards, including the Heart of Florida United Way and The Culinary Institute of America. Governor Jeb Bush appointed him to the Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Public Service, where he served as Chairman.

After retiring from Disney, Cockerell became a renowned speaker and author, sharing his insights on leadership, management, and service excellence. His books, "Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney" and "The Customer Rules: The 39 Essential Rules for Delivering Sensational Service," have been published in multiple languages. He continues to conduct leadership workshops and provide consulting services through his company, Lee Cockerell, LLC. He also hosts the podcast "Creating Disney Magic," where he further expands on how to be a great leader.

Cockerell's approach to leadership emphasizes practical, common-sense strategies for fostering outstanding customer service and effective management. His experience with global brands like Hilton, Marriott, and Disney has shaped his philosophy, which he now shares with organizations worldwide to help them achieve excellence and create their own "magic."

Speech Topics

You Too Can Create Disney Magic

• Learn how "you can create magic too" in your organization by following The Customer Rules

• Learn exactly what you must do to be perceived as a great leader.

• Learn why you must understand the big difference between management and leadership.

• Learn how to practice great leadership that will ensure you leave a legacy.

• Learn four simple ways to set your organization apart in the eyes of your customers and your employees.

• Learn why the customer does not come first.

• Learn the difference between training and development.

• Learn the most important leadership behavior that will ensure success for you in all parts of your life. Time Life Management

• Learn how to put more control into all parts of your life through this simple system for planning and carrying out your responsibilities.

• Learn the most important question to ask yourself every morning before you start your day.

• Learn the four steps in planning each and every day (the fourth one being the key to a happy and successful life).

• Learn how to maintain strong relationships, prepare yourself for the future, maintain good health and reduce stress in your life.

• Learn a simple system for doing what has to be done, when it has to be done, in the way it should be done, whether you or those around you like it or not.

• Lee has taught this seminar to more than 75,000 people over the last 25 years with extraordinary success.

Forget About Diversity

• Lee has cracked the code on how to achieve the diversity all organizations desire.

• Learn the ten things leaders must do to create an inclusive workplace that leads to a diverse workforce.

• Learn why diversity is not the goal, but the outcome for organizations.

• Learn the difference between being diverse and being inclusive.

• Learn what all humans want the most. Give it to them and they will reward your organization with excellent results.

News

Join Lee Cockerell’s Keynote Address at AEA2016
This year’s keynote address will feature Lee Cockerell, retired Executive Vice President of Walt Disney World Operations.
Lee Cockerell Added as 2nd Keynote to the 2015 Certent Summit
PLEASANTON, Calif., Feb. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Certent, Inc., a leading provider of equity compensation management and financial compliance software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions, announces the addition of Lee Cockerell as a second keynote speaker at Certent Summit 2015 on March 25th-27th in Lake Buna Vista, FL.
Lee Cockerell, a personal look at Walt Disney World
We had the pleasure to talk with Lee Cockerell yesterday and wanted to share his insight and many great tips and business career advice with you.
His career has spanned from creating magic to saving time
Lee Cockerell is the former executive vice president of operations at Walt Disney World. Cockerell, who retired from Disney in 2006, now writes books about business and conducts seminars on leadership, time management and professional development. Cockerell, 70, recently spoke with Sentinel staff writer Sandra Pedicini.
Lee Cockerell and doing things the Disney way
Central Michigan University this week will host a man who honed those skills at a place where seven thousand (7,000) workers need it to be perfect every day — Disney World.

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