Watch Nigel in Action
About Nigel Travis
When it comes to practitioners with deep executive experience, few resumes compare with that of Nigel Travis. Travis has led multiple digital transformations. Papa John's became the first national pizza chain to capitalize on digital ordering during his tenure, and at Dunkin' a focus on speed and simplicity contributed to the company's successful 2011 IPO at a $2.4 billion valuation and its December 2020 sale to Inspire Brands for $11.3 billion. He also sits on technology boards, including Brightloom, a Starbucks-backed software startup that personalizes customer messaging.
The Challenge Culture argues that successful organizations run on pushback: cultures where anyone, at any level, can question leadership in a civil way. He points to Blockbuster, where he served until 2004, as the cautionary tale. "We studied Netflix passively," he says. The remedy is encouraging challenge from all angles, which yields greater buy-in, better solutions and a culture people like working in.
Nigel's Keynote Topics
Building engaged, people-first organizations is a specialty of Abercrombie & Fitch Chairman Nigel Travis. As a former human resources executive with decades of experience, this eye-opening session features Travis’ proven strategies for effectively managing people both in and out of the office. He’ll use real-world scenarios to illustrate how the organizations he’s led have survived recessions, the Covid pandemic and the Great Resignation by focusing on people first. Attendees will also gain insight into the vital importance of ensuring psychological safety and how organizations are implementing initiatives to respect mental health, intergenerational leadership, the engagement needs of a younger workforce, and the changing compensation needs of individuals. Leaders will be equipped with practical frameworks for implementing similar strategy-fortifying initiatives at their own organizations.
In a time of competitive stress from technological change, market pressure, and customer demand, some organizations deal with challenges from outside by quashing challenges from inside. In this informative presentation, Abercrombie & Fitch Chairman Nigel Travis uses his 2018 bestseller, “The Challenge Culture: Why the Most Successful Organizations Run on Pushback,” to illustrate how instituting a culture that encourages civil dissent is the key to breaking down a culture of fear and confrontation. Drawing on his time as CEO of Papa John’s and Dunkin’ Brands, plus his experience as chairman and owner of a professional sports team, Leyton Orient Football Club, Travis brings fascinating and engaging real-world scenarios to life. Leaders will understand how empowering a challenge culture will make their organizations more resilient, more egalitarian, and more adaptable in today’s ever-changing business landscape through open and honest dialogue at all levels.
In a post-pandemic world, direct-to-consumer businesses, especially restaurants, must adapt to new customer priorities. In this educational presentation, former Papa John’s and Dunkin’ Brands CEO and current Abercrombie & Fitch Chairman Nigel Travis lifts the curtain on the future of the restaurant industry. Travis will illustrate the ways in which frequency is the hidden weapon for restaurant success like software that uses AI to leverage customer data to personalize messaging and brand loyalty. He’ll also use real-world examples to illustrate how restaurant brands are using technology to drive success on the back of changes that took place during the pandemic, like prioritizing cleanliness and food safety. Attendees will gain valuable insight into how these future of restaurants strategies can be harnessed to maximize competitiveness and customer loyalty.
Today’s ultra-competitive landscape has made it vital for organizations to embrace technology, especially emerging technologies. In this fascinating presentation, business executive, startup advisor, and Abercrombie & Fitch Chairman Nigel Travis will use real-world case studies to illustrate how harnessing technology can create competitive advantages. Former CEO of Papa John’s, one of the first restaurants to offer online ordering, and Dunkin’ Brands, a leader in efficiency through technology, Travis currently sits on the board of Brightloom, a Starbucks-backed software startup that leverages customer data to personalize messaging and drive brand loyalty. Through Travis’ practical experience in leadership roles at technology-forward organizations, attendees will gain unique insights into the game-changing digital tools that are just around the corner and how harnessing those tools now will reshape the competitive landscape of the near-future.
Books by Nigel Travis
Nigel in the Media
Nigel Travis, Corporate Board Member’s Director of the Year: ‘Today Is The Slowest Day You Will See’
Abercrombie Chair Nigel Travis, Former SEC Chair Mary Jo White And GE Aerospace Board To Receive Corporate Board Member’s 2025 Board Leadership Awards
Being an EFL Club Owner in the U.S. – ‘Have You Seen Ted Lasso?’
(Re)Designing the Boardroom For Perpetual Uncertainty
Nigel Travis: Americans Prefer EFL to Premier League ($)
Former Dunkin' CEO Discusses His Ownership of English Soccer Club ($)
Prayer Groups, Fan Timetables and Another Promotion: Inside Leyton Orient’s Rise up the Leagues
Holistic, Clever and Open: How Leyton Orient Went From the Gutter to the Stars and Became the Most Heart-Warming Story in the EFL
Leyton Orient’s Promotion Is Down to ‘Good-guy’ Owners, the Remarkable Richie Wellens, and a Dash of Romance
Richie Wellens 'Continuing Justin Edinburgh's Work' at Leyton Orient, Says Nigel Travis
Dunkin Brands’ Former CEO Named Chairman of Abercrombie; Retailer Beats Estimates
Nigel Travis - Leyton Orient FC Chairman - The Business of European Football
Just a quick note to again say thank you for coming out to speak at the Talent Summit. Really made the day. You were absolutely outstanding—your talk was cited again and again in our feedback forms as one of the highlights of the entire program (which got an overall 9/10 overall rating from attendees). So, thank you!
Dan BigmanCEO Magazine
I just wanted to thank you, once again, for speaking at the university on Tuesday. It was a great honor to have you here and everyone was completely blown away with your presentation.
Dominic MouleCorporate Engagement Team, Middlesex University
You were a big hit. I’m guessing the survey will show your segment was among the most popular. I wanted to let you know that the team LOVED your presentation. They talked about it all day and night. Loved the ideas and mostly hearing your stories. Thank you again for taking part in this event.
Kristin CampbellGeneral Counsel Hilton
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