Biography

Dr. Gryskiewicz is a consultant and an international authority in leadership, creativity, innovation and change management. An author, a keynote speaker, and a researcher, he has explored these topics domestically and globally in various settings such as research and product development, manufacturing, service delivery, educational institutions, NGOs and government. His Ph.D. is in Organizational Psychology from the University of London.

Dr. Gryskiewicz had been at the Center for Creative Leadership for 35 years since its inception in 1970. In his last position as Vice President of Global Initiatives, he advised CCL on trends and best practices in the field of global leadership development and innovation and was a member of the US delegation for the Human Resources Working Group for APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation). He has worked with numerous companies over the years of his CCL service including American Express, S. C. Johnson, Pfizer, Hewlett-Packard, Scandinavian Airlines, Goodyear, Merck, Bank of Montreal, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Girbaud, and International Paper. Past clients also include The World Bank, the Moscow G.V. Plekhanov Institute of National Economy, the Singapore Productivity and Innovation Board, the Japan Management Association, and the United Nations University International Leadership Academy in Amman, Jordon. In 1993, he was named Senior Fellow, Creativity and Innovation, a special position of honor granted by the Center for Creative Leadership for distinguished service and international recognition in a designated field.

As a consultant, his current client roster includes Lockheed Martin, Bank of America, Chevron, Northrop-Grumman, Milliken, Eastman Chemical, and University of the Pacific, Sabanci University in Turkey, Duke University Eye Center, United Chemical of Belgium, Sodexo, Duke Corporate Education, and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

He is currently President and Founder of the organization he initiated in 1981 entitled the Association for Managers of Innovation (AMI), which is a network of professionals who manage the innovation process within their respective organizations. The AMI was recognized in 2001 by Fast Company magazine as a "meeting to never miss" and a "forum for large-scale change." In 2008 AMI became a corporate entity. In Spring 2010 AMI celebrated its 30th Anniversary. Creation of a Board of Directors and Bylaws were the outcome of applying for nonprofit status in spring 2010.

He has published on individual, team, and organizational creativity and innovation. His thinking on renewal, strategic innovation and proactive change management is captured in his book entitled Positive Turbulence and was published in 1999 by Jossey-Bass, currently in its eighth printing. His other works include the production of an award winning videotape entitled Creativity in Organizations: A Jazz Musicians Perspective (1988) with trumpeter Bobby Bradford, an edited volume of collected papers on theory, research and applications entitled Readings in Innovation (1992), and his most recent publication, Making Creativity Practical, co-authored with Sylvester Taylor (2004).

Dr. Gryskiewicz is currently a board member of the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), Leadership Advisory Board for The Banff Leadership Centre in Canada, and a board member for a Boston based innovation co-operative entitled Creative Realities. He is also an editorial advisor for the Singapore Management Review and The Journal of Creative Behavior. He is currently writing a book about innovation learning communities and their potential to enhance organizational learning.