Ben Brooks

Who is Ben Brooks?

Ben Brooks is the founder and CEO of PILOT and the host of The Lift. He is a keynote speaker and modern leadership expert based in New York. His last corporate role was as an SVP of HR; before founding PILOT, he spent more than a decade in human resources, management consulting, and operations, including senior people-strategy roles at Marsh & McLennan. He has been named a Top 100 HR Tech Influencer for four consecutive years, from 2019 to 2022. For years, he wrote a column in HR Executive Magazine, has won HR Product of the Year awards, and is a sought-after podcast guest and speaker.

What does he do at PILOT?

Ben founded PILOT in 2015 and runs it as CEO. PILOT is a 50+ person leadership development company whose mission is to help everyone feel powerful at work. PILOT customers leverage a portfolio of products spanning culture strategies, leader development programs, decision-making frameworks, team cohesion experiences, manager development, 360-degree feedback, and more, all delivered at scale, affordably, with stellar service and compelling data. PILOT works with companies including Universal Music Group, HSBC, Mercedes-Benz USA, Nestlé, S&P Global, MetLife, and Marsh McLennan, and reports reducing employees' intent to quit by 20 percent at multiple customers.

Why did he start The Lift Podcast?

Ben started The Lift to share what he has learned about leadership with a wider audience. The practical reality is that he aims to impact and empower thousands of managers and executives around the world to become even more effective and get what they want, so a podcast is another expression of his desire to develop others. His aim is to bring ambition, humanity, and humor to every conversation, and to show that leadership development can be both delightful and efficient. The show extends PILOT's mission beyond its customers: real conversations with accomplished leaders, open to anyone.

What experience does he bring to leadership conversations?

Since his early days in Boy Scouting, when he became an Eagle Scout at 15, Ben has been inspired and deeply curious about the potential to lead and drive change. That carried through to his time at university, where he was part of the Pioneer Leadership Program and minored in Leadership Studies. He hired his first executive coach in his 20s and has been a lifelong learner of the most difficult, confusing, and compelling topic: becoming a better version of himself to be of service to others. Office Depot was his favorite store as a kid, and he always had a knack for business, so becoming an entrepreneur surprised nobody who grew up with him. In the corporate world, Ben has worked on nearly every aspect of the leadership question. He held senior people-strategy and communications roles at Marsh & McLennan, was a management consultant at Oliver Wyman, and worked in supply chain and operations at Lockheed Martin earlier in his career. He has coached and advised leaders across many industries. He holds a degree from the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business, and his work has been recognized with HR's "Rising Star" award and multiple awards from Brandon Hall, HR Executive Magazine, and WorkTech.

How can I work with him?

There are a few ways. For coaching, consulting, or keynote speaking, visit Ben's engage page at https://www.benbrooksny.com/engage. For organizations interested in PILOT's leadership development programs, book an intro call at https://pilot.coach/book-a-demo or email hello@pilot.coach.

You can follow his weekly conversations on The Lift.