Frank Maguire
... Who
is Francis Xavier Maguire and why is everybody talking about him?
• Fred Smith, founder of Federal Express, says: “Frank Maguire not
only taught Federal Express how to communicate, but also how to have a
heart!”
• THE ECONOMIST,
21-October-04: “1,200 businessmen gathered in London to hear seven
American men tell them how to be better leaders. The event was a
little like a Revivalist meeting, with everyone hanging on the
utterances of the speakers... That resemblance grew when Frank
Maguire, an ex-boss of Federal Express, made everyone stand up and
hold hands, and said: ‘We're going to cross the road together.’…”
• "Like a gust
of fresh air has come bursting through the door." Ted Koppel, ABC News
• Charles
Osgood, CBS News, describes Maguire as "Corporate America's wake-up
call! A one-man phenomenon."
• The late Sam
Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, was known for being blunt. His
assessment? "The best motivator I've ever heard. A real winner."
Currently Frank is holding his own on an international leadership
summit with Rudolph Guiliani, Jack Welch, Tom Peters, Lester Thurow,
Alvin Toffler, Robert Kaplan and Michael Porter.
Francis X. Maguire is one of corporate America’s most knowledgeable
authorities on Corporate Culture, Productivity and Communications. As
the original Senior Vice President of Industrial Relations for Federal
Express, Maguire is acknowledged as creator of the corporate culture
that made the company the multi-billion dollar success story of the
past two decades. Frank was a key component on the management team
that turned the phrase “absolutely, positively overnight” from a
promise to a guarantee. Maguire’s ingenuity resulted in FedEx being
named “The Top Corporation of the Decade” by Fortune Magazine. FedEx
was also the first service company to be awarded the prestigious
Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award.
But Maguire’s “firsts” and “absolutes” began long before he
successfully marketed FedEx. As head of program development at ABC
Radio Network, he hired Ted Koppel and Charles Osgood, giving them
their first on-air broadcast jobs. While Koppel was eager, Osgood was
not even sure he wanted to be in broadcasting! They both agree;
Maguire knew best!
Still in his 20’s, Maguire served in the Executive Office of the
President in Washington, D.C. under both John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B.
Johnson. Along with Sargent Shriver, Maguire was one of the five
original task force members who created Project Headstart and Special
Olympics. Frank left his mark on American Airlines international
expansion as Director of Marketing and Public Relations Programs. The
fast food revolution of the 1970’s has Maguire’s stamp on it, too,
during his tenure as Vice President of Kentucky Fried Chicken during
which time KFC was the fastest growing company on the New York Stock
Exchange.
In addition to playing a mean jazz piano and accompanying the likes of
B.B. King, Frank found time to earn a Ph.D. in Business Administration
from Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI.
Today, Frank Maguire is recognized as one of the leading international
authorities and management consultants in the world. From Beijing to
Dubai, London to New York City, Los Angeles to Nashville and points in
between Maguire’s philosophy, communication skills, ability as a
storyteller and mentor wins him fans around the globe. Frank excels at
sharing his vast knowledge and experience while teaching his audiences
how critical it is to connect the head as well as the heart of any
enterprise! “Lose touch with the heart, with the reason you began, and
you lose your vision,” Maguire relates.
