John Baird

JOHN W. BAIRD, Ph.D. John is one of the premier executive coaches in Silicon Valley, having coached CEOs and Founders for over 25 years. Having founded three coaching firms, John built his career working with top leaders at Fortune 500 companies like Apple, Nike, and eBay, as well as fast-growing startups like Masterclass, DoorDash, and Remitly. He considers his work at Apple during the early stages of iPhone development to be among his most impactful and meaningful. John is the author of Leading with Heart: Five Conversations That Unlock Creativity, Purpose, and Results, A WSJ Bestseller, and the forthcoming book, Tough Enough: How to Lead a Team to Greatness without Being a Jerk (releasing Fall 2026). John holds a PhD in Organizational Communication and Leadership from Purdue University. He spent 17 years on the faculty at San Jose State University in the College of Business and was named Outstanding Professor of the entire University during his time there.

He currently serves as Faculty in Residence at San Jose State University's Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, where he lectures and advises faculty, students, and campus leaders. For Miami: John holds an undergraduate and master's degree from Miami University and takes great pride in how Miami inspired his early love for leadership through involvement in campus and fraternity leadership roles.