David Kolbe is the Chief Executive Officer and Visionary of Kolbe Corp, a third-generation leader in the psychometric field, and a globally recognized innovation advisor, people strategist, and business speaker. Since joining the company in 1997, he has been the visionary behind many of Kolbe’s products and innovations and co-authored Do More, More Naturally, the go-to guide for effortless success.
David Kolbe is transforming how the world understands human performance. A third-generation leader in the psychometric testing field — his grandfather, E.F. Wonderlic, developed the Wonderlic® Test to measure cognitive ability, and his mother, Kathy Kolbe, created the Kolbe A™ Index and founded Kolbe Corp — David has lived and breathed the Kolbe Concept® his whole life. He helped develop the original algorithm for the Kolbe A™ Index, the only proven tool to unlock instinctive strengths, and is the visionary behind many of Kolbe’s products and services, including applications that improve relationships and help parents develop their children’s potential.
Before joining Kolbe Corp in 1997 as General Counsel, David worked in Washington, D.C. as Legislative Director for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and practiced law at Gammage & Burnham, one of Arizona’s top firms. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and earned his law degree from Arizona State University. As CEO since 2004, that expertise in legal, financial, intellectual property, and management issues gives him an edge in turning innovation into profit — and in advising boards on scaling workforce alignment and reducing turnover through bias-free hiring practices.
Along with Kolbe Corp President Amy Bruske, David co-authored Do More, More Naturally: Empowering Effortless Success and the Freedom to Be Yourself, which helps people amplify what already comes easily to them through the 3 C’s of Success — Clarity, Commitment, and Collaboration. Known for speeches and workshops that blend wit, interactivity, and introspection, David has assisted thousands of professionals on hiring, organizational design, and team building. He is also a co-host of the Powered by Instinct podcast, a leading resource on conative research and workplace execution.
Watch David Kolbe explain the difference between cognitive skill sets and conative "striving instincts" in this featured podcast conversation.
A globally recognized innovation advisor, people strategist, and business speaker — if you’d like David at your next event, you can book David to speak.
