David Novak

David Novak is the former Executive Chairman of Yum! Brands, following a successful 14 year run as the Chairman and CEO of one of the world’s largest restaurant companies (KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell). In 2014, Yum! was named among the top 100 Corporate Citizens by Corporate Responsibility magazine. Novak has been recognized as “2012 CEO of the Year” by Chief Executive magazine, one of the “30 Best CEOs” by Barron’s, one of the “Top People in Business” by Fortune and one of the “100 Best Performing CEOs in the World” by Harvard Business Review. He is the recipient of the 2012 UN World Food Program Leadership Award for the Yum! Brands World Hunger Relief effort, which raises awareness, volunteerism and funds to address this global problem. Novak created the largest privately funded leadership service program for middle and high schools called Lead2Feed. It is based on a successful leadership program he personally taught at Yum!, which centered on teamwork and a belief in people. Novak received the Horatio Alger Award for his commitment to philanthropy and higher education. A renowned expert on leadership and recognition culture, Novak is the author of two highly respected and critically acclaimed books, The Education of an Accidental CEO and the New York Times bestseller, Taking People With You. Novak is now launching a new consumer brand, O Great One! (OGO), with the mission to inspire the amazing people in our lives through joyful, personal acts of recognition that deepen relationships.