Tim Huff
President & CEO, Turknett Leadership Group
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
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Tim Huff is a decorated combat veteran, certified executive coach, and award-winning CEO recognized for servant leadership and character. A graduate of the U.S. Army’s Ranger School, Tim served 14 years as an Infantry Officer, culminating in a year-long deployment to Afghanistan with the US Army National Guard as Chief of Operations for a brigade responsible for training and sustaining the Afghan National Army. For his leadership in combat, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
After active military service, Tim made what he calls his ‘most extreme transition’… from command of over a dozen tanks and leading 100 troops, and a few months later, to a cubicle at The Walt Disney Company, managing spreadsheets. That moment reinforced in him that genuine leadership isn’t tied to uniforms, titles, or settings. It’s about character: the one constant that endures when pressure mounts. He later advanced in technology leadership roles with Macy’s, CRH Americas, and Owens & Minor, but his life took another defining turn in 2017 when he became the client of an executive coach. The experience gave him a profound sense of leadership freedom and clarity and set him on a new mission: to help leaders everywhere discover the same success based in character.
Today, Tim is the President & CEO of Turknett Leadership Group, a 38-year-old Atlanta-based firm trusted by Fortune 500 companies and global organizations. He is a Titan 100 honoree and recipient of the Servant Leader of the Year Award, recognized for his commitment to building leaders who live and lead with integrity, respect, and responsibility. In 2024, he extended that commitment in the most personal way, by donating a kidney to help save the life of a colleague.
Tim’s message is clear: skills can be taught, strategies can shift, but character is the bedrock of leadership. Whether on the battlefield, in the boardroom, or at the side of someone in need, it’s character that inspires trust, courage, and authentic leadership.
He lives in Cumming, Georgia with his wife, Kristin, and enjoys hiking in the North Georgia mountains where he finds both rest and renewal for his life of service!
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Leadership Lessons from Taylor Swift's Eras Tour: Engagement, Courage, and Connection!
In this engaging panel discussion, we’ll explore Taylor Swift’s iconic Eras Tour through an HR lens, uncovering the leadership lessons HR professionals can draw from the strategies, decisions, and actions displayed throughout the tour. As we dive into real-life instances from the tour — from security responses to fan loyalty during adverse weather, to the diversity in team representation — we’ll examine what makes this tour more than just entertainment, highlighting it as a masterclass in leadership and human connection.
This session will bring together HR leaders who have a passion for both their profession and the art of storytelling, using current cultural phenomena to illustrate core leadership values like courage, inclusivity, accountability, and empathy. Moderated by Tim Huff, CEO of Turknett Leadership Group, this panel discussion will connect Taylor Swift’s career-defining moments to actionable insights for today’s HR landscape.
Join us for a lively conversation on how the world of entertainment and HR can intersect to inspire leadership excellence and build deeper engagement.
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