David Friedman

David J. Friedman is a keynote speaker, bestselling author, and one of the leading voices on building high-performance organizational cultures. As the founder of CultureWise, he has helped more than 1,000 organizations turn culture into a practical, repeatable system that drives measurable business results.

A former CEO, David led RSI for 27 years, transforming it into one of the most successful independent firms in its industry. Under his leadership, the company earned numerous awards for growth, leadership, and workplace excellence, including New Jersey’s highest honor for performance excellence. His real-world experience leading teams under pressure is what shapes his highly practical, no-nonsense approach to culture.

David is the author of the bestselling books Culture by Design and Fundamentally Different, and has delivered over 1,000 keynotes and workshops to leadership audiences around the world. His work has been widely recognized for helping leaders move beyond aspirational values to clearly defined behaviors that teams can consistently execute.

Unlike traditional culture speakers who focus on inspiration, David shows leaders exactly how to operationalize culture by embedding it into hiring, onboarding, coaching, and daily decision-making, so it shows up when it matters most.

Known for his engaging, story-driven style, David’s sessions are packed with practical tools leaders can implement immediately to improve accountability, strengthen alignment, and drive performance.