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Gene Marks

20+ years advising small and mid-sized businesses
  • Decodes AI, policy, and economic trends for leaders
  • Leaves audiences with an actionable roadmap to protect margins and drive growth
Speaker Fee:
$20,000 - $30,000
Virtual Fee:
$10,000 - $15,000
Travels From:
Pennsylvania
Gene Marks
Book Gene Marks
Speaker Fee: $20,000 - $30,000
Virtual Fee: $10,000 - $15,000

Gene Marks Speaker Biography

Gene Marks is a best-selling author, business keynote speaker and columnist.  Gene presents at over 70 live events per year — from Fortune 500 sales meetings and corporate groups, to large trade association conferences. His keynote presentations are funny, energetic, and packed with valuable content.

Gene helps business leaders understand the political, economic, operational and technological ISSUES AND TRENDS that will impact their companies. But most importantly, Gene provides ACTIONS they need to take to continue to grow and build a valuable company.

As an author, business owner, business keynote speaker and columnist for The Hill, The Guardian, Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Chicago Daily Herald, Gene has spent two decades both running a successful business and interacting with influential leaders across industries.

His role as a speaker is to be a vessel for your audience, reporting back to them what he’s learning and seeing all across the country so they can walk away with some good, tangible, actionable ways to navigate their companies around the challenges they face as they build value in their organizations.

Whether its navigating a slow economy, managing through inflation or finding and retaining the best talent, Gene Marks shares what his best clients, readers and business leaders in his community are doing to build value and grow their companies each year.

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Gene Marks Speaking Highlight Reel
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Speech Topics

From Washington to Your Workplace : Economic, political, workplace and technology trends impacting your industry
The Hill and Guardian columnist Gene Marks explains how leaders are navigating economic changes, tariff uncertainty, workplace challenges and technology investments.

As a regular columnist for The Hill and The Guardian and frequent guest on Fox News and other national outlets, Gene Marks spends his time analyzing the political and economic decisions coming out of Washington — and translating what they actually mean for business owners and industry leaders.

In this high-energy, insightful presentation, Gene connects the dots between public policy and business strategy. He explains how regulation, trade policy, workforce shortages, midterm elections, tariffs, and inflation will directly impact hiring, costs, supply chains, and profitability over the next 12–36 months.

This keynote will address how leaders are:
✓ Utilizing economic data that makes sense
✓ Adapting to the regulatory environment under the current administration
✓ Navigating trade shifts and tariff exposure
✓ Tackling labor market dynamics and workforce shortages
✓ Managing through inflation and higher costs
✓ Preparing for the midterms
✓ Investing in technology

This is not a partisan talk — it’s a practical business briefing designed to help leaders anticipate change, reduce risk, and position their organizations for growth regardless of political outcomes.


AI, Automation & The: Future of Your Industry Forbes Tech Columnist Shares What Leaders Need to Know Now

For more than 20 years, Gene Marks has covered business technology for Forbes, reporting 6–8 times per month on the latest advances in artificial intelligence, automation, and enterprise software. In this fast-paced, practical session, he separates AI hype from business reality and explains what is actually impacting industries like construction, manufacturing, distribution, retail, and financial services.

Drawing from his interviews with Microsoft, Google, emerging AI firms, and real-world companies implementing these tools, Gene will outline where AI is delivering measurable ROI — and where businesses are wasting time and money.

This keynote focuses on:
✓ AI risks and realities
✓ AI agents and automation in operations
✓ AI in sales, CRM, estimating, forecasting and finance
✓ AI in in real life in your industry
✓ Workforce implications and leadership strategy
✓ AI governance, risk, and data management
✓ Where to invest in 2026–2027 for competitive advantage
✓ What to expect in the next 12–24 months

Attendees leave with a clear, practical technology roadmap — not theory — and a better understanding of how smart leaders are using AI to protect margins and drive growth.

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Good afternoon Gene, your presentation on Saturday pretty much punched me in the nose. “I have been avoiding AI, but what you shared made it clear that I need to embrace it head on. I’ve already engaged my leadership team about putting an AI policy in place—that wasn’t even on our radar. Can you send me a copy of your presentation so I can share it with them? It explains so much about the advantages of AI but also the risks and ways we can use it. Thank you again for the great presentation.”

Business Development Manager, FMGI, Inc.

“I attended your AI presentation at the March LMC conference in Houston. Our team all commented that your session made the most memorable impression of the week.”

BeLit

“I finally got to hear Gene speak! This was at our national meeting in Orlando. He is AMAZING! Our builders loved him and just everything he had to say. Unfortunately, I only caught the last 15 minutes or so of his speech due to working at the event for the most part. But just from what I heard I was ‘wowed’ to say the least. He is truly amazing at what he does.”

Sales & Marketing Administrator, Nucor Building Systems

“Thanks so much for the eye-opening (and jaw-dropping) presentation you gave on AI at last week’s Mass. Bankers Conference. Would you send me a copy of your deck? I’d love to share it with my Marketing staff.”

Senior Vice President, Director of Marketing, BrooklineBank

“To say that I enjoyed your presentation on AI during the 2024 Store Point retail event would indeed be an understatement. I found myself taking a few pages of notes, just to turn around and decide that there was much that I missed that was noteworthy. I can’t wait to catch you at the next event. The way AI is progressing, I imagine you have a different PP in the works.”

Visual Hardlines Manager, Bass Pro Shops

“Good morning, Gene, without a doubt, your presentation was the best closing session I have ever attended. I know you are doing the kickoff for Symposium and I’m sure I will be saying the same for the kickoff session. Somehow, you managed to make all the tough news entertaining. It was a master class on presenting.”

Learning Specialist, North Carolina Association of CPAs

“In a word… WOW! Gene absolutely delivered. He was spot on for our members. He packed a lot into 45 minutes and left everyone with something to take away… We could not be happier. He was fantastic.”

President & CEO, The Aircraft Electronics Association

“Gene, I would say in my 30 years of attending presentations, yours was THE MOST: valuable, relevant, properly paced, perfect amount of info; not too much, but enough, excellent humor, and perfectly executed presentation I have experienced.”

VP Relationship Manager, First Merchants Bank

“Gene, thanks for connecting. I will say that the builders thought you were the highlight of the week. We appreciate you presenting and for the insights you provided.”

Chairman of the Board/CEO/President, Chief Industries, Inc.