Anton Gunn is a leadership expert who equips mission-driven executives to build trust, strengthen culture, and lead with confidence in high-stakes organizations.
Few leadership experts bring the breadth of experience Anton does. A former senior advisor to President Barack Obama, former Resident Fellow at Harvard University, C-suite healthcare executive, elected public official, and board chairman, he has led and advised organizations where leadership decisions shape businesses, communities, and lives. He is also a member of the Forbes Coaches Council and the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Anton became the first African American elected to the South Carolina Legislature from his district and later served as Chairman of the Columbia Metropolitan Airport Commission. His leadership in healthcare earned him recognition as one of the Ten Most Influential Minority Executives in Healthcare. In 2026, Real Leaders magazine ranked him #4 on its list of the Top 100 Impact Speakers.
As the bestselling author of The Audacity of Leadership, The Presidential Principles, and Just Lead, Anton combines practical leadership frameworks with real-world experience to help organizations build trust, strengthen workplace culture, and prepare leaders to navigate change with confidence.
Global organizations such as Pfizer, Microsoft, KPMG, T-Mobile, SHRM, HCA Healthcare, and Mercedes-Benz Vans, along with numerous associations, have trusted Anton to develop their leaders. His insights have also been featured by TIME, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Good Morning America, Forbes, NPR, and BBC.
Away from the stage, Anton is an avid collector of 80s and 90s hip-hop memorabilia — a reminder that the greatest leaders, like the greatest artists, are remembered not for their performance alone, but for the legacy they leave behind.
