John Sculley

Former President and CEO of Pepsi, Former CEO of Apple Computer, High-Tech Entrepreneur and Venture Capitalist

In-Person Fee Range
Call for Fee
(Inquire for virtual fee)

Travels From
Florida, United States

Former President and CEO of Pepsi, Former CEO of Apple Computer, High-Tech Entrepreneur and Venture Capitalist

John Sculley is the legendary corporate leader who is best known as the former Apple CEO. He is known as the person who brought big brand marketing to the Silicon Valley. A pioneer marketer working with some of the most talented innovators in high technology like Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, John Sculley John Sculley is a gifted public speaker who is appreciated for his knack for explaining complex ideas in ways that are easily understandable and appealing to a wide range of audiences. John Sculley’s experiences in Silicon Valley have been portrayed in 3 movies, “Pirates of Silicon Valley,” “Jobs,” and a soon to be released Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle movie, “Steve Jobs.” John Sculley is also author of 2 books, Odyssey and Moonshot!

Marketing Expert

“I’ve always been a risk-taker with an insatiable curiosity,” John Sculley once said. I am one who loves to connect the dots, loves to be around talented people, and likes to make bets on people.” He was talking about his career as one of the leading business pioneers over the past forty-plus years. His leadership at Pepsico and later Apple Computer created his much-deserved international reputation as a marketing expert.

Pepsi-Cola CEO

Sculley joined Pepsi-Cola Co as a trainee in 1967. Three years later, he shot to the top at the age of 30, he became the company’s youngest marketing vice president. Sculley helped create the first 2-liter plastic soft drink container thus enabling Pepsi to be the first soft drink to be introduced into mass merchandisers and drug chains as these chains loved the plastic bottle because it didn’t break like glass bottles did. John Sculley also launched of The Pepsi Challenge–one of the most successful marketing campaigns ever. John Sculley was the first CEO of the PepsiCo International Foods division, and Sculley became Pepsi-Cola Co’s youngest President and CEO in 1977.

Apple CEO

Sculley was recruited to Apple in 1983 by Steve Jobs to bring his “cola wars” big brand marketing skills to Silicon Valley to help revitalize the Apple company brand. A year later, John Sculley helped Steve Jobs launch the first Mac computer. During Sculley’s 10 year tenure as Apple CEO, sales revenues increased by over 1000% to $8.3 billion and the Mac became the largest selling hardware PC in the world.

High-Tech Entrepreneur

After leaving Apple in 1993, Sculley became a high tech entrepreneur and investor where he helped many entrepreneurs build their private companies. These companies included now well known brands like MetroPCS, NFO Research, HotWire.com, Intralinks.com, and InPhonics.

Big Data

John Sculley’s interests moved to Big Data analytics. He founded Zeta Interactive and Silicon Valley company Misfit. Sculley also became interested in consumer focused wellness and healthcare. He has helped build MDLIVE ( a leading tele-health company), Watermark Medical a sleep technology firm, and FlexPharma a biotech firm. Sculley is still involved with many innovative start-up companies around the world.

Telecommunication

John Sculley is also co-founder of Obi Mobiles, a Silicon Valley designed world phone. Sculley’s former Apple design and marketing team are helping target a USD $99 to $150 LTE entry price point with intended distribution into 70 emerging market countries by year-end 2015. Obi Mobiles has an experienced emerging markets sales and distribution team and is able to leverage off of Inflexionpoint Acquisition Corp’s ( also co-founded by John Sculley) billion dollar revenue, emerging markets IT supply chain and distribution company headquartered in Singapore.

“I try to bring a designers eye to thinking about high technology through the eyes of the customer. It’s always about searching for better ways to give customers an exceptional customer experience.  “And I think that’s my contribution to it all,” he would reflect.  “I have been on some amazing teams team, and I have had some really cool seats on the bus!”

Power Shifts: Getting Used to the New Normal

Audiences learn about the power shifts that are transforming business and why we are only at the beginning. When you look around at today's business world, what new ground rules do you see? How is the power in the marketplace shifting, and what do these shifts mean to your business? Just as importantly, how can you not simply respond, but take advantage of them?

How Companies Create Innovation

Large public companies are typically not good at innovation as their organizations are measured on their execution ability to scale revenue, not disrupting important existing profit centers. Disruptive innovation happens at moments of secular change and the biggest opportunities are usually on the edges of transformation, which are also areas of the highest risk. John learned there is a fine line between success and failure when one is attempting disruptive innovation out-on-the-edge. Consequently, my world is focused on small entrepreneurial companies who are comfortable taking high risks and has no existing profits to protect. In this speech I discuss strategies, personal experience case histories, and first principles for disruptive innovation.

Commoditization of Almost Everything

As GDP growth in the EU and USA has slowed, 75% of the world’s GDP is now coming from emerging markets where a rapidly developing new middle class of 2 billion people who want autos, digital life products, condos, furniture, food services, shopping malls, etc. What's different about this new middle class from the West is, are the price points for everything which will be much lower than what we are accustomed to in the West. The derivative effect is the half-life of new products is greatly reduced and commoditization is happening in months not years as in the past. So the "new normal" requires first understanding how commoditization will touch each company and what are the strategic options? John Sculley has extensive experience in digital electronics, supply-chain systems both in North America and South Asia. John is also a recognized expert in US healthcare reform, mobility and the cloud, financial services and Internet marketing, creating companies in India and ASEAN countries.

Consumer Driven Healthcare Services

When John Sculley was recruited to Apple by Steve Jobs it was because Steve believed that personal computers would need to be marketed as Big Brand consumer appliances using similar marketing skills that Sculley had helped create at PepsiCo with what John calls "experience marketing". 30 years later, a similar opportunity has arrived to consumerize the delivery of healthcare services and once again John Sculley is at the forefront. In this speech John Sculley talks about disruptively innovative companies he is involved with as an investor, mentor and board member: MDLIVE - tele health; Misfit Wearables -miniature sensors that can monitor health vital signs and Big Data analytics; Zensey – consumer engagement engine service for self-insured corporations; Watermark Medical - home diagnostics testing for sleep APNEA and others. John Sculley is uniquely qualified as a spokes person as he has 30 years of experience in high technology and 7 years of healthcare experience; a lifetime as one of the best known Big Brand marketers in the world and John is deeply involved in some of the most innovative new healthcare firms.

The Reinvention of Work

John Sculley has a long history with his interest in the reinvention of work going back to the 1980s when he was Apple CEO and the launching of "desktop publishing". Currently John is a co-owner of a $400 million billings Vendor Managed Services firm called NextSouce that focuses on the high growth opportunities for temporary staffing and project oriented work. John is also an investor and board member in 2 mobile wireless technology companies which are key building blocks for knowledge worker collaboration: Openpeak: is a bring-your-own-device enterprise software firm; and 3Cinteractive: is a mobile unified communications and business analytic enterprise software firm. In this speech John talks about trends and opportunities for leaps in productivity via new technology tools for knowledge workers including Big Data analytics and social media.

The Future of the Global Economy

Globalization 1.0 was all about exports from the emerging markets to the developed west. Globalization 2.0 is about how India, China and other emerging markets are developing their own domestic middle-class economies. John Sculley has extensive experience in South Asia and currently is helping build a $1 billion revenue IT Distribution Company in India and the ASEAN area. In this speech John discusses his experiences and lessons-learned.

All John Sculley Books

Moonshot!: Game-Changing Strategies to Build Billion-Dollar Businesses
Purchase Book
Odyssey: Pepsi to Apple: A Journey of Adventure, Ideas, and the Future
Purchase Book

"Sculley was everyone's favorite CEO before he even spoke. The time he spent with clients had them endeared to his low-key and honest style. He did a great job of wrapping up the content of our meeting. Given our topic, it's hard to imagine how someone could have done better. The audience just loved that he's had so much experience in different industries and could talk so specifically to emerging business opportunities. It he's not busy speaking he's a hidden jewel. Again I'd be happy to be a reference for him."

- | CSC Consulting


John Sculley was a hit. As our keynote speaker, he provided a perfectly-tailored presentation, embracing the theme of innovation and sharing his personal experiences revolutionizing industries—from soft drinks to personal computers, and beyond. We are still receiving raves about he demonstration he provided of his Live Picture! Imaging technology.

- Vorhaus | Robbie Vorhaus, President & Chief Executive Officer


"The event was an unqualified success, thanks in no small part to your perspectives and participation. It is clear that your comments were among the most thought provoking and highly regarded."

- | Greater San Diego Chamber of Commerce


"Your insights were fascinating and intrigued our audience members, and our sponsors especially enjoyed having breakfast with you. I know your speech will long be remembered as the 'Communications Revolution' continues to evolve."

- Society of International Business Fellows | Stewart M. Dansby, Chair

Check John Sculley Availability

Recent Books

Moonshot!: Game-Changing Strategies to Build Billion-Dollar Businesses
Purchase Book
Odyssey: Pepsi to Apple: A Journey of Adventure, Ideas, and the Future
Purchase Book

Your Speakers

Please add any speakers you are interested in to your list. You can send this list to us to inquire about availability.

Clear All

No Speakers in List

Scroll to Top