Culture Partners Announces the First Surrender to Lead Summit, Convening CEOs and Leaders Shaping the Future of Work

Virtual summit takes place two weeks ahead of the release of Surrender to Lead, a new leadership book by Joe Terry and Dr. Jessica Kriegel

TEMECULA, Calif., Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Culture Partners, a global culture consulting firm known for helping organizations drive measurable business results through culture, today announced the Surrender to Lead Summit, a virtual leadership event bringing together CEOs, executives, and changemakers from across industries to explore what leadership requires next.

The summit will take place two weeks prior to the release of Surrender to Lead, the forthcoming book written by Joe Terry, CEO of Culture Partners, and Dr. Jessica Kriegel, the firm’s Chief Strategy Officer. Both the summit and the book examine a shared premise: that modern leadership demands surrendering outdated models of control in favor of accountability, trust, and clarity that drive real results.

“For years, leadership has been synonymous with control” said Joe Terry, CEO of Culture Partners and co-author of Surrender to Lead. “Today, the leaders who are making the biggest impact are the ones who are able to let go of control by creating clarity, alignment and accountability with their teams on their purpose, strategy and culture to deliver extraordinary results. This summit is about sharing what that looks like and how to do it.”

Through candid conversations and real-world examples, the Surrender to Lead Summit explores how leaders build cultures that perform under pressure, navigate uncertainty, and adapt as expectations of leadership continue to evolve.

The speaker lineup includes leaders from organizations representing a combined market value exceeding $100 billion, spanning manufacturing, technology, healthcare, services, government, and professional sports.

Confirmed speakers include:

Jennifer H. Cunningham, Editor-in-Chief, Newsweek
Billy Beane, Former General Manager, Oakland Athletics (Inspiration for the film Moneyball) Jim McCann, Founder and CEO, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM Sam Reese, CEO, Vistage Scott Wine, Former CEO, CNH
Ron Alvesteffer, President and CEO, Service Express Max Schwendner and Mike Clifton, Co-CEOs, Alorica
John Barrand, Chief Human Resources Officer, State of Utah Janna Salokangas, CEO and Co-Founder, Mia AI
Kristy Bryson, CEO, Beneco
Amber Higgins, CEO, PeopleFinders
Meredith Kesseler, Professional Triathlete and High-Performance Leader

Together, these leaders will share perspectives on accountability, decision making, operating under uncertainty, performance culture, the role of AI, and what it takes to guide organizations when conditions are complex and stakes are high.

“The timing of this summit matters,” said Dr. Jessica Kriegel, Chief Strategy Officer at Culture Partners. “In today’s day and age, leaders are being asked to deliver results in environments that feel less predictable than ever. This summit is about letting go of outdated ways of leading so organizations can move forward with clarity, accountability, and results.”

The Surrender to Lead Summit is designed for CEOs, senior executives, and leaders responsible for driving strategy, culture, and organizational performance.

Registration details are available at:

https://www.surrendertolead.com/summit/

About Culture Partners

Culture Partners is the leader in Change Activation, helping organizations achieve extraordinary results by creating clarity, alignment, and accountability across their purpose, strategy, and culture. Powered by 37 years of research, world-class IP, and award-winning expertise, we equip leaders with a practical framework to align people, processes, and priorities and activate a culture of ownership. Millions of individuals in thousands of organizations worldwide rely on us to unlock human potential, accelerate performance, and empower people at every level to drive business-critical results. Learn more at https://culturepartners.com/

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SOURCE Culture Partners