Purpose. Performance. And the moments that ask more of us than we planned for.
In this episode of the Link to Leadership Webinar series, Tracey Walker, CEO of Linkage, sits down with Doug Conant — former President of Nabisco Foods Company and former President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company — for a candid, unscripted conversation about what it really takes to lead well when it matters most.
Doug is also the creator of the Higher Ground Leadership Success System™, a battle-tested leadership framework built from 50 years of experience leading Fortune 500 companies. Organized around two pillars — Dig Deep and Reach High — it's designed to help leaders build a strong foundation and use it to guide people, teams, and organizations to higher ground.
🔗 Learn more about the system here: https://conantleadership.com/higher-ground-leadership-success-system/
Tune in for a conversation that's as personal as it is practical.
Meet the Presenters
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Tracey Walker
Tracey Walker is a nationally recognized executive strategist and transformational CEO with more than two decades of impact across business, government, and professional services. As the Chief Executive Officer of SHRM Linkage, she brings a bold, evidence-based vision for elevating leadership excellence worldwide—grounded in data, strategic foresight, high-performance cultures and an unwavering commitment to developing leaders who inspire trust and deliver measurable, enterprise-level results.
A three-time CXO, Tracey built her career in global organizations where she became known for uniting multicultural strategy, stakeholder engagement, and disciplined business methodology to accelerate sustainable growth. Her counsel has guided Fortune 500 companies, federal agencies, and mission-driven enterprises in unlocking performance, elevating the people experience, modernizing culture, and expanding markets through strategic inclusion and human-centered AI.
Her leadership impact has earned national distinction. Tracey has been named one of the AICPA’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Accounting, received the AGA President’s Award, and was honored as ALPFA’s 2025 Executive of the Year—recognition that reflects her influence across industry and the broader business community. Throughout her career, she has led multi-million-dollar portfolios, built high-performing revenue organizations, and guided complex transformation initiatives across HUD, Treasury, USDA, Freddie Mac, and Fannie Mae.
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Doug Conant
Doug Conant is Founder & CEO of ConantLeadership and is the only former Fortune 500 CEO who is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, a Top 50 Leadership Innovator, a Top 100 Leadership Speaker, and was twice-named a Top 100 Most Influential Author in the World. He has served as President of Nabisco Foods, President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company, and Chairman of Avon Products, and has served on countless for-profit and nonprofit boards.
Doug is also a seasoned teacher. He is a former instructor of leadership at the Higher Ambition Leadership Alliance and he teaches the concepts advanced in his book The Blueprint in his signature leadership development course, The BLUEPRINT Boot Camp. He is also a LinkedIn Learning Instructor and the instructor of our STEPS leadership program for Administrative Professionals. Deeply engaged in the contemporary leadership conversation as a teacher, speaker, and mentor, Doug speaks daily to professionals on the front lines of the modern workplace.
SHRM certification has approved this webinar for 1 PDC toward SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP recertification. A program code will be provided at the end of the webinar.