About Stephen Shapiro

Stephen Shapiro has spent more than 30 years helping organizations get the most out of the people they already have.

However, his career didn’t start with growth. It began with efficiency. Early on, he co-led Accenture’s process improvement practice.

But when he saw that helping companies optimize their processes meant helping them downsize their workforce, he changed course.

He no longer wanted to help companies shrink. He wanted to help them grow. So he went on to found and lead Accenture’s 20,000-person innovation practice.

He is the author of eight books, including his latest, You’re Not Playing with a Full Deck: Why the Coworkers Who Drive You Crazy Are Your Unfair Advantage (April 2026).

He’s also the creator of Personality Poker®, an interactive experience played by more than 250,000 people worldwide.

Stephen’s work has been featured on ABC News, CNBC, USA Network, and TLC, making his ideas as engaging on screen as they are on stage.

He serves as a Senior Research Fellow with The Conference Board, has spoken in over 50 countries, and was inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame in 2015.

Offstage, Stephen explores innovation through magic and music, two disciplines deeply connected to creative thinking. Magic gives him a chance to make the impossible possible, while playing the tenor sax lets him practice improvisational jazz, a form of innovation in real time.