Why Donald Supports Arise Collective
Supporting the women served by Arise Collective is a privilege. Their work helps women returning from incarceration rebuild their lives with dignity, community, and opportunity, and that mission reflects what I believe about leadership and second chances.
I am proud to stand alongside Arise Collective again as a sponsor of the 2026 Hope Awards Luncheon, and to help celebrate the advocates whose work is changing lives across North Carolina.
About Donald Thompson
Donald Thompson is an award-winning CEO, multi-exit entrepreneur, and trusted executive advisor with more than 25 years of senior leadership experience. Honored as EY Entrepreneur of the Year® (Southeast Region), named to Forbes Next 1000, and a 3x Inc. 5000 executive, he has built and scaled multiple companies to acquisition. As Managing Director of the Center for Organizational Effectiveness at TELUS Health, formerly Workplace Options, Donald helps executive teams build high-performance cultures, drive revenue growth, and lead with clarity through the AI era. He is the author of Underestimated, The Employee Engagement Handbook, and The Inclusive Leadership Handbook, and hosts the High Octane Leadership podcast.
These are some of the teams and organizations I'm proud to work alongside.
Workplace Options
A global employee well-being and performance company supporting more than 88 million employees across 100,000 organizations in 47 countries. Donald leads its Center for Organizational Effectiveness as Managing Director.
Walk West
A growth consultancy blending marketing and AI transformation to deliver authentic storytelling, strategic insights, and business transformation. Donald serves as Executive Board Chair.
ExecBrand Authority
A brand strategy and AI discoverability consultancy that helps executives build personal brands that are visible, credible, and easy to find. Donald is its Founder and Executive Chair.
Executive Coaching and Advisory
Donald advises CEOs and leadership teams directly, helping them align strategy, strengthen culture, and lead through growth and the AI era.
Good work often starts with a conversation.
If you lead a team or an organization and want to build a culture where people do their best work, Donald will welcome the conversation.
Connect with Donald