Advising and Influencing the C-Suite: The Key Skills for Tomorrow's GC

Greg Riggs is an executive and organizational coach with an extraordinary background in law, business and higher education. Combining high-level coach training and certification at Columbia University with 30 years of Fortune 100 and C-Suite experience, Greg brings to his clients a unique understanding of pathways to success, what it takes to reach the top, and how to leverage natural strengths for optimal individual and team performance.

Greg served as Senior Vice President – General Counsel & Chief Corporate Affairs Officer for Delta Air Lines where he reported directly to the CEO and was responsible for the company’s world-wide legal affairs, government affairs, public affairs and corporate communications functions at a time of major transformation in the airline industry. This top-level position capped a distinguished 26-year career with Delta which included appointments as the company’s chief ethics and compliance officer, deputy general counsel, assistant secretary, and chief administrative officer for Airport Customer Service, Delta’s largest operating division, where he managed a $1.6 billion budget.

Following his highly successful Delta career, Greg was named an Associate Dean at the Emory University School of Law, with senior administration responsibilities spanning professional development, admission, student affairs, career services, and external relations. One of his principle legacies at Emory Law was the establishment of the Center for Professional Development and Career Strategy with 23 Law Practice Societies to provide direct links to bar associations and practicing attorneys. This innovative framework brings students to the intersection of theory and practice, helping them discern their authentic career path and position themselves for long-term success in the legal profession.

Greg holds an M.A. from Oxford University, a J.D. from Emory Law, and a B.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill and Coaching Certification from Columbia Business School. He has served on the Boards of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, and Aviation Accreditation Board International. He has been a featured speaker at the Carter Center, the Conference Board, and Practicing Law Institute programs in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Atlanta, among numerous others. He was named by his peers as one of Georgia’s Super Lawyers in 2004 and 2005.