Keynote Speaking
Cleophus P. Franklin Jr. spent 35 years inside Fortune 500 boardrooms at John Deere, Case New Holland and Mahindra. He speaks the way he led, plainly, with real stories and a framework people can still use on Monday morning.
Franklin builds every talk on the 4I Methodology™ and three decades of decisions he actually had to make: the brand that had to be rebuilt, the team that had to be told the truth, the market that wasn't waiting. Audiences leave with language they can use on each other the following week, not just applause.
Flagship Keynote
Teams rarely fail for lack of talent. They fail for lack of a shared code—an agreed way to think, decide and act when it matters most. This talk gives an audience that code in a single session: trust, clarity, connection, courage, and the breakthrough that follows.
Strategy & Execution
After 35 years leading global operations, Cleophus has watched brilliant strategies fail—not because they were wrong, but because nobody could execute them. This talk walks an audience through the 4I Methodology™ and the specific place most organizations stall.
Culture & Leadership
Trust is the foundation every other result sits on, and it is built or broken in ordinary moments, not dramatic ones. A candid, story-driven session on what leaders do when nobody is watching—and why their teams already know.
Brand & Market Growth
The inside account of Franklin's eight years at Mahindra, where the business scaled from $132M to $1.4B in revenue, doubled brand awareness, and grew market share from #6 to #3 in the North American tractor category. What actually moved the needle.
Industry
Delivered as the 38th Annual Streich Family Lecture on Free Enterprise at Midwestern State University. Where global agriculture and equipment markets are heading, and what that means for the organizations and students who will work in them.
Emerging Leaders
Drawn from the books that started it all. Short, direct lessons on mentorship, preparation and self-belief—built for students, early-career professionals, and the educators who develop them.
Every talk is tailored ahead of time. Cleophus will ask about your audience, your theme and the outcome you need before a single slide is written.
Leadership offsites, sales kickoffs, and annual meetings for organizations navigating growth or change.
Member-facing keynotes and general sessions—including several return engagements for the IAFE.
Three decades inside the industry at John Deere, Case New Holland and Mahindra, speaking to people who know it.
Named lectures, commencement-style addresses, and classroom sessions from a sitting adjunct professor.
Mission-driven organizations and the boards that steer them, from someone who founded and funds one.
Programs developing the next generation—FFA, student leadership summits, and teacher development.
Franklin Leadership Summit
Morningside College · February 2020. Opening the inaugural summit alongside a panel of business strategy experts.
International Engagement
Mexico. Three decades of global leadership means audiences well beyond North America.
Industry Launch
Mahindra. The brand and market story he tells on stage is one he lived as chief marketing officer.
Keynote
Texas FFA Foundation
Keynote and wrap-up presenter for the LEAD / Cultivating LEAD Experience—a week-long leadership journey for 80+ educators and aspiring teachers.
2026
Named Lecture
Midwestern State University
38th Annual Streich Family Lecture Series on Free Enterprise, Dillard College of Business Administration — “Global Business and Agribusiness Trends.”
2020
Panel · Host
Morningside University
Inaugural Franklin Leadership Summit, joining business strategy experts in panel discussion for the summit that carries his name.
2020
Repeat Speaker
International Association of Fairs & Expositions
Presented to IAFE members on multiple occasions, returning with programs built around challenges attendees raised the year before.
Multiple
Convention
Texas FFA State Convention
Longtime advocate of Texas FFA; launched Mission Matters: Texas Leaders Edition at the 95th Annual Convention in Dallas.
Dallas
Faculty
University of Houston–Downtown
Senior Corporate Fellow and Adjunct Professor at the Marilyn Davies College of Business, teaching the material he speaks on.
Current
Cleophus also serves on the Morningside University Board of Directors, served on the National FFA Foundation Board through 2017, and holds the FFA Honorary American Degree for his contribution to agriculture.
"Cleo is one of my favorite speakers. There are very few speakers we bring back more than once—and he has presented to our members several times. He listens to our attendees' needs, then comes back with programs to address their challenges… Our attendees like Cleo's engaging style. If you are looking for a speaker who delivers meaningful, impactful leadership content, Cleo would be a great choice."
"How do you take 80+ educators and aspiring teachers on a week-long leadership journey — one designed to empower, equip, and encourage? You need a code. And you hope for a breakthrough. Cleo Franklin delivered both. As the keynote and wrap-up presenter for our 2026 LEAD / Cultivating LEAD Experience, we couldn't be more pleased — the content, the presence, the insight, and above all, the Breakthrough Code™ he gave our educators. Our teachers are better positioned for career, personal, and professional success because of Cleo's impact."
"Cleo Franklin gave an interview where he described the differentiating qualities of the Mahindra brand as passionate, authentic and connected. I think the same three words also describe everything that Cleo stands for. He is deeply connected with his customers, his dealers, and with the organization. He is one of the most authentic people I know."
The Breakthrough Code™ also runs as a half-day, full-day, or five-day immersive experience built specifically for your team.