Philippe Cesson
Philippe Cesson, known as the "Badass in Chief" at CESSON, a standout Digital Marketing Agency, has mastered the art of empowering CEOs with modern strategies, delivered with his trademark wit, provocative humor, and a rich dose of actionable knowledge. With a dynamic combination of repartee and insight, Philippe enables leaders to sharpen their edge and accelerate business growth.
With over 20 years of experience, Philippe has conducted more than 400 presentations, keynote addresses, and workshops in 43 American states (looking at you, Wyoming), as well as in Canada, Mexico, the UK, and several European countries. He has been invited to headline prestigious events and conferences at some of the world’s most iconic venues, including the Javits Center in New York, the Navy Pier in Chicago, and the Blue Danube in Budapest, establishing himself as a highly sought-after speaker. His engaging style and valuable content have earned him a spot in the elite “200 Club” of top-rated Vistage speakers, a testament to his expertise and unique Badass approach.
While he eagerly anticipates an AI-fueled, more connected world, Philippe balances his fast-paced professional life with moments of deliberate disconnection like his annual Digital Detox—what he calls a vacation for his mind—and takes pride in being a lifelong student of the ancient Greek and Roman philosophy of Stoicism.
What makes us human hasn't changed much in 2,000 years, which is why getting AI right is humanity's crucial responsibility—and every CEO's ultimate challenge.
His experiences, adventures, and insights into societal and technological shifts shape his dynamic perspective, enabling him to blend innovative business strategies and practical execution with authentic leadership. This makes him a relatable and inspiring curator for CEOs and organizations navigating today’s ever-evolving landscape.
The sunny beaches of the French Riviera seem like a paradise to most people. But Philippe has never been like most people: always an iconoclast, he left his native environment in the South of France to seek his fortune overseas and became an American citizen along the way.
After more than a decade honing his Badass skills at big-name corporations including Pinkerton and DirecTV, Philippe fully embraced the French concept of being an entrepreneur and created the CESSON marketing & training agency in a garage in 2004.
As Badass in Chief™, Philippe leads a bi-coastal team of professionals in Los Angeles and New York City dedicated to life, liberty and the pursuit of technology. Every week, the smart folks of CESSON generate results for its clients all over North America, moderating the exclusive Badass LinkedIn CEO group, and putting together the ever-popular Badass Friday show, the podcast about life, liberty and the pursuit of technology.
In his capacity as Badass Speaker™, Philippe has delivered more than 400 presentations, keynote addresses, and workshops (IRL and online) all over North America and Europe. Philippe is one of the most highly-rated and sought-after speakers on all levels of technological and nontraditional ways of expression. True to his Badass nature, Philippe infuses every engagement with his abundant sense of humor, charming accent, and finely-tuned business acumen.
Philippe has also sat on the alumni board of the University of Dallas, where he received his MBA, and served as president of the San Diego French American Chamber of Commerce. Philippe enjoys spontaneously disconnecting for days at a time to recharge in the company of his three children and to explore on his motorcycle remote byways in the American Southwest and Baja California and maybe pick up a mic and make you laugh at a late-night dive bar in NYC, or play a DJ set at an after party.
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TESTIMONIALS
Philippe Cesson is a true visionary and one of this generation’s most innovative and forward-thinking speakers. Charismatic and an expert in technology, Philippe challenges CEOs to own their individual business style and pushes the boundaries of modern day marketing.
Great presentation I think we all have information overload. To find someone who can bring meaning and context and curate that content like Phil is valuable. Philippe’s presentation on social media was spot on. I really understand how to use social media a little bit more bring it into drive marketing and sales in our organization. Philippe help us find another level of productivity and are getting more done, rather than reacting to emails. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t quote Philippe’s theories. Philippe is an inspiration. After his presentation, I realized my website did not tell the right story for where I am today. I was inspired by the range of new tools to rebuild my website. Philippe’s presentation helped me use social media in a much broader context, like how I can bring my staff together, customers together, and create more of a learning environment. I definitely took away some great info from Philippe’s presentation for new ways to engage our audience! Philippe’s techniques to use technology/data to attract and analyze leads was thought provoking. Love Philippe’s presentation! His interaction with each audience member was great. All 5 stars on the Vistage score sheet! OMG! The workshop was so much - and Philippe is awesome. Phil was a great presenter, he made it very interesting and relevant, my students love him. Learned from Philippe the badassery of using social media for your business, out-of-the-box training, and opportunities for improvement. Philippe is the rare marketing pro who has a mastery of classic marketing knowledge AND a thorough understanding of the new technologies. He knows how to help his clients reach more customers, create more sales, and make more money. Philippe was charismatic and clear on how to channel efforts to grow brands and be bold and authentic in brand identity. The conversation with Philippe was very stimulating and came at the right time as we reevaluate our social media strategy. I was very impressed with Philippe. He gave an excellent presentation and the was unanimous praise for him, personally and professionally. I would highly recommend your dynamite presentation to any business interested in staying relevant in an ever-growing Gen X and Gen Y world. Thank you! I thank Philippe for this and curse him at the same time due to the fact that I got moved from a comfort zone and I am always thinking about what Philippe has taught me. Thanks. Thank you for your enlightening and wonderfully refreshing talk at today’s CCIL meeting. Your talk has strong interest with our company as we try to move forward and stay competitive in the future. Thanks. I wanted to thank you for the phenomenal presentation today! It was so informative and I learned more than I ever imagined! Thanks again! “I appreciate and value the Card Deck (Presentation) that was shared and provided for our download. I will certainly share some of its content with my team. As it is applicable on many fronts. Thanks for that.” “Great topic, great delivery” “I really like the generations part of your presentation. I keep thinking about how I could use this information in my practice. I will be in touch. Thanks again. Enjoy your time with your family.”
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