Tony Bridwell is a Partner and Practice Leader for Partners In Leadership with nearly three decades of executive leadership experience that informs his ability to consult, guide, and develop leaders on the practical application of Partners In Leadership’s models, tools, and methodologies. Tony is the author of several articles and two books, The Difference Maker, A Simple Fable About Making A Difference In The Life of Others (August 2013) and The Kingmaker, A Leadership Story of Integrity and Purpose (June 2016).

Most recently Tony served as the Chief People Officer of Brinker International (the parent company of Chili’s and Maggiano’s restaurants) and is a highly recognized thought leader in corporate culture, leadership, development, and human resources. He was named 2015 HR Executive of the Year by DallasHR (the local affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management) and also received the 2015 Strategic Leadership Award from Strategic Excellence HR. Tony has been a facilitator and featured speaker for organizations within North America, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Italy, Belgium, Egypt, China, Thailand, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Leaders seek and thrive on his high energy and captivating style.

Aside from presenting and facilitating summits and keynotes for organizations, he has been the featured speaker for multiple conferences and associations, including the CHRO Exchange, Dallas HR (SHRM), the HRSouthwest Conference, ATD San Diego, and the California Restaurant Association.

Bridwell began working with Brinker in 2009 as a consultant representing Partners In Leadership. Beginning in 2009, Brinker and its restaurants were facing a tough economy. Under Bridwell’s leadership and using the Partners In Leadership approach, Brinker reversed poor engagement, low retention, and high costs and ultimately transformed its culture into a powerhouse resource, delivering high stock prices, best-in-industry employee engagement, and high customer satisfaction levels. Based on this success and demand for his deeper involvement, Bridwell joined Brinker in 2013 and soon transitioned into a key member of their executive leadership as chief people officer in 2014.

Prior to his CPO role at Brinker International, he served as a top consultant for Partners In Leadership, working with executive leaders at some of the world’s most acclaimed organizations, such as Halliburton, Citibank, Baxter Healthcare, Coca-Cola, Morton’s Steakhouse, Whirlpool, OG&E, the Centers for Disease Control, and many more well-known international organizations.

In addition to his professional commitments, Tony is dedicated to multiple organizations. He is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and serves on the board of directors for two non-profits: Taylor’s Gift Foundation, which advocates organ donation awareness, and Unlimited Partnerships, a group dedicated to strengthening churches through the development and mentoring of future church leaders.

Tony resides with his family in Texas.