Rick Long is a transformational executive, facilitator, and strategist with over two decades of experience leading change, sparking innovation, and driving growth at some of the world’s most respected organizations, including Amazon, Cigna/Evernorth, Capital One, and McKinsey & Company. He is known for blending quantitative rigor with qualitative nuance, combining analytics, storytelling, and collaborative leadership to unlock potential in individuals, teams, and entire systems.

Rick specializes in teaching leaders how to make smarter decisions, build innovative solutions, communicate with influence, and lead with purpose. His approach goes beyond surface-level fixes – he helps organizations get to the root of complex challenges and equips leaders with the mindset and tools to create meaningful, sustainable impact.

At Amazon Web Services, Rick served as Director of Employee Experience, where he led high-impact initiatives to improve employee engagement and well-being for 115,000+ global employees. He built enterprise-wide listening systems, implemented AI-powered sentiment tools, and drove senior-level accountability for action – more than doubling participation and influencing actions across 24 AWS organizations.

At Cigna’s Evernorth Labs, Rick led a cross-functional innovation portfolio focused on healthcare’s biggest challenges. He created the strategy and design for the Next Generation Commercial Servicing concierge-based platform, simplified care navigation for millions of members, and embedded behavioral science into engagement strategies. Earlier, as Cigna’s Global Head of Customer Experience, Rick introduced the “Moments that Matter” strategy, shifting the organization toward customer-centered design and measurable impact.

A former Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company, Rick advised Fortune 500 clients on strategy, performance, and organizational transformation. At Capital One, he spent 15 years in executive leadership roles across customer experience, operations, technology, and risk – developing leaders and delivering business results at scale.

Rick holds an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, an M.S. in Management Information Technology from the University of Virginia, and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University.

With his unique blend of real-world leadership, analytical depth, and practical teaching expertise, Rick brings energy, clarity, and lasting value to every learning experience.