Bill Fournet
Bill Fournet CEO of The Persimmon Group, the award-winning management consulting firm he founded in 2004. A sought-after keynote speaker with a unique business philosophy — Change is constant. Chaos is a choice — Bill has spent 30 years helping leaders navigate uncertainty with clarity and conviction. He has led or overseen large and mega projects in excess of $10 billion across engineering, financial services, healthcare, and energy.
Bill loves to solve complex problems for organizations of all sizes and remains hands-on at Persimmon, consulting clients across verticals. His keynotes on leadership, adaptive strategy, navigating uncertainty, and responsible AI equip executives with practical tools to lead through disruption and stay ahead of change. He is the author of The Map vs. the Terrain: A Leader’s Field Guide to Navigating Uncertainty (Wiley, 2026).
The Persimmon Group was awarded the Blue Ribbon by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — multiple years running — and has appeared multiple years on the Inc. 500/5000 list of the U.S. Fastest Growing Companies. The firm also received the Arrowhead Award for the Oklahoma Professional Business of the Year. Bill has been honored as the Small Business Person of the Year by Tulsa’s Metro Chamber of Commerce and is a two-time honoree for “Most Admired CEO” in Oklahoma.
Bill holds a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and a master’s degree from Oklahoma State University. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Boy Scouts of America, Indian Nations Council. He and his wife, Christy, reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and have three sons.
