Christopher Iansiti, an influential organizational change entrepreneur and avid expert in corporate learning, talent management and human performance, has gained a place in the Florida State University College of Business Alumni Hall of Fame.
Iansiti, a Naples resident who graduated from FSU with a bachelor’s degree in finance in 1992 and a master’s degree in instructional systems in 1994, will be enshrined during a Thursday evening ceremony at the Turnbull Florida State Conference Center in Tallahassee.
The inductions of Iansiti and three other honorees — manufacturing company executive Russell Kohl, real estate investment firm executive Kyle Riva and search and advisory firm executive Nada Usina — will increase the Alumni Hall of Fame membership to 66.
Criteria for selection include a degree from the College of Business, an exceptional career background, and service to the college and Florida State University.
Iansiti’s induction comes three years after his inclusion in the FSU Alumni Association’s Circle of Gold, which recognizes alumni and friends who exemplify the university’s tradition of excellence.
“I’m truly honored by this recognition,” he said, “and I’m grateful for everything that the FSU College of Business taught me to be successful in the world of business — the mindset to be positive, the knowledge of finance and the skillsets to be an entrepreneur.”
Upon graduating from FSU, Iansiti declared a life mission to help people, teams and organizations reach their highest potential. He made his mark as the founder of IANSITI Performance Group Inc., an Atlanta-based consultancy that led organizational change through an emphasis on the human side of business — culture, leadership, learning, coaching and employee performance.
Iansiti expressed pride in “consulting with a velvet touch,” for which he said his company became known. He sold the firm in 2018 to TiR1 Performance, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, and stayed on as a senior principal until 2021.
“I always wanted the client to have the best customer experience,” Iansiti said. “I was able to provide that and build a thriving business because of what I learned at FSU.”
He fondly recalls his College of Business experience, which included leadership in student organizations and inspiration from faculty members who mentored him. One mentor urged him to pursue his master’s degree in instructional systems from FSU’s College of Education.
After graduation, Iansiti embarked on a career in which, over three decades, he launched or co-founded three companies and consulted with powerhouse corporations including AT&T, Boeing, The Coca-Cola Company, Chick-fil-A, Virgin Voyages and Cox Enterprises.
In 2003, he founded IANSITI Performance Group, which emphasized improvements in organizations’ customer experience, sales performance and employee retention. The company made the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s most successful companies and earned a spot in the Seminole 100, which recognizes the 100 fastest-growing businesses led or owned by FSU alumni.
“I would tell our clients whether they had a knowledge gap, a performance gap or a culture gap,” Iansiti said. “Then I’d establish accountability plans on how to drive fundamental change within those organizations. That’s what I got good at doing.”
He now devotes much of his time to the College of Business and FSU. He serves as chair of the FSU Foundation Board of Trustees and previously chaired the FSU College of Business Board of Governors.
He frequently speaks to classes, mentors students and spends time with recipients of his three endowed scholarships. Most recently, he and his partner, Michael A. Fornaro, made a gift to establish the Christopher E. Iansiti Endowed Directorship in the College of Business Center for Professional Success.
The College of Education honored Iansiti in 2011 with a Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies department named him its Gagne/Briggs Outstanding Alumnus.
He frequently speaks on the topics of entrepreneurship, corporate culture, client relationships and business development, including as a guest on CNN.
Asked about his future, Iansiti said: “I plan to join a corporate board and wouldn’t mind potentially starting another company. I’ve still got a lot of creating, building and helping to do.”
