Monty Moran Profile Photo

Monty Moran

WSB Exclusive Speaker

Former Co-CEO at Chipotle Mexican Grill (2009-2016), Lawyer, Author, Pilot and Filmmaker

As the former co-CEO of Chipotle, Monty Moran led the expansion of the brand from 400 to more than 2,500 locations and brought in more than $23 billion in revenue. His people-first leadership is grounded in the belief that ordinary people, under the right circumstances, can make extraordinary contributions.

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Monty Moran Profile Photo

Monty’s view of effective leadership is unique and refreshing. It’s grounded in his belief that ordinary people, in the right environment, are capable of making extraordinary contributions. He’s found that people, whether in a law firm of 30 lawyers or a Restaurant chain of 75,000 employees, are capable of leading and making significant creative contributions when they work in a culture that ignites their individual and collective growth.

For Monty, empowerment is not a buzzword. It’s not a tactic. It’s a way of life. It’s part of the non-delegable responsibility of every leader to build relationships with those they hope to influence. After all, Monty reminds us that the only source of a leader’s power is that others choose to follow. Earning people’s respect requires leaders to love, listen and connect. It requires the kind of vulnerability that is essential to building strong relationships. And, it requires that every person take responsibility for building a culture that causes people to work and play at a high level — consistently.

It was this kind of people-centric leadership that drove Monty’s team at Chipotle to grow from 400 restaurants to more than 2,200, each contributing on average over 2.5 million dollars in revenue, and to earn multiples on Wall St. that rival many technology companies.

In his book, Love Is Free. Guac Is Extra: How Vulnerability, Empowerment, and Curiosity Built an Unstoppable Team (2020) and docuseries, “Connected: A Search for Unity”, Moran explores leading with love, vulnerability, curiosity, and authenticity. He educates leaders to humbly lift up the people around them, noting that the more they do, the more they will be rewarded – professionally, financially, emotionally, and personally. His talks are fun, energetic, interesting, and full of ideas that leaders can actually use to quickly build more engaged teams, and vastly improve results.

Prior to joining Chipotle, Monty was head of litigation and then managing partner and CEO at the Denver-based law firm of Messner and Reeves, LLC, which he led for ten years. Most recently, Monty realized his lifelong dream of becoming a pilot, and flies his airplane throughout the United States to pursue his interest in better understanding and serving Americans, a quest he documents through his startup, Old Tale Productions. In addition, he is a director and chairman of corporate boards, advisor to many entrepreneurs and businesses, a filmmaker, and author.

Featured Videos

Monty Moran Profile Photo
Monty Moran

Monty Moran on Making Chipotle Better in His Documentary “Connected”

Monty Moran Profile Photo
Monty Moran

Monty Moran Speaking Reel 2021

Monty Moran Profile Photo
Monty Moran

Monty Moran – Connected: A Search for Unity Trailer

Monty Moran’s Speech Topics

  • Love is Free. Guac is Extra: How to Empower Employees & Build a Connected Culture

    Known as an “executive who gets it,” Monty Moran shares an intimate and personal portrait of resilience that focuses on the importance of being a leader. In this talk, he touches on his extraordinary journey as co-CEO of Chipotle to illustrate the techniques that led to its powerful culture and results. His leadership practices are at times unconventional, often disruptive, and built uncommonly successful cultures. The lessons that Moran shares are not found in business school, but were forged as a result of his life experiences, including those as a trial attorney, Managing Director of a law firm, co-CEO of Chipotle, and much more.


    Taking Chipotle from a regional burrito chain to a Fortune 500 superstar with more than 75,000 employees, Moran placed value on the critical, but often overlooked aspects of great leadership such as one-on-one talks, better communication, being open and vulnerable, and taking time to forge deep connections with and understand his employees.


    In this talk, Moran shares how to use curiosity, love, and a unique understanding of the true meaning of empowerment to build wildly effective cultures full of rich relationships. For him these are not ‘soft’ ideas: they are crucial for any leader who wants to maximize their contribution.


    Moran’s proven results show that the key to success lies in a commitment to become your best self in order to help others do the same. For when you empower others to be the best version of themselves, the resulting passion and persistence that it evokes provides endless opportunities for growth, leadership, and prosperity.

What other organizations say about Monty Moran

Monty was a home run! He was authentic, open, and honest. We saw someone who leads with their heart and is committed to his beliefs about how leaders lead people. He believes what he’s selling and was infectious in his passion.

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