Jeff Appelquist

World Traveler, Author & Leadership Coach

Executive Profile

Jeff Appelquist is the president of Blue Knight Leadership, LLC, which he founded in 2008. Jeff is a former U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer, practicing attorney, and corporate executive. He has more than thirty years of experience both as an entrepreneur and as a leader in Fortune 100 companies. He is an award-winning author and expert in American history.

Jeff has called upon his many years of widely varied professional experiences and encyclopedic knowledge of history to create a unique and powerful individual leadership and team development program. He is a nationally-recognized consultant, speaker, and teacher whose expertise, energy, humor, and passion help organizations forge great leaders and teams.

Jeff is a former college athlete and avid international sportsman who has traveled to all fifty of the United States and six continents. He has scaled to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. Jeff has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Carleton College and a combined juris doctor and master’s degree in public policy and administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN FORTUNE 100 COMPANIES

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

EXECUTIVE LEADERS TRAINED & COACHED

CONTINENTS TRAVELED

AWARD-WINNING BOOKS

Jeff Appelquist as a Marine infantry officer, Pohang South Korea, 1983

Jeff Appelquist (bottom right) and friends at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Africa’s tallest mountain, in January 2017

Testimonial

“Jeff Appelquist has consulted with the Business Development and other teams at Fresenius Kidney Care for 12 years. During that time Jeff has done excellent work both with our senior leadership team and our high potential vice presidents and directors. Jeff has helped us achieve a coordinated common purpose, better communication, stronger relationships and, as a result, improved business outcomes. He has been a key factor in our excellent retention numbers over the years. Jeff has also helped me personally and professionally in my own leadership journey. We greatly value Jeff’s wise counsel.”

Tom Weider
Senior Vice President, Sales & Account Management
Fresenius Kidney Care