THE 28 ESSENTIALSPC
01
Generate positive energy from minute one.
PETER CUNEOSUPERHERO LEADERSHIP
FORMER CEO, MARVEL ENTERTAINMENTEXECUTIVE. AUTHOR. SPEAKER.From
From
bankruptcy to $4 billion.
The leadership lessons behind Marvel’s revival.
And what they mean for your next defining moment.
THE MARVEL TURNAROUND1999 — 2009
Peter CuneoEXECUTIVE. AUTHOR. SPEAKER.
01 / THE MARVEL TURNAROUNDA legacy built
A legacy built
under pressure.
A company at a crossroads. A library of characters with untapped potential. A leadership team willing to reimagine what came next.
$4 billionANNOUNCED DEAL VALUE · 2009
August 31, 2009. Approximately $4 billion.
The turnaround was a team achievement.
Peter’s perspective comes from leading it.
August 31, 2009. Approximately $4 billion.
- 1999THE TURNAROUND BEGINS
Peter joins Marvel as CEO
Peter joins Marvel as President and CEO, inheriting a company fighting for survival and a culture that had lost confidence in itself.
- 2002A NEW MODEL
The character portfolio awakens
A disciplined licensing strategy turns overlooked intellectual property into a durable engine for film, consumer products, and global growth.
- 2005A COURAGEOUS BET
A new approach to financing films
The company secures financing against its own character library, creating the independent studio model that would change entertainment.
- 2008PROOF OF VISION
Iron Man changes the equation
A second-tier character becomes a worldwide phenomenon and the foundation of an interconnected cinematic universe.
- 2009THE OUTCOME
Disney announces the acquisition
A business once dismissed as bankrupt is acquired by Disney—one of the defining corporate turnarounds of the modern era.
Courage sets the direction.
Discipline turns it into progress.
02 / FROM SUPERHERO LEADERSHIP
The 28 Essentials.
Leadership is a daily practice.
Find a principle for the moment you’re in.
Browse by theme · editorial groupings; original numbering retained
01 / 28
Drag to explore · ← → to browse · Enter to read
Essential 1: Generate positive energy from minute one.
28 essentials found.
MAKE IT A PRACTICE
EXPLORE THE BOOKChoose one essential. Carry it into your next conversation, meeting, or decision.
Click to play soundA soundtrack for the story.
03 / THE BOOK · PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 2026Superhero
Superhero
Leadership
28 Ways to Lead with Courage, Strength, and Compassion
Peter Cuneo distills the lessons of the Marvel turnaround into a direct, human framework for leaders facing high stakes, uncertainty, and rapid change.
- Make consequential decisions with clarity
- Rebuild culture when confidence is low
- Balance courage with compassion
“Leadership rarely follows a script—it’s instinctive, human”
BRUCE RAMER
ENTERTAINMENT ATTORNEY
“Superhero Leadership is a masterclass in leading with integrity, clarity, and courage.”
PATRICK BUTLER
FORMER PRESIDENT & CEO, AMERICA’S PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS
04 / LISTEN & WATCHThe story behind
The story behind
the decisions.
Conversations on leadership, conviction, and what it takes to change direction.
WATCH THE MARVEL MINDSETA remarkable comeback. Told from the inside.
PODCAST
Superhero Leadership
Conversations with leaders who have faced the hard decisions.
VIDEO SERIESThe Marvel Mindset
A planned ten-part series of approximately 15-minute conversations on the principles and decisions behind Marvel’s turnaround. Episodes 1–3 are available now; episodes 4–10 are still to come.
FEATURED EPISODEEpisode 3: The Marvel Mindset Building the Wheel
The principles and choices behind Marvel’s transformation.
05 / SPEAKINGA leader for
A leader for
pivotal moments.
Bring the lessons of transformation into the room—and back to your organization.
01
Keynote speaking
Stories from the turnaround, with ideas your audience can put to work.
02
Leadership conversations
A candid exchange on building belief, leading change, and making the difficult call.
03
Book Peter Today!Executive & university audiences
From boardrooms and leadership offsites to business schools and public institutions.
RECENT ENGAGEMENTS
White House Fellows
Speaker series
Turnaround Management Association
Keynote · Houston, Texas · October 2026
PREVIOUS SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS · PARTIAL LIST
- White House Fellows
- Turnaround Management Association Keynote, Houston, Texas (October 2026)
- Ideagen United Nations
- National Policing Institute
- Harvard Business School, Cambridge, Mass.
- University of Rochester School of Business, Rochester, New York
- University of Texas, Austin, Texas
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- MTV Finland, Marketing Association, Helsinki, Finland
- Alfred University Commencement, Alfred, New York
- American Veterans Center, Washington D.C.
- INSEAD, Fontainebleau France
- Columbia University, Business School, New York
- The Conference Board, New York
- New York City Police Department, New York
- New York University Stern School, New York
- Turnaround Management Association, Chicago, Illinois
- Electronic Arts Senior Leadership, San Francisco, California
- Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- CEO Forum, New York
- IESA Barcelona, Spain
- Universidad De Palermo, Buenos Aires Argentina
- Wharton Business School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Wall Street Training Symposium, New York
- Turnaround Management Association, New York
- Peking University, Beijing, China
- American Marketing Association, New York
- Frito-Lay Inc. Plano, TX
- Stanford University CA
SPEAKING TOPICS / TAILORED TO YOUR AUDIENCE
- 01Corporate Turnaround & Crisis Leadership
- 02Building High-Performance Culture
- 03Strategic Decision-Making Under Pressure
- 04Brand Transformation & Intellectual Property
- 05The Marvel Blueprint: Innovation at Scale
- 06Executive Leadership in the 21st Century
“In every organization I've transformed, the breakthrough moment came when leadership stopped managing the crisis and started leading through it. That distinction is everything.”
PETER CUNEO
06 / BEYOND THE TURNAROUNDOperator. Veteran.
Operator. Veteran.
Teacher.
Peter Cuneo is an internationally recognized business leader and one of the most successful turnaround CEOs of his generation.
Before Marvel, he led successful turnarounds at Black & Decker, Clairol, and Remington. He began his career as a U.S. Navy officer and later earned his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Today, Peter serves on boards, advises leaders, speaks around the world, and shares the practical principles behind lasting transformation.
PAST LEADERSHIP ROLES
Read Peter’s full storyMARVELRemingtonBLACK+DECKERClairol
07 / SUPERHERO LEADERSHIP ADVISORYWhen the stakes are high,
When the stakes are high,
experience matters.
- Is your organization struggling to turn strategy into results?
- Are leadership challenges holding back growth and performance?
- Is your business facing a critical decision, transition, or turnaround?
Peter Cuneo has spent more than four decades leading companies through extraordinary challenges, completing seven successful corporate turnarounds, including helping transform Marvel Entertainment from bankruptcy into a global powerhouse ultimately acquired by Disney for $4.5 billion.
Today, Peter brings that experience directly to CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs, family offices, and leadership teams facing consequential business decisions.
His approach is practical, candid, and grounded in experience—not theory.
Through Superhero Leadership Advisory, Peter helps organizations sharpen strategy, strengthen leadership, establish accountability, and turn difficult challenges into opportunities for lasting growth.
He works personally with a select number of clients, offering the perspective, judgment, and trusted counsel that come from having been in their shoes.
Real Experience.Clear Direction.Measurable Results.
Superhero Leadership AdvisoryHelping leaders turn pressure into performance.Start a Conversation with Peter
“What I appreciate most is how willing Peter has been to share his time and knowledge. As a founder, having someone with his experience listen, ask thoughtful questions, and help me see a clearer path forward has meant so much.
I’m grateful for Peter’s guidance, encouragement, and belief in what I’m building. I would wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone looking for an experienced business advisor who takes a personal interest in helping them move forward.”
MORGAN DIPRIMO
FOUNDER & CEO, ALIGN33 MEDIA
08 / START A CONVERSATIONYour next
Your next
defining
moment.
Tell us about your audience, your organization, and what comes next.
SPEAKING · ADVISORY · MEDIA