Dave Sanderson

Dave Sanderson is the founder of Resilience Partners Group, where he helps sales-driven leaders restore clarity, execution, and resilient performance. He was the last passenger off US Airways Flight 1549, the Miracle on the Hudson, after helping other passengers leave the aircraft. His work draws from that crisis, 38 years in sales, and years spent leading under pressure to help teams make sound decisions when the full path is not yet visible.

His career began far from a keynote stage. Sanderson worked factory shifts, restaurant operations, door-to-door copier sales, and enterprise sales roles that eventually included Oracle. Those experiences shaped his approach to service-first leadership and relationship building across difficult operating environments. He teaches that access is not influence, influence is not affinity, and trust must be earned through preparation, follow-through, and care for people beyond the immediate transaction, especially when the pressure is high.

On Blue Collar Smart, Sanderson and Hugh Hornsby traced the lessons behind his resilience work, from Bill Marriott dropping fries during a difficult shift to the cold water of the Hudson and the leadership decisions that followed. Their conversation about resilience, relationships, and leading through disruption gives trade leaders a practical standard: prepare thoroughly, support people before numbers, and treat adversity as a moment for disciplined action rather than an excuse to abandon responsibility.