Our Featured Speaker
Bret Snyder
CEO and President of W.L. Gore
February 4, 2026 and 8 a.m.
About Bret
Bret Snyder is President and Chief Executive Officer of W. L. Gore & Associates, and Chair of the company’s Board of Directors. He became Chair in 2016 and assumed the CEO role in October 2020.
W. L. Gore & Associates applies deep materials science expertise and application knowledge to solve complex technical challenges across its Fabrics, Medical, Performance Solutions, and Specialty businesses. Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Newark, Delaware, Gore is a privately held company with approximately 13,000 Associates worldwide and annual revenues of $5.3 billion.
As CEO, Bret has guided Gore’s innovation to expand its impact toward emerging and high-growth industries such as healthcare and renewable energy. He led the development of the Gore Business System (GBS), which defines and standardizes Gore’s proven ways of working, and championed the modernization of the company’s digital infrastructure.
Before becoming CEO, Bret worked as a full-time Associate from 2008 to 2016 in roles spanning research and development, product and enterprise strategy, litigation, and risk management. He joined Gore’s Board of Directors in 2011 and serves on several committees. From 2011 to 2016, he also served as a trustee for one of Gore’s retirement benefit plans.
Earlier in his career, Bret held business and R&D positions at Rohm and Haas Company. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Brown University and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Washington.
A grandson of company founders Bill and Vieve Gore, Bret continues to uphold their legacy of innovation and collaboration. He and his wife live in Delaware and have four children. His interests include triathlons, hiking, and reading.
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About Grit Talks
Grit Talks are a quarterly speaker and networking event featuring interesting local leaders answering seven questions over fifteen minutes. Woven together their answers will illustrate a common story. Failure….Overcoming it… and the resulting success. Speakers will be business owners and leaders from our community who we know or should know, with stories of inspiration to share. The talks will be held at The Mill’s Theatre N, and the speakers will be captured on video and archived on the Grit Talk website for ongoing sharing and viewing. Guests will be asked to arrive at Theatre N at 8:00 a.m. for thirty minutes of coffee and networking. The talks will begin promptly at 8:30am followed by fifteen minutes of Q&A and additional networking until 9:30am.
7 QUESTIONS
What have you not done yet that you would like to be part of your story or included in your eulogy?
How has failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a favorite failure?
In the last five years, what new belief, behavior or habit has most improved your life?
What activities make you lose track of time?
What book do you most often give or recommend and how has that book influenced you?
What have you purchased, or been given, in the last year valued under $200 that has most positively impacted your life?
If you could broadcast a message to everyone in the world knowing it would be received and remembered what would it be?
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CONTACT US
Address:
Bill Dugdale
AB Bernstein
1105 N. Market Street, Suite 1800
Wilmington, Delaware 19801
Phone
302-485-4500
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