Discover where John Hennessey (CEO of multiple Hennessey companies) finds great employees, why he went from race car driving to driving a business, and when he realized the importance of providing entertainment (14 minutes).

CEO BLINDSPOTS PODCAST GUEST: John Hennessey. He is the founder & CEO of Hennessey Special Vehicles, Hennessey Performance, Tuner School, and Lonestar Motorsports Park.

Born with a passion for speed and fast cars, John found early racing success behind the wheel of a modified Mitsubishi 3000GT at events such as the Pikes Peak Hill Climb and the Silver State Classic. Hennessey even set a world speed record in his class at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Fueled by his passion for racing, horsepower, and speed, John began modifying imports out of his garage in 1991 – it wasn’t long before his 1,000-hp twin-turbocharged Dodge Vipers were getting international attention in celebrated automotive publications such as Motor Trend, Car and Driver, Top Gear, and Road & Track.

John quickly opened a dedicated performance shop, which grew to be one of the largest independent automotive tuners in the world. Hennessey became a name synonymous with performance – “the American icon of speed and the open road” – and the company’s vehicles were being offered and sold to a global market. By the numbers, more than 10,000 specialty vehicles, including mid-engine supercars, six-wheeled supertrucks, and modern muscle cars have been improved with Hennessey performance modifications.

Still operating at full throttle, John founded Hennessey Special Vehicles in 2017 with the mission of designing, engineering, and manufacturing the world’s fastest cars. The company’s first project, the Venom F5 – a bona fide 300+ mph hypercar – started customer deliveries in 2021.

Today, the Hennessey facilities in Texas include a large manufacturing plant and a dedicated test track – where vehicles may be tested at speeds of up to 150 mph. Tuner School, the only teaching institution of its kind, offers the next generation of automotive enthusiasts hands-on education to the art of making vehicles faster.

In addition, John recently announced his "Project Deep Space" plans to make the world’s first luxury electric car that is a 6-wheel drive where the driver is in the center of the car and the rear offers lie-flat seating, all inspired by private-jet class lavishness

John, his wife Hope, and their five children live in Houston, Texas.

For more information about John and his companies, visit; http://hennesseyperformance.com/

CEO BLINDSPOTS HOST: Birgit Kamps. She was speaking five languages by the age of 10, and lived in five countries with her Dutch parents prior to becoming an American citizen. Birgit’s professional experience includes starting and selling an “Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Private Company” and a “Best Company to Work for in Texas”, and serving as a Board Member with various companies. In addition, Birgit is the President of Hire Universe LLC, and the host of the CEO Blindspots Podcast which was recognized by Spotify for having the “biggest listener growth” in the USA by 733%; https://ceoblindspots.com/

Q1: How do I keep A-players during layoffs ?

CEO BlindspotsBy Birgit KampsMar 31, 2020