Keynote Speaker · Sales Leadership Coach · Problem Solver

Solving Hard Problems.
Building Winning Teams.

Keynotes, workshops and coaching from a 28-year technology sales leader at Salesforce and the creator of the Cube Method. Now booking events and coaching clients.

Book Emmy to Speak Explore Coaching
43,000+ people reached
28+ years in tech sales
12 teams led
$500M+ revenue influenced

My Why

I believe every hard problem has a solution — and that the best leaders teach others to find it.
Portrait of Emmanuel Pacheco smiling, wearing glasses and a white shirt

I studied philosophy and psychology at the University of Toronto because I wanted to understand how people think, argue and decide. Twenty-eight years of enterprise sales later, that curiosity still drives me: my résumé says technology sales, but my life is about building the relationships and partnerships required to achieve seemingly impossible goals. The Rubik’s Cube taught me that progress sometimes looks like going backwards — and that anyone can solve something hard once they learn the right moves. Helping people discover that for themselves is why I lead, and why I teach.

Career

Six faces. One solved cube.

Like a Rubik’s Cube, a career gets solved one face at a time. Fifteen stops, six chapters — each with a lesson I still use every day.

1988 Today

Key learning

    Download Résumé (PDF)

    Impact

    What I’m Most Proud Of

    • 8×

      President’s Club winner across SAS, Google Cloud and beyond.

    • 128%

      Team quota attainment — top Canadian result at Google Cloud.

    • 25+

      Sellers developed and promoted into leadership roles.

    • 43,000+

      People reached by the Thing About Hard Problems masterclass.

    • Ernő Rubik

      The inventor of the Cube endorses the Cube Method.

    • World Record

      Guinness World Records title holder with the Googler Orchestra (2023).

    Cube Lessons

    What the Cube Teaches You About Real Life

    A Rubik’s Cube has 43 quintillion possible combinations — and every one of them can be solved in 20 moves or fewer. The same principles that solve the cube help you solve the hard problems in work and life.

    Explore the lessons at cubelessons.com →

    Scrambled. Press “Solve it” to watch it come together.

    1. 01

      Break it into its smallest pieces

      54 stickers look overwhelming. But there are only three kinds of piece: 6 centers, 12 edges and 8 corners. Find what the pieces have in common, and what makes each one unique.

      Name the parts of your problem before you try to fix it. Most “huge” problems are a few repeating patterns.

    2. 02

      Centers never move

      Turn any face and its center stays where it is. The center tells you where every other piece has to go. It is your fundamental truth.

      Find the non-negotiables: the budget, the deadline, your values. Work around them instead of fighting them.

    3. 03

      Edges first. Corners later.

      When you work on edges, ignore the corners. When you work on corners, ignore the edges. Trying to fix both at once is how beginners get stuck.

      Secure the connective work first. The flashy, many-sided piece can wait until its moment.

    4. 04

      Layer by layer

      Solve the first layer as your foundation, then the middle, then the top. Each layer is built on the one beneath it, and you never have to undo it.

      Trying to operate at layer three before layer one is done leads to chaos. Build from the foundation up.

    Ernő Rubik speaking at Talks at Google, celebrating 50 years of the Rubik’s Cube
    “The harder the problem, the happier you are to beat it. It proves your capability and makes you brave enough to take on the next one, and that is how progress happens.”
    Ernő Rubik, inventor of the Rubik’s Cube Talks at Google · Moderated by Emmanuel Pacheco · Intro by Jim Hogan · London, UK · September 2025
    • 13,800+ members in the Google Cube Club Emmy founded
    • 43,000+ people reached by the masterclass
    • 50 years of the Cube celebrated with Ernő Rubik at Talks at Google

    Speaking

    Keynotes that move rooms — and numbers.

    High energy, hands-on and practical. Audiences leave with a cube in their hands and a method in their heads.

    Emmy holding up a Rubik’s Cube during a live virtual workshop

    Speaker reel

    • Keynote 01

      Solving Hard Problems

      The Cube Method live: a hands-on session where every attendee learns to think in layers, algorithms and small wins — and solves a real Rubik’s Cube.

    • Keynote 02

      Leading High-Performance Sales Teams

      Lessons from 28 years and multiple President’s Clubs: how to coach, forecast and build a culture where winning is repeatable.

    • Keynote 03

      AI & the Future of Customer Engagement

      What Data Cloud, Agentforce and generative AI really change for marketers and sellers — and what stays deeply human.

    Featured at

    • Talks at Google
    • Google Cloud
    • Salesforce
    • Guinness World Records
    • Questrade
    • SADA

    For event planners

    Everything you need to say yes.

    • Keynotes of 30–60 minutes or half-day workshops
    • In person across North America and beyond, or virtual
    • Talks tailored to your audience, industry and theme
    • Ready-to-use bios, headshots and an MC introduction
    Check Emmy’s availability Get the speaker kit

    Coaching

    Coaching for sellers and the leaders who build them.

    28 years of quota, President’s Clubs and team building, turned into coaching you can put to work on Monday.

    • 1:1

      Sales Leadership Coaching

      Private coaching for first-line managers, directors and VPs. We work on forecasting, deal reviews, hiring, coaching your reps and leading through change.

      • For new and growing sales leaders
      • Recurring sessions, virtual
      Ask about 1:1 coaching
    • Teams

      Assume The Deal: Sales Ninja Certification

      A four-step enterprise sales playbook delivered as a team program, with White, Blue and Black belt certification so you can see progress in the pipeline.

      • For sales teams and enablement leaders
      • Multi-week program, in person or virtual
      Bring it to your team
    • Workshop

      The Cube Method Masterclass

      A hands-on half day for leadership teams and offsites. Everyone solves a real Rubik’s Cube, then uses the same method on a stalled deal or a problem the business is facing.

      • For leadership teams, offsites and kickoffs
      • From 10 people to thousands
      Plan a workshop

    Testimonials

    What leaders, partners and teams say

    Things I’m Working On

    Projects beyond the stage.

    The playbooks, lessons and communities I’m building. Each one turns what I’ve learned into something you can use.

    FAQ

    Questions event planners and leaders ask

    Does Emmy speak in person, virtually, or both?

    Both. Emmy is based in the Greater Toronto Area and travels for in-person keynotes and workshops across North America and internationally. Virtual sessions are just as interactive, and he has run live cube workshops for remote audiences.

    Can the keynote be tailored to our event?

    Yes. Every talk starts with a short call about your audience, theme and goals. Stories, examples and takeaways are adjusted for your industry, whether that’s a sales kickoff, a leadership offsite, a customer conference or an employee resource group.

    Do attendees really solve a Rubik’s Cube?

    In the Cube Method masterclass, yes. Most people have never solved one, and that’s the point: it shows in under an hour that a “hard” problem becomes manageable once you learn the right moves. Cubes for attendees can be arranged as part of the booking.

    What does coaching look like?

    1:1 coaching is a series of recurring virtual sessions built around your real pipeline, team and goals. Team coaching runs through the Assume The Deal Sales Ninja certification, so progress is measured in belts and in deals.

    How far in advance should we book, and what are the fees?

    Booking two to three months ahead gives the best chance of getting your date, but shorter notice is often possible. Fees depend on format, length, location and audience. Send a few details through the form below and you’ll get availability and a quote.

    Contact

    Let’s solve something hard together.

    Booking a keynote, planning a workshop or looking for a coach? Share a few details and I’ll reply with availability and next steps, usually within two business days.