Who is Tuggle?
Anthony E. Tuggle is a transformational executive, leadership mentor, author, and speaker dedicated to helping people grow with clarity, purpose, and resilience. With more than 25 years of experience leading global operations and developing high performing teams, he has empowered thousands across industries to lead better, live intentionally, and build cultures that last. As a former senior executive overseeing more than 30,000 employees worldwide, Anthony has led in high pressure environments where people, performance, and purpose collide. Through it all, he has remained grounded in what matters most: people. His leadership is rooted in emotional intelligence, accountability, and the belief that growth happens from the inside out.
His journey is captured in his book I’m Better, Not Bitter, a powerful reflection on surviving kidney failure and receiving a life saving transplant in his early adulthood. That experience reshaped his outlook, deepened his faith, and gave him a renewed mission to use every opportunity, every room, and every platform to make a difference. He views his second chance at life as a calling to serve others and raise awareness for kidney health, mentorship, and building a lasting legacy. His commitment to this mission led him to serve as Chairman of the Board for the National Kidney Foundation, where he continues to advocate for education, prevention, and community support. Anthony’s passion for mentorship also runs deep as the founder of Tuggle Nation, a mentoring community that helps the next generation of leaders grow with purpose, and through partnerships with organizations like Year Up to equip young adults from underserved communities with the tools to succeed.
Anthony holds a BA in Psychology and an MS in Management from Thomas Edison State University. He is a graduate of Emory University’s Executive MBA program and has completed the Executive Education Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Highly engaged in his communities, he champions diversity, equity, and inclusion and serves on several boards, including Emory University Goizueta Business School, Mount Vernon School, National Sales Network, Ignite Worldwide, and the National Kidney Foundation. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Nicole, and their daughter Angelina is attending the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Outside of his professional life, Anthony enjoys time with family and friends and is an avid sports fan.
Press
Anthony E. Tuggle’s life took a dramatic turn when he was diagnosed with kidney failure. What began as a quiet battle with fatigue and discomfort became a defining chapter in his story. The road to transplant was not easy. It tested his strength, his faith, and his leadership in ways no boardroom ever could.
Through months of uncertainty, hospital visits, and personal reflection, Anthony made a promise. If given another chance, he would live it with greater purpose. That promise became the foundation for how he leads today. After receiving a successful kidney transplant on his birthday, he returned with more than a new organ. He came back with a new mission, one he carried forward for 25 years, a quarter century of life, leadership, and impact made possible by that gift.
This past year, Anthony’s transplanted kidney failed, and he is now on peritoneal dialysis while awaiting another transplant. During his evaluation process, doctors also discovered kidney cancer. Thankfully, it was caught early, successfully treated, and he is now cancer free. Despite these challenges, Anthony remains optimistic and more committed than ever to making a positive impact on people’s lives.
His leadership is no longer just about results. It is about people. It is about impact. And it is about using every moment in business, in mentorship, and in life to help others rise, just as he was lifted.
This story is not about survival. It is about transformation. And it is at the heart of everything Anthony builds, teaches, and gives back through his work and through Tuggle Nation.