Driven to Build, Guided by Values
Driven to Build, Guided by Values
Leading for Long-Term Success in the For-Profit and Nonprofit Worlds
Peter Finn’s book is part strategic memoir and part leadership blueprint, reflecting 15 years of purpose-driven leadership and impact in business and community.
The book explores how organizations can achieve sustained growth by prioritizing culture, purpose and long-term stewardship over short-term transactional gains.
In an era of rapid consolidation and cultural disruption, Finn offers a counter-narrative grounded in experience.
A journey of purpose, partnership and collaboration
Driven to Build, Guided by Values highlights Peter’s twin passions over the last three decades:
- Co-founding the Catskill Mountain Foundation in 1998 to drive economic and cultural revitalization through the arts
- Launching FINN Partners in 2011 with the bold belief that purpose and profitability can co-exist
- Creating a lasting community of shared values and a collective mission to make a meaning difference in the world
We have proven that purpose, people and profitability can coexist harmoniously. In our model, prosperity follows purpose—not the other way around.
Peter Finn, CEO & Founding Managing Partner
In the press & on the airwaves
Explore Peter Finn’s recent podcast conversations, interviews and reviews discussing leadership, values and community stewardship.
What readers are saying
“Peter Finn’s Driven to Build, Guided by Values is a great introduction to how you can accomplish so much in one lifetime. His principles, from ‘Work hard, play nice’ and ‘Be amazing’ to ‘Make a difference’ resonate with mine. In every dance I make, I too work to reinforce a world we all want to live in. Thank you, Peter, for practicing and spreading the word.”
—Twyla Tharp, choreographer and founder, Twyla Tharp Dance
“In a time when trust and authenticity have never been in shorter supply or greater demand, Peter Finn’s Driven to Build, Guided by Values should be required reading. It’s a master class in leading by example, bringing out the best in people through collaboration, and infusing an exemplary life with purpose.”
—Michael Lasky, Senior Partner, Davis+Gilbert LLP and Board Member, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
“In an industry facing consolidation and dominated by holding companies, Peter Finn has built an outstanding independent firm that proves you don’t have to sacrifice your values to succeed. His book shows how he created one of the most successful firms in a highly competitive business, providing a roadmap for values-driven entrepreneurs who care about both people and profits.”
—Paul Holmes, CEO and editor-in-chief, PRovoke Media
“Driven to Build, Guided by Values reminds us that true success in business is measured not only by growth, but by the difference we make in people’s lives. Peter Finn’s story powerfully reminds us that business guided by purpose can create impact far beyond the boardroom.”
—Michael Weamer, president & CEO, Marfan Foundation
“Peter Finn is a community-centric visionary, and his book is a must-read for anyone devoted to the betterment of a shared and beloved rural setting. You could not have a better guide than Peter Finn.”
—Chuck Royce, founder, Royce Investment Partners
“Peter Finn’s book on leadership refreshingly stands apart, showing how success for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations grows from a simple core value: attracting the very best people and inspiring them to collaborate, innovate, and create a better world.”
—Neil Mortine, chairman and CEO, Fahlgren Mortine
“Read this book for an incredible story of purpose, partnership, and impact-an inspiration and a blueprint for life well-lived.”
—Kim Sample, president, PR Council
About Peter Finn
Peter Finn is co-founder of the Catskill Mountain Foundation, which he and his wife Sarah started in 1998, as well as the founder and CEO of FINN Partners, a public relations and integrated marketing agency he launched in 2011. Peter started his career in 1977 at Research & Forecasts, a research company owned by Ruder Finn, before moving into a senior financial management position in 1984. Peter was Co-CEO and a 25 percent owner of Ruder Finn before leaving the company to start FINN Partners. Peter spent most of his career working long hours in his New York City corporate office before discovering during the pandemic that he could run both FINN Partners and the Catskill Mountain Foundation just as effectively from his office in Hunter, New York, with its wonderful views of the surrounding mountains. He now splits his time between Hunter and New York City, though Hunter is his primary base. Peter has a BA from Brown University and a master’s degree in comparative literature from Columbia University and a treasured library of over 3,000 books at his home in Hunter.
Further reading from FINN Partners leadership
Healing the Sick Care System: Why People Matter
by: Gil Bashe, Chair Global Health & Purpose
The Glass House – Leadership and Reputation in an Era of Radical Transparency
by: Aman Gupta, Managing Partner