Jim VandeHei

Jim VandeHei is co-founder and executive editor of Politico, the highly influential political web site and newspaper that Washingtonian magazine recently hailed as a "media phenomenon." VandeHei, along with co-founder John Harris, left the Washington Post in the fall of 2006 to create the all-politics-all-the-time site--and the company has been an instant and smashing success, commanding the attention of millions of readers and the nation's most powerful leaders. Vanity Fair recently named VandeHei among the 100 most powerful "Information Age" thinkers for helping create "the model for the new media success story." In December 2009, VandeHei was selected as the first representative of a primarily online news organization to serve on the Pulitzer Board. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities, Jim VandeHei combines his career as an on-the-beat political reporter with his experience creating an innovative media outlet that is helping define political discourse in America. His presentations provide audiences with in-depth analysis and a forecast of what's coming for the country.

A Fresh New Face in Political Analysis. VandeHei helps direct the editorial coverage of the largest White House and congressional teams in the country. He co-moderated two presidential debates in the 2008 campaign and is a regular commentator on MSNBC's Morning Joe, CBS's Face the Nation and many other cable and network shows. VandeHei and Harris were recently named the fifth most influential U.S. pundits by the London Telegraph. With a close-up view of what really happens in Washington, VandeHei brings a frontline journalist's insight and insider knowledge to every speech, covering Congress, the White House, and campaigns. VandeHei is better positioned than virtually anyone else to pull back the curtain on Washington and tell you what's really happening inside the Obama administration and on Capitol Hill.  

The Real News in Real Time. Before founding Politico, VandeHei spent more than a decade covering the power politics of Washington. He cut his teeth at Roll Call newspaper, where he routinely broke national stories including exclusives about Republicans secretly planning the impeachment of President Clinton and Bob Livingston's plans to step down as Speaker of the House because of a sexual affair. Washingtonian magazine named him one of the 100 people to watch in the new millennium.

More About Jim VandeHei. He moved to the Wall Street Journal in the late 1990s to cover Congress and then the early years of the Bush presidency. The Washington Post lured him away in 2002 to cover all things political. He was a lead writer on the big congressional debates, the 2004 presidential election, and the second term of the Bush presidency. VandeHei earned a reputation for staying one step ahead of the competition and explaining to readers how political leaders obtain, exercise and fight to keep power in Washington. There are few people in Washington who offer VandeHei's breadth of knowledge about political power and the future of media and newspapers. He currently spends most of time quarterbacking Politico's conversation-driving news coverage. But VandeHei is also intimately involved in the business side of Politico, strategizing about ways to expand the company's brand and help other media organizations think through ways to thrive in the modern media environment. His expertise in a variety of areas--Congress, the White House, campaigns, lobbying, policy, and media--allows VandeHei to tailor his speeches to the specific needs and interests of the client.