General Stanley McChrystal is a four-star general, the former commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan and the former leader of Joint Special Operations Command, which oversees the most sensitive counter-terrorism units. He is widely praised for revolutionizing warfare by fusing intelligence and operations and is credited with the capture of Saddam Hussein and the location and killing al-Qaeda’s leader in Iraq. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called McChrystal “one of America’s greatest warriors.” McChrystal addresses leadership, teambuilding, and geopolitics.

A powerful voice in the Intelligence Community and one of its leading national security professionals, Eric Traupe is the former assistant director of the CIA for the Near East and served on the front lines of U.S. counterterrorism efforts for more than 20 years. He remains a trusted advisor to our nation’s highest-ranking leaders, having advised CIA directors, presidents, cabinet and military officials, and members of Congress, and participated in momentous White House strategic, policy, and resource decisions. Traupe has tackled the full range of U.S. national security issues, and his leadership, acumen, and unmatched ability to cultivate enduring relationships between the U.S. and its foreign partners continues to be heralded in intelligence circles. To complement his highly sought-after leadership insights, Traupe is masterfully skilled at engaging audiences with his captivating perspectives on today’s top issues in risk management, national intelligence, and the ever-evolving geopolitical landscape.

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is one of the finest intelligence minds of the 21st century. In the midst of shifting national security policies and varying threats to American interests at home and abroad, Clapper illuminates a broad array of intelligence-related issues.

The former Acting and Deputy Director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe led a historic career as an American intelligence official. Named Acting Director of the FBI in May 2017, McCabe spent a total of 22 years at the FBI in various, increasingly-prominent roles. The New York Times said that McCabe “stood out [at the FBI] for his intellect and the range of high-profile cases he has been at the center of,” and The LA Times called him “a methodical investigator who assiduously worked to earn the trust of victims and, particularly, informants and witnesses.” Known for his incredible rise through the counter-terrorism and national security ranks to ultimately reach the top of the Bureau, McCabe worked such high-profile cases as the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. The author of the highly-anticipated 2019 book "The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump," he is exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, and discusses complex, critical issues including national security and cyber security with precision and clarity.

Admiral Eric Olson served as the commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). He was the first three- and then the first four-star Navy SEAL, as well as the first naval officer to be USSOCOM’s combatant commander. He retired as the “Bull Frog,” the longest-serving SEAL on duty. Olson was also commander of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group. His career included major geopolitical events – from Mogadishu to Abbottabad. Olson addresses building, training, and leading highly effective teams; national security; and geopolitics.

General Michael Hayden, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA), was on the frontlines of geopolitics and the war on terror. A two-time New York Times best-selling author, he served nearly 40 years in the Air Force. The longest-tenured NSA director and the number one military intelligence officer in the country, Gen. Hayden oversaw the entire security community. He has also served in senior staff positions at the Pentagon, the National Security Council, and more. Hayden addresses security, intelligence, crisis management, terrorism, and geopolitics.

General John Allen is one of the nation’s most legendary military leaders and most respected thought leaders on U.S.-global engagement. When President Obama created the appointment of special envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, General Allen was the first American tapped to confront the Islamic State terror group. Widely hailed as a strategic thinker and a true battlefield leader, Gen. Allen is one of the nation’s foremost experts on the geopolitical relationships between U.S. and Asia and the Middle East. A unique combination of warrior and diplomat, Allen shares awe-inspiring stories of the challenges facing our nation, the keys to combating the enemy, and the leadership lessons that can be applied to today’s business environment.

Revered as a uniquely-skilled “warrior-diplomat,” General John Nicholson retired in September 2018 from his post as Commander of U.S. Forces – Afghanistan and NATO’s Resolute Support mission. In this role, Gen. Nicholson led a 41-nation coalition war effort. The longest serving Commander of the Afghan war, he oversaw a $46.3 billion budget and roughly 14,000 international troops. A combat-seasoned military legend, he discusses coalition building, strengthening culture through collaboration, leadership, geopolitics, and organizational success in the 21st century.

Mark Bowden is the keynote speaker for organizations worldwide whose work depends upon winning the hearts and minds of others. Mark entertainingly trains any audience in the most cutting edge techniques to stand out, win trust and profit every time they speak. His keynote presentation takes everyone on an exciting and humorous journey to understand how, with the right body language “It’s often not what you say—but how you say it, that gets results!” Expert in human behaviour and body language, keynote speaker Mark Bowden is the creator of TRUTHPLANE®, a communication training company and unique methodology for anyone who has to communicate with impact to an audience. Mark’s highly entertaining keynote speeches and training seminars teach audiences around the world how to use the most influential verbal and nonverbal language to stand out, win trust and gain credibility every time they speak.

Described as the “Warrior Storyteller,” retired Lieutenant Colonel Scott Mann is a human connection expert and coach who works alongside organizations to unite their teams around a shared vision and arm them with the tools and resources to make an impact and achieve mission success. A former U.S. Army Green Beret who specialized in unconventional, high-impact special operations in do-or-die conflict zones all over the globe, Mann applies his hard-won lessons from the battlefield to business as he shares the relationship-building techniques that drove so many of his successful combat operations. Through Rooftop Leadership, the professional training and coaching program that he founded, Mann advises servant leaders across industries — from Fortune 100 corporations (including Capital One, Walmart, Raymond James, and Fannie Mae) to local small businesses — on how to mobilize their teams, forge deeper connections with their people, and gain a more complete understanding of the opportunities that exist to create high-trust, high-performance cultures.

Colin Coggins and Garrett Brown are agents of change who are known for their surprising and entertaining approaches to purpose-driven leadership and igniting culture shifts that reposition organizations to scale growth and make a profound impact in their teams, and with their customers. At the foundation of Colin and Garrett’s philosophy is the idea that the most successful leaders and teams are the ones who are able to evolve transactional encounters into transformational experiences where connections are made, solutions are created, and value is felt. After decades of collective experience as sales professionals, leaders, and executives, Colin and Garrett’s paths crossed at enterprise software company Bitium, where they played key roles in growing the business from relative obscurity to a prominent acquisition by Google. They now serve as adjunct professors of entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, where they teach the hugely popular, first-of-its-kind class, “Sales Mindset for Entrepreneurs.”

Polar explorer, TED speaker, and record-breaking long-distance skier Ben Saunders fuses the spirit of adventure with impressive technical ingenuity. He has five North Pole expeditions under his belt and is best known for leading one of the most ambitious expeditions in a century. Humble and self-effacing, he is an explorer of limits and his message is one of inspiration, empowerment, and boundless potential. He explores the dichotomy between ideas and action and urges audiences to consider carefully how to spend the “tiny amount of time we each have on this planet.”