Ambassador Michael Froman is the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, dedicated to elevating Americans’ participation in matters related to trade and foreign policy decisions. He formerly served as the 17th United States Trade Representative, sworn in under President Obama in 2013. In this capacity, he served in the Cabinet as President Obama’s principal advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on international trade and investment issues. He also led the Office of the United States Trade Representative in its work to open global markets for U.S. goods and services, enforcing America’s rights in the global trading system and fostering development through trade.

Focusing on emerging global markets, Ian Bremmer defines the keys to managing risk in an unstable world. A former foreign policy advisor to top world leaders, Bremmer outlines the opportunities in Asian markets and discusses America's role in the 21st century.

A decorated veteran of the sea, air, land, and outer space, Captain Chris Cassidy is among the leaders of an exclusive and distinguished group of accomplished military astronauts who have made an impact on and beyond this world. Recognized for his leadership and achievements as a United States Navy SEAL and a NASA astronaut, CAPT Cassidy’s various military deployments and spaceflight missions provided the catalysts for an action-packed career where he made the most of every opportunity presented to him, even in challenging and high-stakes environments.

For more than 12 years, Evy Poumpouras served as a Secret Service special agent in an action-packed career during which she was responsible for protecting the world’s most high-value assets. She was a member of the Presidential Protective Division for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and also protected Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George H.W. Bush. Today, she is a widely recognized multimedia journalist, host, and producer who uses her skills in front of the camera and behind it to conduct headline-grabbing interviews and investigate the biggest stories in the media. She appears regularly on “TODAY,” NBC, MSNBC, and “Good Morning America” to share her sought-after expertise on national security, law enforcement, and crime, and is the host of Bravo TV’s competition series “Spy Games.” Having mastered the arts of communication and psychology in a wide-ranging career that has taken her from the Secret Service to the TV screen and everywhere in between, Poumpouras offers unconventional strategies for crushing any challenge and living life fearlessly.

Lisa Jaster is one of only three women to graduate from the first integrated United States Army Ranger program, which is one of the most difficult combat training courses in the world, and she was the first female Army Reserve officer to become Ranger qualified. Lisa continues to demonstrate that barriers are meant to be broken and exemplifies how perseverance and hard work are absolutely essential to achieving your goals. Filled with humorous stories and moving anecdotes, her talks leave audiences inspired to push past adversity no matter the cost and better their lives.

Dr. Evelyn Farkas is one of the nation’s premier voices on American foreign policy and geopolitics, and one of the nation’s most-trusted experts on U.S.-Russia relations. As Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia/Ukraine/Eurasia, she was the Department of Defense’s top Russia expert under President Obama. Farkas advised three Secretaries of Defense during her tenure at the Pentagon and was responsible for policy toward Russia and the surrounding region. She is an outspoken voice on how America ought to respond to adversaries and manage aggressors, ranging from Russia to North Korea to Iran and China. Expertly positioned to discuss the at times tenuous intersection of foreign objectives and domestic priorities, Dr. Farkas appears regularly on CNN, MSNBC, BBC, and other networks. She currently serves as the executive director of the McCain Institute, and her op-eds are regularly featured in leading publications. She discusses how America’s position abroad is shifting under the current presidential administration, and the global gamut of national security challenges.

Zachary Karabell is a renowned economist and the author of The Leading Indicators: A Short History of the Numbers That Rule Our World. With his prolific, award-winning writing career, illustrious background on Wall Street, and PhD from Harvard, he offers audiences a tour de force of what’s to come and shows that optimism is a vital ingredient for capitalizing on current economic opportunities. He brings a unique perspective to the discussion of globalization and the economic environment and shares insights on how to use big data to get a real picture of the global economy.

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.

John Paul Volanthen is a world record-holding British exploratory cave diver who specialises in rescues through the Cave Rescue Organisation, South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue, and the British Cave Rescue Council. John hit the headlines in July 2018, when he was part of the multi-national team involved in the rescue of 12 young football players and their coach in the Tham Luang caves in Thailand. John and his co-diver, Rich Stanton, were the first to make contact with the missing youngsters when they had been lost for nine days. Both men were part of the team that successfully rescued all the boys and their coach and brought them to safety. In keynote talks, John gives audiences an astonishing account of the harrowing rescue effort. With heart-pounding anecdotes from the high-risk rescue mission, he hammers home the importance of perseverance, determination, and preparation, and explains why he believes success in life is rarely due to “luck.” John also shares his belief that anyone can rise to the occasion and achieve extraordinary things in the face of insurmountable odds. Using a combination of pictures and audio, he communicates what it was like to be there and the joy he felt when it was all over. Uplifting and inspiring, John’s story is one in a million.

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.

A 21-year veteran of the United States Air Force, Colonel Nicole Malachowski (USAF, Ret.) wanted to fly military jets from the moment she saw them at her first air show when she was five years old. She achieved that goal – and then some. A leader, a combat veteran, the first woman pilot on the Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron, an instructor, a White House Fellow, and an inductee into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame, Nicole’s Air Force career exceeded her wildest dreams.

As the highest-ranking Asian American in the history of the U.S. Navy, Ambassador Harry B. Harris Jr. oversaw all military operations for more than half of the world’s geography as Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM). Widely regarded for his leadership, Amb. Harris was selected to serve by two presidential administrations – first to lead in one of the military’s most challenging roles at a critical time when the U.S. confronted the rise of new world powers and nuclear threats, and later as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea.