Exclusive Speakers

Ambassador Ken Adelman is the former arms control director for President Ronald Reagan and the author of Reagan at Reykjavik: Forty-Eight Hours that Ended the Cold War. He offers a dramatic, first-hand look into the president’s character and leadership, showing executives what they can learn from the president during one of his finest and most challenging moments. With its cliffhanger plot, powerful personalities, and sweeping significance, this summit was the key turning point in the Cold War, and Adelman is a superb storyteller as he provides an honest and up-close portrait of Reagan.

During his time as Chief of Defence he successfully concluded combat operations in Afghanistan. He was the prime military architect of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, helping to secure the 2% GDP financial settlement for UK Defence. He was also instrumental in the strategic recalibration of UK military commitment to meet the multiple demands of ideologically inspired terrorism, a more assertive Russia and a far less stable global context. In August 2016 General Houghton became the 160th Constable of the Tower of London, but he remains closely involved in Security and Defence issues.

Former Senator John Breaux (D-LA), the deputy minority whip until his retirement, held key Senate committee positions. He was a senior member of the Finance Committee, chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy, and Co-Chairman of the President's Tax Reform Commission. He also held positions on the Subcommittees of Health Care and Taxation and IRS Oversight. Breaux addresses politics, health care, energy, bipartisanship, and lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina and the oil spill.

Mark Penn’s career spans 40 years in market-research, advertising, public relations, polling, and consulting, and he has advised top world leaders, led companies, and written best-selling books. Currently, Penn is the president and managing partner of The Stagwell Group, a private equity fund that invests in marketing services companies and reinvents the traditional holding company model. Before founding The Stagwell Group, he served in senior executive positions at Microsoft, where as executive vice president and chief strategy officer, he was responsible for working on core strategic issues across the company, blending data-analytics with creativity to help set the company on a new course.

Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) is a national leader on fiscal policy, a well known budget expert, and a respected voice on economic and financial regulatory issues. He was the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and served on President Obama’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (Simpson-Bowles), which was modeled after legislation he introduced. Gregg has played a vital role in shaping fiscal policy over the last two decades and addresses fiscal and economic policy, the deficit and balancing the budget, taxes, and healthcare reform.

A lifelong entrepreneur, key strategist, presidential confidante, Party chairman, best-selling author, and the 72nd Governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe has played an incalculable role in 21st Century American politics. His dynamic presentations never fail to deliver his trademark charisma and optimism, and he entertains crowds while demonstrating why he’s considered one of the keenest political minds in America.

Philip Howard, a civic leader, former special advisor to the SEC, American law expert, and noted commentator on the effects of modern law and bureaucracy on human behavior, society, and business. One of America’s most prominent thinkers and called “one of America’s finest public minds” by former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley, he is the author of best-selling The Death of Common Sense, and an expert on managing America's growing infrastructure crisis.

Gregg Easterbrook is the author of seven books, the contributing editor of several publications, and a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. Rebutting common misconceptions about economic change, Easterbrook addresses progress and what is next for business and the economy, with the belief that everyone can benefit from the growth of technology, the spread of communication, and the rise of productivity.

John Pistole has led a life dedicated to keeping our country safe. A counterterrorism and homeland security expert, he is a 26-year veteran of the FBI, rising to become the bureau’s deputy director. He was involved in several high-profile investigations and also served as the head the Transportation Security Agency. He shares insider stories and behind-the-scenes insights on the many global threats our nation faces (Russia, China, North Korea, Syria, Iran). He looks at what businesses need to know in order to safeguard their interests and offers a debrief on the specific challenges of each.

Arturo Sarukhán is the former Mexican ambassador to the U.S, serving from 2007–2013. The grandson and son of conflict refugees to Mexico, he rose to become the youngest and longest-serving Mexican ambassador to Washington in recent history. He was also the first ambassador in Washington, DC, to have a personal Twitter account and has received several awards and honors for his incredible work. With a focus on geopolitics, Mexico-U.S. relations, immigration policy, and new security threats, he shares insights from his storied, 20-year career with the Mexican Foreign Service.

James Williams’ work sits at the intersection of philosophy, ethics, and technology. A research associate at Oxford’s Internet Institute, he worked for 10 years at Google, where he received the company’s highest honor, the Founder’s Award, for his work on search advertising. He is particularly interested in advancing freedom of thought and wellbeing in environments of highly persuasive design, and authored a new book on this topic, Stand Out of Our Light: Freedom and Resistance in the Attention Economy.

Having served at the highest levels in national security and intelligence organizations, the Honorable Andrea Thompson brings over three decades of experience in public service and the United States military. From combat zones to the White House Situation Room, Thompson has led diverse teams in crisis situations and advised our Nation’s most senior government and military leaders, from the President and Vice President of the United States to four-star generals in combat. Most recently, Thompson led U.S. diplomatic global policy work for cyber security, space, and emerging technologies as the State Department’s Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. Overseeing all foreign weapon sales, she implemented policies to enhance economic and national security and led U.S. nuclear and arms control strategic security talks – working closely with allies as well as her Chinese and Russian counterparts. Thompson draws on decades of international security experience to candidly deliver talks on the importance of transparency and open dialogue in getting things done. As a woman in leadership, she inspires audiences to invest in the next generation and embrace emerging technologies to face new challenges in cyber and international security.

E.J. Dionne, Jr. is an internationally-recognized journalist, political commentator, thought-leader, and professor. He has been writing a column for the Washington Post since 1993. It is syndicated by the Washington Post Writers Group and appears in more than 250 newspapers. He is the author of eight books, most recently Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite to Save Our Country. He is a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution and a professor at Georgetown University.

Jessica Taylor is the Senate and Governors Editor for The Cook Political Report. Founded in 1984, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter provides analyses of presidential, U.S. Senate, House and gubernatorial races. The New York Times has called The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, "a newsletter that both parties regard as authoritative." Before joining Cook, Taylor was a political reporter for National Public Radio for five years, where she covered elections and breaking news, ranging from the White House to both chambers of Congress and statewide elections. She was also a contributing author to the 2020 edition of The Almanac of American Politics.

Bill Coen served as Secretary General of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision from 2014 to 2019. The Basel Committee is the international group of central bankers and banking supervisors responsible for setting global banking standards. As Secretary General, Bill directed the work of the Basel Committee and managed its Secretariat. He served as chair of the Basel Committee’s Policy Development Group, which was responsible for developing and recommending the Basel III post-crisis reforms for endorsement by the Basel Committee and its governing body – the Group of Central Bank Governors and Heads of Supervision (GHOS).