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Former Prime Minister of Australia
As Prime Minister and in her previous role as Deputy Prime Ministe of Australia, Ms. Gillard was central to the successful management of Australia’s economy, the 12th biggest economy in the world, during the global financial crisis. In this chat she shares stories about leadership principles, her passion for improving education for children around the world, and that merit should trump gender.
Rave Reviews for PM Gillard include: "The event was a great success—we had an excellent turnout and the PM’s speech was engaging, topical, and well-received." - Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research
Former President of Mexico & Chair of The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate
Felipe Calderón is the 56th President of Mexico. Establishing economic reform as a top priority of his administration, Calderón implemented policies that catapulted Mexico into a powerful player in the global economy. Since leaving his post as President, he has focused his leadership and attention on the economic benefits of acting on climate change, and has positioned himself as a leading voice on this global issue. President Calderón has hosted and chaired the G-20 Summit of Leaders, the most important forum of heads of state and government. He also chaired the UN Conference on Climate Change COP 16, which marked a new era of cooperation in this field. He was named "Statesman of the Year" by the World Economic Forum and "Champion of the Earth" by the United Nations, and received the Teddy Roosevelt Award for the Environment, the GLOBE Award from the Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment, the International Star of Energy Efficiency award, and TIME magazine has designated him as one of their top 100 influential people in the world.
Steve Forbes is Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media, and an internationally respected authority in the worlds of economics, finance, and corporate leadership. With the economy at the forefront of conversation on a global level, Mr. Forbes offers long-standing insights that capitalism, free markets, and a flat tax are essential to a healthy economy. This is a message Mr. Forbes has been delivering as editor of one of the world’s most successful business magazines for decades, and he continues to be one of the most sought-after speakers on this and other economic issues leading the economic debates around the world.
"Miracle on the Hudson" Captain; NYT Bestselling Author; Leading Voice on Leadership & Flawless Execution Strategies
Captain Sullenberger dropped by HWA to talk about the new Clint Eastwood Directed movie SULLY, starring Tom Hanks, which Premieres September 9, 2016.
He also shared with us that Flight 1549 is not just an experience that defined him as a leader; it is proof positive that flawless execution comes through years of focus and preparation for such an event.
When it comes to being prepared for the ultimate challenge, there is no better speaker than Captain Sullenberger, and you will be in sheer awe to meet the man who exemplifies the kind of leadership and character that we would hope every leader could possess in a time of crisis.
Robin Sharma is one of the world's premier speakers on Leadership and Personal Mastery, recently named one of the World's Top Leadership Gurus. As a presenter, Sharma has the rare ability to electrify an audience yet deliver uncommonly original and useful insights that lead to individuals doing their best work, teams providing superb results and organizations becoming unbeatable.
For nearly 20 years, many of the most well-known organizations on the planet, ranging from Nike, GE, Microsoft, FedEx, PwC, HP and Oracle to NASA, Yale University and YPO have chosen Robin Sharma for their most important events, when nothing less than a world-class speaker will do.
New York Times Pulitzer Prize Winning Columnist & NYT Bestselling Author of The Power of Habit
Charles recently dropped by HWA to chat about his new book Smarter, Faster, Better. His first book, The Power of Habit, became a NYT and WSJ bestseller and his new book is definitely on the same track. He gave our team a mini presentation which was informative, humorous and really outlined some interesting new ideas around productivity. Charles is a speaker who does his homework and finds out exactly what an audience “needs” and “wants” to hear before crafting an incredible presentation.
In a nutshell, he will help your audience understand that “how they think” is more important than “what they think” and he has great stories and tools that will help them transform their lives professionally and personally. Check out his HWA Chat below.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning columnist, former speech writer for Ronald Reagan
Peggy Noonan is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Wall Street Journal and bestselling author of nine books on American politics, history and culture. Her Wall Street Journal column, Declarations, has run each week since 2000, garnering millions of readers. In 2017 when she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary, the prize committee cited her, "For rising to the moment with beautifully rendered columns that connected readers to the shared virtues of Americans during one of the nation's most divisive political campaigns." Forbes Magazine has also hailed her column as “principled, perceptive, persuasive, and patriotic.”
A current political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, Noonan also served as a Special Assistant and speechwriter to President Ronald Reagan. In the Reagan White House, she worked alongside the President on speeches that span the 40th anniversary of D-Day, the Challenger disaster, and his Farewell Address.
Global Authority on the Sharing Economy
From Airbnb to TaskRabbit and Uber, hundreds of sharing and on-demand platforms are transforming industries and causing us to rethink almost every aspect of our lives. Who are the next disruptors on the horizon? What -- and where -- are the real opportunities and obstacles? Sharing Economy expert April Rinne has the answers. Adviser of choice for a range of private and public sector organizations, from Airbnb to the World Economic Forum and governments worldwide, a graduate of Harvard Law and an inveterate traveler, Rinne can help you see the shifts underway through a practical, helpful lens and bring new insights to light for you and your organization.
Editor-at-Large and Founding Editor-in-Chief of WIRED UK; Renowned Tech Journalist
“You can’t really ignore the new rules of business,” says David Rowan, WIRED UK’s founding editor. A prolific writer and speaker, Rowan is deconstructing tech trends in real time—how the Internet of Things, 3D printing, big data, artificial intelligence, and more are changing businesses and consumers. Currently writing a book on how corporations can innovate, Rowan frequently delivers fully customized keynotes that reveal the future of your industry, how companies can transform their values, and how to survive and prosper in a tech future.
Former CEO of Twitter & Tech Entrepreneur
Time magazine named Dick Costolo one of the 10 Most Influential U.S. Tech CEOs. He is a digital entrepreneur who has launched a series of highly successful ventures, but when he became CEO of Twitter in 2010, he realized he was helping run more than digital platform. It was a real treat to get some behind the scenes insights on his experiences at Twitter, what he loves most about entrepreneurship, and why companies and all people should embrace disruptive innovation.
In his speeches, Dick Costolo calls on his experience as a digital entrepreneur, business executive, and surprisingly, his experience as an improvisational comedian to deliver entertaining, insightful speeches with a powerful message about the future of social media and the Internet.
Bestselling Author, Freakonomics Franchise
Freakonomics Superstar Stephen Dubner continues to enthrall audiences around the world with unique spin on any topic, as incentives are key to all of them. His presentations are as entertaining as they are illuminating as he offers data-based stories that show audiences how to inspire change in their own company and community.
Rave Reviews for Stephen include: “Stephen Dubner created a talk based on FREAKONOMICS that was clearly tailored to our audience of healthcare CEOs and thought leaders. We were absolutely delighted with how he weaved the Freakonomics approach into new ideas and stories. We were really impressed with Stephen’s ability to both challenge and entertain the luminaries in our audience.” - MPM Capital
Iconic Political Strategist
With over two decades of experience in the political arena, KARL ROVE is an iconic political strategist, whose provocative and robust knowledge of the major political issues of the day have made him one of the most sought-after political pundits of our time.
Sponsors hosting Karl Rove's lectures have reported that he is "provocative, lively and thoughtful" (Nomura) with crowds being "very responsive, often erupting in applause"(Wabash College). Rove has been described by respected author and columnist Michael Barone in US News & World Report as “unique...no Presidential appointee has ever had such a strong influence on politics and policy, and none is likely to do so again anytime soon.”
Fred P. Hochberg is the longest-serving chairman in the history of the Export-Import Bank of the United States and was one of the highest-ranking business leaders in the Obama Administration. Throughout nearly eight years of his leadership, EXIM Bank supported more than 1.4 million American jobs and financed exports with a value exceeding $240 billion. The Bank also generated $3.8 billion in surplus revenue for U.S. taxpayers during that time and Hochberg reduced internal costs by nearly 30 percent. Hochberg increased the Bank's focus on its customers, cutting transaction times and introducing new products. He also put America’s small business exporters at the top of the Bank's agenda and, as a result, nearly 90 percent of EXIM Bank authorizations directly supported small businesses on his watch.
Michael Nutter served as the 98th Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, his hometown.
Mayor Nutter was considered one of the foremost leaders in innovation, tackling challenges of public safety, increasing funding for educating children, revitalizing the economy and spurring economic growth, restoring ethics and integrity to city government, ensuring fiscal discipline and making Philadelphia one of the great green and sustainable cities in America.
Known for keeping an active and engaged schedule as Mayor, Michael Nutter is doing the same as a private citizen. He's a Professor at Columbia University, a Political Contributor on CNN, a Senior Fellow with Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Program, Chair of the Mayors Advisory Board for Airbnb, and holds numerous Fellowships and Advisory positions in academic, political, non-profit and corporate entities. Mayor Nutter is actively engaged in the work of cities and trying to make them work better on behalf of their citizens.
Grammy-winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre is known for working at the nexus of art and technology. In this intensely humanistic — yet highly code-dependent — space, he finds profound, universal wisdom about leadership, collaboration, community building, and nurturing the creative process. Charismatic and captivating, Eric has brought his unforgettable combination of speaking and music to the TED conference-- where his talk went viral and racked up over 3.8 million views-- and at events for Google, UNICEF and the United Nations. Drawing on his experience as a conductor and composer, Whitacre illuminates the creative process and reveals how to bring disparate groups together to blend and perform as one.
His musical works have been programmed worldwide by millions of amateur and professional performers, while his ground-breaking Virtual Choirs have united singers from over 120 different countries. Beautifully composed, gorgeously performed, and imaginatively wrought, Eric’s haunting, complex works exemplify his message that technology can be used to foster connections and help broaden the reach of art and human expression.
William J. Bratton is known as one of America’s premier police chiefs, the only person to have led two of the largest police forces in the United States - the New York City Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department. He is a leader in times of crisis, and knows the management and leadership required to execute complex turnarounds. Organizations today have added complexity, given security and cybersecurity risks. Bratton offers his audience key takeaways for how they can lead through their own crises.
Hero of the High Seas and Real Life Inspiration for the Movie Captain Phillips
Captain Phillips is a hero of the high seas and the inspiration for the Academy Award-nominated namesake film starring Tom Hanks. When he dropped by the HWA office he engaged our team with stories about handling the aftermath of his traumatic experience, meeting Tom Hanks and going to Hollywood, Lessons of Leadership in Times of Crisis and we chatted about why audiences connect with him at every event.
Rave Reviews for Captain Phillips include: "Captain Richard Phillips was fantastic and gave a top-notch presentation. His story showing great courage and endurance was remarkable. People really resonated with what he said, and in these difficult economic times, we think the audience wanted to hear a good outcome, for a change, that showed leadership and heroism at its best." - Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry
Emmy Award-Winning Journalist, Executive Producer & Reporter; PBS Series "We'll Meet Again"
Ann Curry is more than a highly esteemed, award-winning journalist. Ann brings stories to life. Her reporting is raw, bold, and deeply personal, because she knows how to connect with each person she interviews. Her passion to share someone else’s truth so that she can better inform the world, comes from a deep understanding of the importance of service and it continues to be the driving force of her work on and off camera or stage. Her celebrity status in the “Who’s Who” of the journalism world is a wonderful vehicle bringing her to events around the world, but at the end of the day, Ann is a person who will connect with every member of an audience and share a message that will leave each person forever changed.
NBC Investigative Reporter & Host of #Undercovered; Award-Winning Voice for the Millennial Generation; Former U.S. Special Advisor on Global Youth Issues; Rhodes Scholar
Farrow is an influential voice in media and government, once described by The New York Times as "the youngest old guy in the room" for his ability to help traditional institutions speak to a new generation. New York Magazine has named him "Activist of the Year," and he has repeatedly appeared on the Forbes "30 Under 30" list. As an NBC News anchor and investigative reporter, he fronts the Today Show’s “#Undercovered” series and has anchored a daily MSNBC program. He previously served as a government official, including reporting directly to the Secretary of State as the first US Special Adviser on Global Youth Issues. He has written about human rights and foreign policy for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and other publications. He is a Yale Law School educated attorney and a Rhodes Scholar and his speeches have been selected among NPR’s “Greatest Commencement Speeches Ever” and Huffington Post’s Top 10 Speeches of the Year.
In this HWA Chat, Ronan shares engaging stories about growing up in a multi-race/multi-culture family, having a first-hand and very personal understanding of the disenfranchised, and what shaped his spirit for public service.
Founder of Pencils of Promise, New York Times & Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Promise of a Pencil, entrepreneur, and a leader in the For-Purpose industry
Adam Braun’s story is how one young man turned $25 into more than 300 schools, serving more than 30,000 students around the world, and built a global community which is well on its way to achieving its goal of making a quality education a possibility for everyone. His story proves that anyone can take small steps to lead a successful and significant life.
Adam's book, The Promise of a Pencil, did not become a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller just because it was a great story; it became a sought-after guide for achieving goals and dreams and in the book Adam outlines chapters that provide actionable steps toward success. Adam empowers audiences to discover their next big idea, and he gives them guideposts for a path forward.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Investigative Journalist; #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of "Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us"
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author of the #1 New York Timesbestseller Salt Sugar Fat, Michael Moss is a leading expert on the food industry, health and wellness, and marketing. Taking audiences on an eye-opening journey deep inside some of the world's biggest and most successful companies, he offers audiences an illuminating and surprising look at the researchers, marketers, strategists, and CEOs who seduce us with their products. Moss brings to vivid life the creative ways food manufacturers use the science of human behavior, biology and marketing to hook us. Using humor, case studies, and insight gleaned from investigative reporting that won him a Pulitzer Prize, he shows how companies get consumers to buy, often at the expense of their health.
My Speaker List