Who Are the Top Keynote Speakers You Should Know About?

When planning an event, selecting the right keynote speaker for your conference or meeting is one of the most important elements of the day. You expect a keynote speaker who will hit on the event’s theme, tailor their content to relate to your organization, and, maybe most importantly, entertain and inspire your audience. But the right person can be hard to find.

Here are the top keynote speakers that you should know about now, in no particular order:

General Stanley McChrystal

General Stanley McChrystal is the former Commander of US and International Forces in Afghanistan. He’s widely credited with changing the way America engages in combat by helping our armed forces modernize for the 21st century. Since leaving the military, he has authored two New York Times best-selling books and co-founded the consulting firm, The McChrystal Group. And, in addition to teaching a coveted graduate seminar at Yale, he has been lighting up the speaking circuit, leading Wired magazine to write, “To hear McChrystal talk about leadership is like hearing Steve Jobs talk about innovation or Henry Ford talk about productivity.”

Robert O’Neill

One of our nation’s most decorated veterans, Rob O’Neill is a former Navy SEAL Team Six leader. Rob participated in several our nation’s most-celebrated and remembered war missions. A gifted storyteller who shares gripping and heart-pounding stories from his time as a SEAL, Rob is also the New York Times best-selling author of the book, The Operator: Firing the Shots that Killed Osama bin Laden and My Years as a SEAL Team Warrior. His speeches leave audiences inspired, stunned, and reflecting on what being a team player means.

Sarah Robb O’Hagan

A disruption powerhouse, Sarah Robb O’Hagan is the former global president of Gatorade, former GM and marketing director at Nike, and currently the CEO of Flywheel Sports. Known for helping turn around Gatorade’s deflating sales and altering their image from a declining sports drink company into a booming sports fuel empire, she is the author of the new book, Extreme You. She speaks passionately about disrupting your own business from the inside out, building unbeatable teams, and not being afraid to fail.

Ben Saunders

Ben Saunders is a record-breaking polar explorer and repeat TED speaker. His most-famous TED Talk, “Why Bother Leaving the House?” is a moving and motivating look at tackling audacious goals and living a life of purpose. Ben is currently attempting the first unsupported solo crossing of Antarctica, the most ambitious adventure of his career. He is a fantastic choice for groups looking to feel inspired and energized to look at their lives and work with fresh eyes.

Donna Brazile

Donna Brazile has driven the political conversation within Democratic circles for more than 30 years. The former Interim Chair of the DNC, Donna worked on every Presidential campaign between 1976-2016. Named one of the “100 Most Powerful Women” by Washingtonian, she is the author of the new boo, Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House. She’s known for her honest, hard-hitting, and hilarious dissection of Capitol Hill and the news of the day.

Neil Jacobstein

For a high-speed and incredibly visual look at future trends, Neil Jacobstein is a top choice. Think videos of robots doing backflips paired with insights on what the AI, biotech, and Internet of Things (IoT) revolution all means for the future of business and culture. His presentation on “The Power of Exponential Technology” is customizable and looks at the latest tech breakthroughs and their applications of exponential change across industries.

Jim Clapper

If you are looking for a top-selling, household name to headline your next event or meeting, consider former Director of National Intelligence Jim Clapper. Director Clapper retired in early 2017, so his insight into geopolitics, international relations, and security draws on his very recent position at the highest levels of the government. A career intelligence officer with 40 years’ experience, he peppers his talks with personal and witty anecdotes to provide the ultimate insider’s glimpse into the real threats facing our country today.

Charlie Cook

For more than two decades, Charlie Cook has been Washington, DC's most trusted voice on all things political. As the founder of the Cook Political Report with Amy Water and a political analyst for the National Journal Group, his writing is a direct line to the heart of politics. He writes weekly for National Journal, and also pens a regular column for The Washington Quarterly. Called “the Picasso of election analysis” by the Wall Street Journal, Cook produces the sharpest political handicapping in the business, serving as the one-man, go-to-source for Americans who want to be truly informed.

Dana Perino

Dana Perino is a revered political commentator and journalist, New York Times #1 best-selling author, and a former White House Press Secretary. She formerly hosted The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino, and is a co-host on the hit show, The Five, both on the Fox News Channel. The Five has won its time slot every day since it started in July 2011 and last year it finished as the fifth most-watched program in all of cable. Part of an ensemble cast, some viewers have nicknamed Perino, “The Voice of Reason” on The Five. A Fox News political commentator, she also appears weekly on other Fox programs and is the co-host of America's Newsroom.

Nadja West

A trailblazer in female leadership, Lieutenant General (ret) Nadja West is the 44th Army Surgeon General and the former Commanding General of US Army Medical Command. She is the first African American woman 3-star General in the Army’s history, and currently the highest-ranking woman to ever graduate from West Point.

Poppy Crum

Dr. Poppy Crum is a visionary futurist and neuroscientist whose work sits at the intersection of technology advancement and human evolution. Highly regarded in both the technology sector and academic circles, she is an Adjunct Professor in Computer Research at Stanford University and the Chief Scientist at Dolby Laboratories, a leading global innovator and developer of audio, imaging, and voice technologies. An advocate for the kind of technology that learns more about us as we use it, Dr. Crum works to bridge the gap between rapidly evolving technology and insightful, more effective human interaction. At Dolby, she builds technologies that best leverage human physiology to enhance our experiences and the ways we interact with our world, using a deep understanding of human behavior, personalized data, and technologies including wearable technology, immersive technology, AI and machine-learning, facial and voice recognition software, and AR and VR to power industry innovation.

Marci Rossell

Marci Rossell is a world-renowned economist and financial expert who electrifies audiences nationwide, speaking candidly on the nexus of economics, politics, culture, and the media. She honed her animated style serving as the popular, lively Chief Economist for CNBC, where she became a household name and a must-watch source of financial news. The former co-host of the well-known “pre-market” morning news and talk show Squawk Box, Rossell is revered for taking complex economic issues, often dull in the button-down business press, and making them relevant to people's lives, families, and careers.

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If you don't see a speaker here that sounds like the right fit, we'll be happy to talk about your trade show speaker or convention speaker needs to identify the person who will help you reach your event goals.