NSB Logo Brett Bruen Brett Bruen

Brett Bruen

Speaker

Washington, D.C., USA

Former U.S. Diplomat & Director of Global Engagement at the White House

We live in uncertain times. Especially for companies, it has never been more difficult to navigate the changes, challenges, and to create new opportunities around the world. From cyber security to terrorism, threats appear around every corner. By sharing the latest skills and strategies for businesses to respond to these risks, Brett Bruen can help make the world an easier place to understand and operate in. During twelve years as a U.S. diplomat, Brett became a specialist in using strategic communications to influence the course of crisis and conflict. Bruen was recently named by Washingtonian Magazine as one of the nation’s “most influential” voices on public affairs. As President of the Global Situation Room, his work focuses on helping clients, from Fortune 100 companies to some of the world’s largest philanthropies, survive and thrive amidst the regularity of today’s risks.  Bruen teaches Crisis Communications at Georgetown University and serves on boards at Harvard and University College Dublin. He was Director of Global Engagement at the White House and built a number of President Obama’s legacy international initiatives. His time in the American diplomatic was largely spent on the frontlines of crises in the Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Venezuela, and Iraq.  He speaks fluent Spanish and French.

Keynote Speeches

Virtual Keynotes & Webinars
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How to Enhance Canada's Global Leadership in the Age of Extremism

Canada’s global leadership is essential to getting beyond extremism.  Yet, too often the country’s voice isn’t heard in key conversations around the world.  Former White House Director of Global Engagement Brett Bruen talks about ways that it can elevate and enhance it’s message and the means for delivering it at this critical moment in history.  Bruen has been outspoken about what he sees missing from current efforts to counter ISIS and other groups.  He believes winning the battle of ideas with extremists requires us to show not only what we are against, but what we stand for – and there is no better example than Canada.  He will lay out how through public diplomacy, the country and its citizens can play the key role in driving a debate about values and a vision for a more positive future for all people around the world.

A Young Person's Guide to Changing the World

Going on a dangerous road trip across rebel territory in the search for peace. Battling insurgents with books on the streets of Tikrit. Briefing the President in the Situation Room. Before 35, Brett not only saw the world, he made an impact on some of its most intractable issues. Along the way, he picked up a few useful insights and ideas for millennials who want to make a real difference in the world. Bruen know the potential a young person has and he works to educate audiences of all ages and inspire the next generation.

Reducing Business Risk: Counter-Crisis Strategies

With the new types of crisis surfacing in today’s world, there is a new type of crisis response. Counter-crisis management (CCM) theory was developed by Brett Bruen, while serving on the U.S. National Security Council. Facing two civil wars in Africa, a new conflict in Ukraine, and the emergence of ISIS, Bruen began to develop a new strategy for the U.S. Government to use when planning for global problems. CCM enables companies and organizations to identify their vulnerabilities early and develop reputational countermeasures that can be immediately deployed in the event of an incident. In an age of increasing uncertainty, these skills and strategies, Bruen explains, will prepare your business to take on the unexpected.

A Diplomat's Guide to Networking & Negotiating

Learn some of the most sophisticated tradecraft and tactics for building and managing relationships. From finding and forging key relationships to assessing information and interests, Bruen shows audiences how to more effectively develop and draw on their contacts, through lessons he learned in the world of diplomacy. Understand how to overcome differences. Pick up pointers on persuasion. Acquire the ability to analyze meaning behind the words and actions of individuals. Learn from Brett Bruen, the key qualities it takes to jumpstart a competitive, effective career.

What Americans Won't Tell You About America

Though the world is more connected than ever, many elements of the United States remain a mystery to most foreigners. From the polarization of our politics to our insatiable desire to innovate, America can be hard to understand from the outside. Former US Diplomat and Director of Global Engagement at the White House, Brett Bruen, offers exceptional insight into the influences, interests, and ideas that drive the world’s most powerful country. Bruen looks ahead, as well, to what likely comes next for the United States and the impact it will have on the global community.

Mr. President, I'm Off to be Entrepreneurial: From the White House to a Start Up

After twelve years as diplomat, last serving as Director of Global Engagement on the National Security Council, Brett decided he wanted to do something more creative. Having been advocating for entrepreneurs his entire career, Bruen decided it was time to act on this passion. He briefed President Obama on the government’s new global entrepreneurship initiative and closed by saying, “Mr. President, I’m off to be entrepreneurial.” Bruen discusses how taking the leap of faith to do something you believe in is worth the risk.

 

Speaker Biography

Going on a road trip across rebel territory in the search for peace. Creatively confronting coup leaders about their human rights record. Battling insurgents with books on the streets of Tikrit. Briefing the President in the Situation Room. 

Before 35, Brett not only saw the world, he made an impact on some of its most intractable issues. During twelve years as a U.S. diplomat, Brett became a specialist in using strategic communications to influence the course of crisis and conflict. As Director of Global Engagement at the White House, he created some of the government’s most innovative international programs for reaching new audiences around the world.

While at the White House, Brett coordinated the United States’ response to Russian propaganda, developing the first interagency communications taskforce to push back against their misinformation machine. When more than 200 school girls were kidnapped in Nigeria, Brett created a new campaign called Let Girls Learn that featured top celebrities. He also built the President’s Spark Global Entrepreneurship initiative that has raised billions for emerging entrepreneurs around the world.

While in the diplomatic service, Brett worked in the Ivory Coast, Liberia, Guinea, Iraq, Venezuela, Argentina, Zambia, and Eritrea. Bruen was recently named by Washingtonian Magazine as one of the nation’s “most influential” voices on public affairs. As President of the Global Situation Room, his work focuses on helping clients, from Fortune 100 companies to some of the world’s largest philanthropies, survive and thrive amidst the regularity of today’s risks.  Bruen teaches Crisis Communications at Georgetown University and serves on boards at Harvard and University College Dublin. He was Director of Global Engagement at the White House and built a number of President Obama’s legacy international initiatives. His time in the American diplomatic was largely spent on the frontlines of crises in the Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Venezuela, and Iraq.  He speaks fluent Spanish and French.