speakers
storytellers
ghostwriters
scriptwriters
& more
Let’s face it, there simply aren’t many people around doing what we do, and precious few places to seek support (no, bars don’t count).
That’s why the Leadership Communications Roundtable is so valuable.
Our members work in the corporate, non-profit, and public sectors. We’re leadership coaches, speechwriters, storytellers, ghostwriters, scriptwriters, presentation designers, delivery coaches – everyone committed to expressing ideas with power and persuasion is welcome.
We get together in Manhattan to swap stories, share tips, and hear a guest speaker. Among the topics we explore: thought leadership, speechcraft, the art of persuasion, reputation management, visual storytelling, and other strategies for building influence and impact.
And when you can’t meet us in person, visit our LinkedIn group to stay in touch.
Being part of our group is a great way to expand your knowledge, develop your skills, and get some career advice in an environment of mutual support and camaraderie. So come join fellow members of your tribe – we’re waiting to meet you.
Join us for insights on leadership communication and the powerful expression of ideas.
Who’s Talking?
“Gives members the information and inspiration they need to excel.”
“Showcasing world-class speakers who share their knowledge and perspectives.”
“Helps executive communicators stay on top of trends and topics.”
“... done more for my career than any other professional organization.”
“A great place to gather and network with other ghosts.”
“Expanded my network in ways I could not have imagined.”
Guest speakers
Ben Zimmer – language columnist for The Wall Street Journal, January 2018
Amy Scarlino – President & CEO at Scarlino Speaker Strategies, December 2017
Gina Barnett – Barnett International Consulting, Main Stage TED speaker coach, author of Play the Part: Master Body Signals to Connect and Communicate for Business Success, September 2017
Michael Schulman – staff writer at The New Yorker, co-creator of You Like Me: A Live Series, an evening of classic Oscar acceptance speeches, July 2017
Frank Santopadre – staff writer on ABC’s The View, co-host of Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast!, June 2017
Michael Waldman – President of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, author of My Fellow Americans: The Most Important Speeches of America’s Presidents, and Potus Speaks: Finding the Words that Defined the Clinton Presidency, May 2017
Colin Moorhouse – speechwriter, consultant, marketing expert, March 2017
Terri Trespicio and Paula Rizzo – journalists and media experts, creators of Lights Camera Expert, January 2017
Simon Lancaster – Bespoke Speechwriting Services, author of Speechwriting: The Expert Guide, and Winning Minds: Secrets from the Language of Leadership, October 2016
Chris Anderson – Curator of the TED Conference, author of TED Talks: The Official Guide to Public Speaking, June 2016
Vern Oakley – corporate filmmaker, CEO and Creative Director of Tribe Pictures, March 2016
Jeremey Donovan – Head of Sales Strategy at Gerson Lehrman Group, author of How to Deliver a TED Talk: Secrets of the World’s Most Inspiring Presentations, December 2015
Shelley Spector – founder of the Museum of Public Relations, President of Spector & Associates, October 2015
Barton Swaim – speechwriter for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, author of The Speechwriter: A Brief Education in Politics, July 2015
Dean Meyers – “visioneer” at OGSystems, publisher of VizWorld.com, March 2015
Victor Navasky – speechwriter for Michigan Gov. “Soapy” Williams, publisher emeritus of The Nation magazine, author of Naming Names, December 2014
Erica Orange and Jared Weiner – consultants at futurist advisory firm The Future Hunters, October 2014
Lissa Muscatine – speechwriter for Hillary Clinton, co-owner of Politics & Prose Bookstore, May 2014
D. Mark Schumann – Senior VP and National Communications Practice Leader, The Segal Group, former International Chair of IABC, April 2014
Amy Binder – CEO of public relations firm RF Binder, December 2013
Richard Amdur – speechwriter for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, September 2013
James Braly – corporate speechwriter, author of Life in a Marital Institution: Twenty Years of Monogamy in One Terrifying Memoir, May 2013
Richard Edelman – President and CEO of global public relations firm Edelman, March 2013
Mary Kissel – member of the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal, November 2012
Matthew Spieler – co-author (with Eleanor Clift) of Selecting a President, October 2012
Gene Zelazny – Director of Visual Communications at McKinsey & Company, author of Say it with Charts and Say it with Presentations, July 2012
Lee Huebner – speechwriter for Richard Nixon, professor at George Washington University, April 2012
Michael Sheehan – speech and presentation coach at Sheehan Associates, November 2011
Jeff Shesol – West Wing Writers, speechwriter for Bill Clinton, author of Supreme Power: Franklin Roosevelt vs. The Supreme Court, September 2011
John Pollack – speechwriter for Bill Clinton, author of The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More than Some Antics, June 2011
Larry Kirshbaum – literary agent at LJK Literary Management, publisher of Amazon Publishing Group, March 2011
Fred Siegel – speechwriter for Rudy Giuliani, author of The Prince of the City: Giuliani, New York and the Genius of American Life, December 2010
David Murray – editor of Vital Speeches of the Day, October 2010
Daniel Pink – speechwriter for Al Gore, author of A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, June 2010
Peter Quinn – speechwriter for Time Warner executives and Gov. Mario Cuomo, author of Banished Children of Eve, March 2010
Bob Lehrman, author of The Political Speechwriter’s Companion: A Guide for Writers and Speakers, November 2009
Fraser Seitel – speechwriter for David Rockefeller, president of Emerald Partners, author of The Practice of Public Relations, July 2009
Linda Bird Francke – ghostwriter for Benazir Bhutto, Barbara Walters, Queen Noor, Geraldine Ferraro, May 2009
Joan Detz – speechwriting teacher and author of How to Write & Give a Speech, January 2009
Robert Schlesinger – editor at US News and World Report, author of White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters, October 2008
Bill Heyman – head of executive search firm Heyman Associates, July 2008
Bill Lane – speechwriter for Jack Welch, author of Jacked Up: The Inside Story of How Jack Welch Talked GE into Becoming the World’s Greatest Company, March 2008
David Frum – political commentator, speechwriter for George H.W. Bush, author of The Right Man: The Surprise Presidency of George W. Bush, December 2007
Bob Shrum – Democratic political strategist, speechwriter for Ed Muskie, George McGovern, Ted Kennedy, September 2007
Gil Schwartz – VP communications for CBS, aka business humorist Stanley Bing, author of What Would Machiavelli Do?, June 2007
Harold Holzer – head of communications at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln scholar, speechwriter for Mario Cuomo, author of Lincoln at Cooper Union: The Speech that Made Abraham Lincoln President, March 2007
Joseph Persico – speechwriter for Nelson Rockefeller, author of Roosevelt’s Secret War: FDR and World War II Espionage, September 2006
Susan Isaacs – former NYC political speechwriter and bestselling novelist, author of Compromising Positions, June 2006
Hendrick Hertzberg – The New Yorker magazine editor, speechwriter for Jimmy Carter, and author of ¡Obámanos! The Rise of a New Political Era, March 2006
Harold Burson – founder of PR firm Burson-Marsteller, author of e pluribus unum: The Making of Burson-Marsteller, December 2005
Ted Sorensen – JFK speechwriter and attorney, September 2005
Ken Askew, Tom Rosshirt – Republican and Democratic White House speechwriters, June 2005
Charles Francis – founder of Idea Bank, March 2005
Jean Cardwell – head of executive search firm Cardwell Enterprises, December 2004
Henry Ehrlich – author of Writing Effective Speeches and The Wiley Book of Business Quotations, September 2004