Prudence BushnellPrudence Bushnell

Leadership Speaker and Author

Speaking

While Pru has particular expertise in leadership, crisis management, resilience, diplomacy, national security, and women in leadership, she will work with your organization or group to customize a speech or workshop that meets your needs.

Speech Topics

Below are examples of speeches and workshops that can be utilized and tailored to meet the specific goals of your organization. To learn more about each topic and how it applies to specific audiences as well as view examples of Pru as she is giving a speech, click on the link.

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Recent Clients

  • Hamilton College, The Levitt Center: “How Washington Works”
  • George Washington University, Elliot School of International Affairs,  Senior Managers in National Security Leadership:  “Senior Managers Practicing Leadership”
  • Le Moyne College, Syracuse: “The Rwanda Genocide: Personal, Policy and Leadership Lessons”
  • Foreign Service Institute, Washington, D.C., National Security Executive Leadership Seminar: “Doing Things Right v. Doing the Right Thing”
  • Foreign Service Institute, Washington, D.C., Senior Executive Training Seminar, “Resilience after Crisis”
  • Office of Personnel Management, Washington, D.C.: Women’s Leadership Seminar, “Leadership Under Fire.”
  • American University:  “Crisis Management and Communication in International Work”
  • Southern Women in Public Service Conference: “Leading with Integrity and Inclusiveness:  An Ambassador’s Story”
  • Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs, Princeton University: “Dangers to Modern Diplomacy in the Age of Terrorism“

Videos & Podcasts

Some of Pru’s speeches have been recorded and are available for viewing on the Media page.

What People Say

You are a role model for women and men, Prudence. As we hear your story, not one of us can fail to consider how we would have responded. And, not one of us can fail to consider if we would have the strength to do the right thing when contemporary challenges present themselves. I believe, by remembering your story, Federal women will be far more likely to answer and act with a resounding “Yes”.

Kathleen Cole
Adjunct Faculty for the Office of Personnel Management, Federal Executive Institute

“Ambassador Bushnell has never failed to elicit standing ovations from military leaders, seasoned journalists and skeptical graduate students — whether her topic is 21st century security challenges, successful leadership or crisis management. Her ability to touch the hearts as well as the minds of her audience is both moving and highly effective, leaving indelible impressions on those who are fortunate enough to share the wisdom she has developed over the course of a truly extraordinary career.”

Dr. Janne Nolan
Professor of International Affairs at George Washington University, Chair of The Nuclear Security Working Group and author of nine books including Tyranny of Consensus published by the Brookings Institution Press in 2015.

“Ambassador Prudence Bushnell is a mesmerizing speaker who consistently earns rave reviews from the Colonels and civilian equivalents who attend my Senior Manager Course in National Security Leadership at the George Washington University. Her insights concerning the costs and rewards of ‘doing the right thing’ as an interagency leader, based on her experiences in high-stakes crises such as the Rwandan genocide and the Nairobi Embassy bombing, make an indelible impact on her audiences.”

Dr. Matthew Levinger
Director, National Security Studies Program, Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University