Chris Voss

Chris Voss has led a life filled with tension, danger and high stakes. As a former FBI hostage negotiator, Chris has transferred the skills learnt on the frontline of fear, into insightful content for corporate clients, training others how to achieve the negotiation balancing act in a business environment. Weaving experiences from his own fast paced career into his public speaking, Chris engages and educates audiences of his interactive keynote speeches.

For over two decades, Chris worked with the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit. Using his calm, calculated, focused nature, he safely returned hostages from dangerous situations, spending his last four years as the FBI’s chief international hostage and kidnapping negotiator. At the forefront of cases in the Gaza Strip, the Iraq warzone and over 150 other cases, Chris found himself adapting to high-pressure environments, a skill he has since transferred to his speaking engagements, sharing how audiences can achieve this in a corporate environment. Alongside his work with the FBI, Chris has held several high-profile positions for corporations and governing bodies. After graduating with a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, he worked for the New York City Joint Terrorism Task Force where he gained his footing in the industry. In more recent years, Chris has been an Adjunct Professor at USC Marshall School of Business and is regularly sought after to commentate on major news outlets like CNN and Fox News as well as featuring in Forbes and The New York Times. As a reward for his impressive and dedicated career, Chris was honoured with the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement and the FBI Agents Association Award for Distinguished and Exemplary Service.

Equipped with decades of first-hand experience in transferable skills, Chris founded The Black Swan Group in 2008, after retiring from the FBI the previous year. The Black Swan Group offers expert training for businesses and individuals on how to achieve results and make business and life negotiation productive. As part of his coaching, Chris has conducted keynote speeches and seminars across the country, including his 2019 TEDx Talk Never Split The Difference, covering the technique of tactical empathy. Since authoring his debut book, Never Split the Difference, Chris has gone on to co-author two more publications, titled The Full Fee Agent and Empathy and Understanding in Business.

Who knows more about negotiating a business deal than a former kidnap negotiator? Though the corporate world has significantly fewer hostages than a warzone, the same skills apply - a steady hand, a persuasive tone and a strong mind. As a keynote speaker, Chris uses these skills to inspire corporate audiences, teaching them methods of communicating productively for desirable outcomes. When looking for a speaker who will provide practical and skilful negotiation techniques for corporate settings, don't hesitate to hire Chris Voss today!

In January 2024 Chris Voss conducted a Keynote Speech sharing stories from hostage negotiations and providing key tips on how you can win any exchange. Watch this Keynote Speech from Chris Voss here.