Michele Wucker is a Qualified Risk Director, writer and renowned strategic advisor, famous for coining the term “Grey Rhino” to describe a high-impact, high-probability danger in business. With a long and illustrious career spanning strategy, economics, policy and crisis management, Michele is an expert on risk, geo-politics, economic analysis.
Michele began her career as a journalist and policy analyst, focusing on Latin America, her experience covering the local Hispanic community and the cultural conflict in Dominican Republic and Haiti inspired her first book “Why the Cocks Fight: Dominicans, Haitians, and the Struggle for Hispaniola,” published in 1999. She was then appointed senior fellow at the World Policy Institute, going on to become executive director and taking the think tank independent. Michelle was appointed President of the World Institute in 2010.
Michele’s in depth knowledge of world policy led her to write “The Grey Rhino: How to Recognise and Act on the Obvious Dangers We Ignore,” exploring how leaders seem to ignore predictable and probable threats. This expertise led her to create the Gray Rhino & Company in 2015 and publish “The Gray Rhino: How to Recognise and Act on Dangers We Ignore,” helping leaders and executives identify “Gray Rhinos” - challenges that are obvious and likely but ignored, often because of their size. Michele’s book has been translated into multiple languages and received widespread praise from global business and policy leaders.
An experienced and distinguished speaker, Michele is skilled at demystifying complex geo-political, economic and policy issues and strategizing company approaches to big picture risks. Organisations looking to inspire and motivate their teams to be more effective in recognising and managing their own Gray Rhinos would benefit from Michele’s expertise.
Books
The Gray Rhino: How to Recognize and Act on the Obvious Dangers We Ignore
Why the Cocks Fight: Dominicans, Haitians, and the Struggle for Hispaniola
You Are What You Risk: The New Art and Science of Navigating an Uncertain World
Lockout: Why America Keeps Getting Immigration Wrong When Our Prosperity Depends on Getting it Right
How to hire Michele Wucker
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Michele Wucker for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do not accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
“An engaging, insightful speaker! Michele is able to demystify complex global happenings in a breezy conversational style.” - Peter, Chief Investment Officer for Emerging Markets, Aperture Investments
"Not only is Michele a never-ending source of valuable insights, but she is engaging and entertaining as well! Michele shared her impressive world views as readily as her effective personal stories for our listeners. I enjoyed our wide-ranging conversation as much as our listeners who sent me numerous confirming emails. Their most popular descriptive word was "fantastic" - and I agree!" - Terri, University of Chicago
"Michele Wucker's from-the-hip, conversational style is so refreshing in an age of a PowerPoint slide per minute. Michele pulls the audience in from the outset with her command of the topic, comfortable delivery, and natural wit and charm." - Jon, Professor, University of Vermont
"Your Presentation was engaging and thought provoking; we have received a lot of compliments on our speaker choice!" - Ruth, The Business Continuity Institute
- 2024 – Distinguished Lecturer at UV Centre for Public Safety and Justice
- 2024 – Lecturer at Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago
- 2022 – Stakeholder Supervisory Board Member at The DCRO Institute
- 2022 – Advisory Council Member, APRI Armenia
- 2021 – Strategic Advisor, Climastry
- 2021 – Strategic Advisor, IRM India
- 2021 – Published “You Are What You Risk: The New Art and Science of Navigating an Uncertain World”
- 2016 – Published “The Grey Rhino: How to Recognise and Act on the Obvious Dangers we Ignore”
- 2015 – Founder and CEO of Gray Rhino & Company
- 2012 – Adjunct Associate Professor, School of International and Public Affairs
- 2010 – President, World Policy Institute
- 2010 – Senior Advisor, Preventable Surprises
- 2010 – Women Media Centre name Michele a Woman Making History for her work on immigration and the relationship between Dominican Republic and Haiti
- 2009 – World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader
- 2008 – Women’s Media Centre Progressive Women’s Voices Alumna
- 2007 – Awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for her work on Global Conceptions of Citizenship
- 2007 – Executive Director, World Policy Institute
- 2002 – Writer for Forbes
- 2000 – Senior Fellow, World Policy Institute
- 2000 – Latin American Bureau Chief, International Financing Review
- 1999 – Published “Why the Cocks Fight: Dominicans, Haitians and the Struggle for Hispaniola”
- 1996 – Managing Editor, Latin American Information Services
- 1994 – Senior Analyst, Thomson Financial
- 1993 – Correspondent, Dow Jones
- 1993 – Master of International Affairs, Latin American and Caribbean Studies/International Political Economy, Columbia SIPA
- 1991 – Foreign Editor, Listin, USA
- 1990 – Reporter, Milwaukee Sentinel
- 1989 – BA French, Policy Studies from Rice University
