Captain “Sully” Sullenberger Speaker Biography
“Miracle on the Hudson” Captain and Best-Selling Author
Ambassador “Sully” Sullenberger has been dedicated to the pursuit of safety his entire adult life. He recently served as the U.S. Ambassador and Representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations Specialized Agency, after being nominated by President Biden. As a global thought leader, he has now resumed his profession as a sought-after keynote speaker to audiences around the world and continues his advocacy for safety in global air travel.
Pilot
Born in Denison, Texas, Sullenberger pursued his childhood love of aviation, learning to fly at 16. He is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, and served as a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. He went on to be an airline pilot, instructor, and accident investigator. He still flies privately.
Miracle on the Hudson
One of the most captivating American heroes of our time, Captain Chelsey ‘Sully’ Sullenberger’s preparation and leadership enabled him to safely guide US Airways Flight 1549 to an emergency landing in New York City’s frigid Hudson River—an inspirational and iconic moment in modern history. His incredible personal story is captured in his New York Times #1 bestselling book Highest Duty: My Search For What Really Matters, and Sully – a major motion picture directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks as Captain Sullenberger. The film was released to critical acclaim in September 2016. Highest Duty was republished that year as SULLY: My Search for What Really Matters.
Honors and Awards
Captain Sullenberger recently served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations Specialized Agency, where he reasserted effective U.S. leadership at ICAO, tackling the aviation crises involving Belarus, Russia, a Middle East airspace dispute and climate change.
Keynote Speaker
In his speeches, Captain Sullenberger shares timeless leadership, management and crisis management principles — including his credo of “leadership by personal example” — and the lessons from his life which prepared him to handle the unprecedented crisis presented by the “Miracle on the Hudson,” and his current role as a global thought leader on important issues.
Captain “Sully” Sullenberger Speaking Topics
Making A Difference
Capt. Sully's stellar reputation as a leader was built over many years - one interaction, one person, one day at a time. In this presentation he shares how each of us has an opportunity to "make a difference," and that every day offers us numerous opportunities to be better and do better.
208 Seconds: A Lifetime of Lessons
Capt. Sully's story is one of dedication, hope, and preparedness, revealing the important lessons he learned through his life, in his military service, and in his work as an airline pilot. In this riveting presentation, he shares details from the 208 seconds that put his entire career on the line. He reminds audiences, even in these days of conflict, tragedy and uncertainty, there are values still worth fighting for—that life's challenges can be met if we're ready for them. Are you ready to aspire to new levels of excellence in life and business?
Leading Your Team to Success
How you prepare, train and lead make all the difference when you are confronted with a challenge. Capt. Sully’s life-long pursuit of learning and investing in himself shows the importance of education and preparedness and illustrates that true leaders must always lead by example. In this presentation, Capt. Sully will challenge and inspire teams to establish a foundation of passion for their work, build trust in each other, and commit to always reaching for the highest standards.
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Captain “Sully” Sullenberger Videos
Captain “Sully” Sullenberger Speaker Testimonials
Within minutes after Captain Sullenberger concluded his presentation, we have been barraged by amazing positive feedback from our dignitaries, sponsors & chamber members all echoing that he's the best speaker they've ever had the pleasure of hearing. He began with a standing ovation, ended with one, and totally riveted them in between. From the moment I greeted him on his arrival, he was nothing but friendly, engaging and in great spirits.
- Danville Chamber of Commerce |
We were very privileged to be joined by Sully who is a truly inspiring figure in commercial aviation and it was absolutely fantastic to hear his perspectives on a number of the current issues relating to air transport, safety, technology and human factors in particular." "A number of people have remarked that they thought the level of detail provided was absolutely tremendous and for non-aviators, offered simple yet captivating explanations to a number of often quite complex issues.
- The Air League |
Everything went so well with Capt. Sullenberger’s keynote! He was such a delight to work with and our audience was over the moon about his speech. We had the most people turn out for our VIP reception that we’ve ever had and I had to apologize to Capt. Sully about that because it was more photos than we had anticipated. I do hope that he enjoyed his time working with us as well.
- Association of Washington Business |
[Captain Sullenberger] could not have been more accommodating, patient, and informative to our members... he provided a narrative of the Miracle on the Hudson including numerous anecdotes. After his remarks, he answered questions informatively and with good humor.
- San Francisco Aeronautical Society |
