I was fortunate to have seen Ms. Rigby-Assad address an audience last year. I was so impressed that I purchased her book, 'Breaking Cover.' It was a ripping yarn! I knew that the professional association to which I belonged was to hold their annual conference early this year. I helped arrange her to present. She spoke to our group and was fantastic! The feedback from the attendees was off the charts
Michele Rigby Assad
Former Intelligence officer in the CIA, International Security Consultant, Author of Breaking Cover and Keynote Speaker
Featured Topics
Fee Range
$20,000
Michele Rigby Assad
Featured Book
Breaking Cover
by Michele Rigby Assad
The CIA is looking for walking contradictions. Recruiters seek out potential agents who can keep a secret yet pull classified information out of others; who love their country but are willing to leave it behind for dangerous places; who live double lives, but can be trusted with some of the nation's most highly sensitive tasks.
Michele Rigby Assad was one of those people.
As a CIA agent and a counterterrorism expert, Michele soon found that working undercover was an all-encompassing job. The threats were real; the assignments perilous. Michele spent over a decade in the agency--a woman leading some of the most highly skilled operatives on the planet, secretly serving in some of the most treacherous areas of the Middle East, and at risk as a target for ISIS. But deep inside, Michele wondered: Could she really do this job? Had she misunderstood what she thought was God's calling on her life? Did she have what it would take to survive?
The answer came when Michele faced her ultimate mission, one with others' lives on the line--and it turned out to have been the plan for her all along. In Breaking Cover, Michele has at last been cleared to drop cover and tell her story: one of life-or-death stakes; of defeating incredible odds; and most of all, of discovering a faith greater than all her fears.
Michele Rigby Assad
Featured Keynote Programs
Lessons from the CIA — How to Pivot in Times of Crisis
One thing you learn planning and carrying out operations in war zones is that no matter how hard you try, you can’t prepare for every contingency. You have to get good at pivoting in the moment and making decisions on the fly. Such is the new world thrust on us in 2020 and 2021. Strong leadership understands that now is not the time to maintain continuity of operations—it is time to rethink everything.
• Learn how to harness fear to cultivate optimism and resiliency.
• Understand how to promote an environment in which your team members’ unique experiences, outlook, and creativity can be harnessed to solve operational challenges.
• Develop new strategies for tapping into your diverse workforce to navigate changing realities and requirements. (You will be surprised how many amazing ideas come from staff that, up until now, hasn’t had the opportunity or encouragement to share fresh ideas that can breathe new life into operations.)
The Life Altering Power of Grit
Michele uses stories from her CIA experience to illustrate the power of grit, the power of perseverance and determination to learn and grow—no matter what. Instead of focusing on the challenges and negativity presented to her, Michele demonstrates how focusing on mastering a skill, learning new material, and pushing to grow is what transformed her life and career.
• Your mindset is the most important thing.
• Grit trumps natural talent.
• What worked before may not work when the storms of life sweep in. Stay flexible to respond to the challenge.
• That which is unexpected and unwelcome could turn out to be your biggest blessing.
My Advantage as a Woman in the CIA
In this program you will learn:
• Use in-the-field techniques to turn challenging situations around so that you leave conversations in a positive way
• Leverage women’s intuition to gain an “unfair” advantage in high-stakes negotiations
• Ninja strategies to engage women and minorities in important conversations for collaboration and growth
Going Undercover
Finding Your Purpose in a Dangerous World
In this program you will learn:
• Secrets for escaping an attack or surviving an ambush that you can apply to pushing out of your comfort zone
• How “going to war” teaches you to manage fear and elevates your game to elite levels
• The role of faith in dealing with terrorists — and overcoming in life