Chris Licht
EXCLUSIVE
ADD TO MY SPEAKER LIST
- Former CEO & Chairman, CNN
- Executive Producer, 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’
- Original Executive Producer/Co-Creator, MSNBC's 'Morning Joe’ & Architect/Executive Producer, 'CBS This Morning'
- Author of 'What I Learned When I Almost Died'
Knocked Down, Not Out: Leadership, Reinvention, and the Power of Starting Again
In this candid and compelling talk, veteran media executive CHRIS LICHT shares the untold lessons of navigating high-stakes leadership and what happens when the spotlight turns inward. Drawing from a career at the helm of America’s most influential newsrooms and his own public and personal reckoning, Licht offers a rare perspective on resilience, reinvention, and leading through adversity. With honesty, humility, and wit, he explores how setbacks can become defining moments, because true leadership is often forged in the aftermath of failure. A gripping message for executives, creatives, and changemakers alike, this conversation is a masterclass in picking yourself back up and moving forward with purpose.
Overcoming Adversity: Facing Health Challenges and Finding Balance
Based on his first book, What I Learned When I Almost Died, renowned veteran executive producer CHRIS LICHT shares his journey surviving a near-fatal brain hemorrhage. Licht was at the helm of MSNBC’s Morning Joe—one of the most popular shows on cable TV. He had become a real-life Jerry Maguire: hard-charging, obsessively competitive, and willing to sacrifice anything to get it done. He felt invincible. Then one day, Chris heard a pop in his head, followed by a whoosh of blood and crippling pain. Doctors at the ER said he had suffered a near-deadly brain hemorrhage. Chris’s life had almost been cut short, and he had eight long days in a hospital bed to think about it. In this inspiring talk, Chris tells the story of what happened next.
Leadership: Authenticity, Creativity, and Reinvention
Veteran executive producer and Chairman and CEO of CNN CHRIS LICHT has spent decades in the media business, transforming shows and networks through his leadership and earning countless accolades. In this compelling talk, he shares his insights about his journey as a leader, leveraging authenticity and creativity to build strong and resilient teams and leading large-scale transformations by leaning into innovation and empathy.
How to Restore Trust in Media
In this moment of reckoning for media, the path to restoring trust is not an easy one. But through transparency, a commitment to fact-based reporting, and a renewed focus on the core values of journalism, CHRIS LICHT lays out a clear, inspiring roadmap for how media organizations can rebuild the trust they’ve lost and serve their communities in more meaningful, impactful ways.
