CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF SHAPING THE MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS MY SPEAKER LIST () 646.227.4900

Jim Messina

  • CEO, The Messina Group
  • Campaign Manager for the 2012 Obama & Campaign & Senior Strategic Adviser for David Cameron’s EU Referendum Campaign
  • Board Member, Blockchain.com
  • National Chair, Organizing for Action

The mastermind behind President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, Jim Messina seized the reins on what Bloomberg Businessweek dubbed “the highest-wattage crash course in executive management ever undertaken”—and succeeded, earning the President another term in the White House. With the guidance of technology’s foremost leaders, Jim abandoned every step of a traditional presidential campaign and merged technology and politics in a way that was both unpredictable and unprecedented.

Jim’s strategies established the modern presidential campaign—Google’s Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt called it “the best-run campaign ever.” The American Association of Political Consultants later crowned him the Campaign Strategist of the Year.

In 2013, Messina launched The Messina Group. In this role, Messina provides strategic consulting to businesses around the world. The firm has been involved in winning public policy campaigns on five continents. TMG believes the most interesting problem in the coming years is: “Does regulation stifle or assist innovation?” Clients include Uber, Pillpack, Airbnb, Google, Delta Air Lines, Hutchison Whampoa, and over 300 others. In this role, Jim continues to advise Democratic organizations on domestic political issues in the US.

Since then Jim has led his team at The Messina Group in advising over thirteen Presidents and Prime Ministers on five continents including: UK’s Theresa May and David Cameron, Mexico’s Enrique Peña Nieto, Argentina’s Mauricio Macri, Italy’s Matteo Renzi, and in 2016, helped Spain’s President Mariano Rajoy win a surprising re-election margin.

Previously, Jim served as Deputy Chief of Staff in President Barack Obama’s White House, where he was integral to the passage of the historic health care bill, the economic stimulus act credited with saving the US economy, and the landmark repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” Jim gave truth to “The Fixer” moniker as he worked closely with the President and Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle to pass the Affordable Care Act.

For over twenty years, Jim served as Chief of Staff for various Senate and House offices on Capitol Hill where he worked to pass key legislation such as multiple tax cut bills, the Medicare prescription drug bill, and several trade agreements. Jim’s most formidable years on the Hill were spent as a Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to former Senator and Ambassador to China Max Baucus when he was chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee.

Messina continues to provide insight on news outlets such as MSNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Fox News, BBC and others. Jim serves on the boards of Global Counsel, Blockchain.com, Fortera, Vectra.ai, LanzaTech, the United States Soccer Foundation, The Wilderness Society, and the Montana Land Reliance.

 
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Past Hosts Include:
  • National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts
  • APCO Worldwide
  • NMA/IAB Norway
  • Healthcare Services Corporation
  • Americans for the Arts
  • Western Energy Institute
  • New York eHealth Collaborative
  • Marcus Evans
  • Americans for the Arts
  • FairWind Partners
Jim Messina was fantastic! Everyone loved him and what he had to say...I would recommend him to anyone.
More rave reviews

"Jim’s presentation was a huge success! People loved it and he was so great to work with."

-Western Energy Institute

"Messina thrilled the audience at the 2014 Pharmamarketing/Pharma Sales Summit. Here's what audience members had to say: 'Beautiful storytelling with humor and wit'; 'Incredible'; 'Excellent'; 'Amazing detail/metrics at a personal level'; 'Fantastic part of the program'; 'Loved Messina'; 'Very good content'; 'Amazing speaker.'"

-Pharmamarketing/Pharma Sales Summit

"Jim was superlative! The whole Forum was incredibly successful and Jim was definitely a highlight, on and off the stage. "

-Global Retail Marketing Association

"He was brilliant. What a very cool guy! We absolutely loved him!! "

-Global Retail Marketing Association

"Jim Messina really lived up to our expectations. He is not only a veryintelligent marketer, he's also very funny, and the audience was very impressed and inspired by him. We are so thankful that he came to the Golden Key 2014 so we got to experience how to think when you use big data. "

-Swedma

"Jim was hit both on Tuesday evening and at the event on Wednesday. He was the perfect mix between policy, politics, and our topic. We've heard many positive reviews about his talk and we are super pleased with all of it. "

-FairWind Partners

"Thank you so much for making our convention such a great success this year. People are still buzzing about your keynote with Manuel Pastor. "

-Americans for the Arts

"Jim Messina gave a brilliant and compelling speech! He really captivated our audience with a relevant theme, insightful stories, humor and an excellent Q&A -- he totally nailed it. All around great guy."

-New York eHealth Collaborative

"The debate between Rove and Messina was spectacular and incredibly well-received by our clients. Not only was it insightful and timely, but their passion was genuine ...The hard hitting format was far superior to any sort of ‘canned’ presentation that another speaker might deliver with such frequency that could come off as dull or boring to an audience. These two kept every participant on the edge of their seat until the closing bell."

-Marcus Evans

"Jim's presentation was terrific. We heard so much fabulous feedback. It was clearly a highlight of the conference. "

-New York eHealth Collaborative

"Jim was a hit at our Annual Meeting in Big Sky. It was a pleasure to meet him and hear him speak. He had a great message for our leaders in the energy industry. "

-Western Energy Institute

"It was a great event! I thought Jim had a very thought-provoking conversation that was both substantive and respectful. Jim is incredibly capable and was lovely to work with. He's got great energy and was gracious with his time."

-Hamilton College

"It was really great to work with you and your team. He was perfect, absolutely perfect. He and Manuel Pastor made a great team. And he delightfully hung around after the program to talk with attendees. He was just terrific. Thanks for making it happen. "

-Americans for the Arts

"Jim Messina was fantastic! I am getting emails from employees on how much they really enjoyed hearing him. Our executives loved his presentation as well. I have had many employees tell me this was the best speaker I have had yet...and I have hired several good speakers over the years. His speech was fascinating with so many takeaways that can be applied throughout our division. "

-Healthcare Services Corporation

"We LOVED having Jim Messina! He absolutely killed it. He is such a likable person as well as a really good communicator. I have a strong feeling he will be rated this year's best speaker. "

-NMA/IAB Norway

"Thank you for making the Sharjah Government Communication 2013 a huge success! Your speech brought invaluable insight to the 400 guests who attended. Thank you for a wonderful presentation! "

-APCO Worldwide
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Jim Messina: Think Beyond Targeted Marketing | GRMA - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with Jim Messina
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Insights from America’s Premier Political Strategist

In the White House, JIM MESSINA was known as “the fixer,” tasked with shepherding some of President Obama’s most important legislative priorities, including healthcare reform, through Congress. When he became the manager of the Obama 2012 campaign, he was entrusted with the most important priority of all: reelecting a president. In this entertaining and insightful lecture, Messina draws on his first-hand experience in the White House and on the campaign trail to share prescient analysis on today's top issues. He gives tangible takeaways on our political climate with substance and some much-needed humor. 

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The New Nexus of Politics, Technology and Business - and Why it Matters to You

As one of the world's most successful political advisors, JIM MESSINA has upended the way that cutting-edge organizations think about strategy — reinventing the modern political campaign and pioneering tools, technologies, and tactics that have groundbreaking impacts for global business.

In this substantive, actionable talk, Messina shares fascinating behind-the-scene stories from his work with global leaders on five continents — from President Obama to David Cameron — and eye-opening accounts from his time soliciting Silicon Valley’s smartest CEOs for their advice; his successful launch of a $1.1 billion start-up; and advisory work with some of the most innovative companies in the world including Uber, Google and Airbnb.

Messina reveals three critical insights about how dramatically the world has changed in a few fast years, and he provides three lessons for how consumer-facing companies can prosper not just in spite of these changes, but by embracing them.

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The Future of Cryptocurrency and Federal Regulation

Blockchain and cryptocurrency are already changing the way we understand business and technology. After their Wild West expansion and application into financial markets and consumer products, regulation from Washington is expected — and that's where JIM MESSINA comes in. A former Obama/Biden Campaign Manager and senior White House official, Messina is known for his astute analysis and insight into Washington’s thinking. He was tapped to share that expertise as a board member of Blockchain.com, where he is shaping the future of cryptocurrency. Messina offers audiences a nuanced, insider look at current and potential federal policy on regulation, cryptocurrency, and blockchain. 

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Elections & AI

Political advisor, White House insider, and campaign consultant JIM MESSINA is one of the world's most renowned political strategists. Messina discusses the nuances of campaign strategies and party politics, as well as the potential impact of emerging technologies like AI and big data on campaign outcomes

Biography
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