Ashley Etienne
Driven by curiosity and built on purpose, this is where bold thinking meets thoughtful execution. Let’s create something meaningful together.
Political News Contributor, Former Senior Advisor to Presidents Obama and Biden, Vice President Harris, and Speaker Pelosi
Ashley Etienne, widely known as the “queen of the war room,” is one of the nation’s premier communications strategists who architected some of the most defining political moments in modern American history. She advised the nation’s most powerful leaders – Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi – earning a reputation as a force-multiplier when the stakes were highest. Today, she leads Etienne & Saint, a full-service strategic communications firm advising CEOs, corporate leaders, and institutions navigating disruption, reputational risk, and transformational change.
Etienne serves as a political news contributor, appearing regularly across national television networks and podcasts and quoted widely in major news outlets. She previously wrote as an essayist for The New York Times and has commanded major stages as a keynote speaker and panelist on leadership, power, and navigating moments that define institutions and leaders alike.
Speaking Topics
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As one of the nation’s most accomplished communicators working at the hotbed of politics and policy, Ashley Etienne has worked alongside our country’s highest-ranking leaders as they sought to develop solutions to the critical issues of the era. In addition to being a driving force in some of the most impactful events of our time, she has had a front-row seat in observing the ways in which transformational leaders, from Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker Nancy Pelosi operate, as well as what sets them apart from other people in power. Drawing from fascinating firsthand experiences from her groundbreaking career in the White House and Congress, Etienne shares a compelling analysis of the power dynamics at play in the world of politics, zeroes in on the traits that make for the most impactful leaders and relates her insights and expertise to leadership in any organization.
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A powerhouse communications strategist and political affairs professional, Ashley Etienne served as a trusted advisor to our nation’s highest-ranking officials and possesses an unmatched, insider’s understanding of the issues shaping today’s political landscape. As a former advisor to Presidents Obama and Biden, Vice President Harris, and Speaker Pelosi, she tackles the political headlines of the day from unexpected viewpoints while sharing balanced insights and analysis on everything going on in and around Washington.
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At the outset of her career, Ashley Etienne moved to Washington, D.C. with the goal of driving change in the political sphere, but no defined path for doing so. Climbing the political ladder in the years that followed, she became a widely respected communications strategist, eventually becoming known as the “queen of the war room.” She has the distinct honor of being the only person to serve as the top communications advisor for the two highest-ranking women in American politics: Vice President Harris and Speaker Pelosi. She witnessed and helped them navigate the challenges of being the firsts, power dynamics, sexism, and racism at play in the political arena and society.
A trailblazer in her own right, as the first woman and person of color to serve in these roles, she leads an empowering discussion about the lessons she has learned as a woman in leadership, working at the highest levels of government. She shares valuable action steps and strategies for women navigating their own leadership journeys.
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Among the nation’s most accomplished communications strategists, Ashley Etienne is widely recognized as the “queen of the war room” and “Obama’s bad-news fixer.” She has facilitated high-stakes communications strategies to address the most pressing policy, economic, and social issues facing our world. She draws from her experiences advising the nation’s highest-ranking elected leaders, and as an advisor to Fortune 100 executives, to share forward, edgy, and innovative strategies any organization can implement to leverage communications to achieve their strategic goals in complex, disruptive environments.
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