Motivational keynote speaker for hire Sully Sullenberger is a retired airline pilot and celebrated American hero. On January 15th, 2009, Sully was behind the controls of U.S. Airways flight 1549 which inadvertently struck a flock of geese upon takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York and lost power in both engines. He was forced into an emergency water landing on the Hudson River, but was able to save the lives of every person on board that day. Sully has since been praised for his incredible calm under pressure and his ability to act quickly and decisively in the face of grave danger. Today, he travels the world as a motivational guest speaker sharing personal stories from his career as an airline pilot and his own lessons in leadership, preparation and flawless execution strategies.

Sully is a Texas native who fell in love with flying after watching planes take off in and out of Perrin Air Force Base near his childhood home. By 16, he was a pilot himself and credits his first flight instructor for helping him build the solid foundation that led to his successful career in aviation. Sully went on to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy and obtained his masters degree in industrial psychology from Purdue University. He was able to draw upon this knowledge later in life when he studied the psychology behind keeping an airline crew functioning during emergencies. He continued to climb the ranks in the Air Force as well, regarded as a top flyer in his younger days and advancing on to become a fighter pilot and flight leader/training officer.

In 1980, Sully was employed as a captain for U.S. Airways, a position he would hold until 2010. It’s important to note that while in the Air Force, he had been part of an aircraft accident investigation board and went on to be involved in other aircraft accident investigations for the National Transportation Safety Board. In 2007, he founded Safety Reliability Methods (SRM) which provided organizations with strategic and tactical plans to enhance safety, reliability and performance.

Sully will be the first to tell you that preparation is key in executing anything under pressure. His whole life he had been preparing for a crisis that may have never transpired, but he was able to call upon his training when he needed it the most. Sully told his inspirational story including the challenges he faced in his home life in the 2009 NY Times bestselling memoir Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters. In 2016, he served as the inspiration for the hit film Sully directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks.

Would your organization like to hire Sully Sullenberger to speak or make a personal appearance at your next event? Contact Celebrity Speakers Bureau today to hire Sully Sullenberger or another top keynote speaker to entertain and engage your audience at an upcoming corporate conference, speaker series, trade show or special event.