Smart Women, Smart Power

Host Kathleen McInnis sat down with Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Liz Allen. The pair discussed Under Secretary Allen’s mission to reimagine the power and purpose of American diplomacy, including her role in planning the 2016 meal between President Obama and Anthony Bourdain in Vietnam.

Host Kathleen McInnis sat down with Colonel Sarah Heer, the special advisor to the Commander of the Canadian Army, and a Peace With Women Fellow, at the 2023 Halifax International Security Forum. The pair discussed her experience commanding Operation Unifier in September 2020, where, alongside Canadian soldiers, she helped train Ukrainian soldiers. Additionally, she discussed the lessons she learned from her Ukrainian counterparts.

While at the 2023 Halifax International Security Forum, Kathleen McInnis had the opportunity to sit down with Karen Courington, Vice President of Trust and Safety at Google, and Alexandra Veitch, the Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy at YouTube. The discussion follows their career paths, the priorities of their organizations in this era of crisis, as well as mis and disinformation.

Host Kathleen McInnis sat down with Beth McGrath, Deloitte’s Global Industry Leader for Government and Public Services (GPS), at the 2023 Halifax International Security Forum. The conversation followed Beth’s 25+ years in the Federal Government, including her focus on improving business operations within the Department of Defense, as well as her transition to the private sector.

Host Kathleen McInnis sat down with Heidi Grant, Vice President of Global Growth and Engagement for Boeing Defense, Space, and Security, at the 2023 Halifax International Security Forum. The pair discussed Heidi’s successful career as a civilian in the national security space, as well as her thoughts on how to make the U.S. defense industry more competitive. 

Host Kathleen McInnis sat down with Ashley O’Connor, Managing Partner at Strategic Partners & Media, for a conversation on the evolution of political campaigning and advertising. The pair also discussed Ashley’s decision to invest time in understanding women voters, including her outlook for the 2024 election season.

Host Kathleen McInnis sat down with Sherri Goodman, a former senior defense official, for a discussion on her early work in climate security, and how climate change is impacting the national security landscape.

Host Kathleen McInnis sat down with Natalia Gavrilița, former Prime Minister of Moldova (2021-2023), for a conversation on her leadership of Moldova during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, in addition to a look at the future of the region.

Host Kathleen McInnis sat down with Mackenzie Eaglen, Senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), for a thoughtful conversation on the power of your reputation and credibility in Washington, DC. Eaglen discusses her decision to not sign a letter circulated by former GOP lawmakers that opposed the candidacy of President Donald Trump in 2016.

Host Kathleen McInnis sat down with Susan Markham, Director of the Peace With Women Fellowship program at the Halifax International Security Forum (HFX) for a conversation about the role of gender in foreign policy, including her experience implementing gender policy at USAID. Additionally, they discussed Susan’s new book “Feminist Foreign Policy in Theory and in Practice.”