CBS News Contributor, Former Senior Advisor to Presidents Obama and Biden, VP Harris, and Speaker Pelosi; Known as the "Queen of the War Room"
Ashley Etienne: Biography at a Glance
- Widely recognized as the “queen of the war room,” Ashley Etienne possesses unparalleled experience and insights into the White House, Congress, and the policies driving the national agenda.
- She has served as a trusted senior advisor to our nation’s most powerful leaders: Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She currently serves as a CBS News Contributor.
- Etienne was recognized by the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum for her groundbreaking career, as she was the first woman, and person of color, to serve as the Communication Director for the U.S. Speaker of the House and Vice President of the United States.
- Etienne offers balanced viewpoints on hot-button issues of the day and their potential to shape America’s future while tying in fascinating anecdotes of her experiences behind the scenes working side-by-side with America’s most powerful leaders.
- With her vast experience, Etienne launched a strategic communications firm, Etienne & Saint, and serves as a senior advisor at Weber Shandwick, where she counsels top executives on navigating disruption in politics, business, and society.
- A barrier-breaking and game-changing presence in politics and public affairs, Etienne is a sought-after speaker to address the most pressing policy, economic, and social issues facing the nation.
Videos
Biography
Widely recognized as the “queen of the war room” and “Obama’s bad-news fixer,” Ashley Etienne is among the nation’s most accomplished communications strategists who possess unparalleled experience and insights into the White House, Congress, and the policies driving the national agenda.
Etienne has served as a trusted senior advisor to our nation’s most powerful leaders: Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. For more than 15 years, she has specialized in facilitating high-stakes communications strategies to address the most pressing policy, economic, and social issues facing the nation. Her mastery of both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, expansive media relationships, and access to power players across industries and advocacy make her a heavy-hitter with sought-after expertise for what it takes to succeed in mission-critical settings.
Having worked side-by-side with America’s most powerful leaders, Etienne presents insights and ideas on politics, policy, and society from unexpected viewpoints, spurring audience members to reflect upon our shared beliefs and values. She offers balanced viewpoints on hot-button issues of the day and their potential to shape America’s future while tying in truly fascinating anecdotes of her experiences behind the scenes and at the center of history. Her talks take a compelling route as she relates the current disruption in politics to the disruption in business and society. She elevates the conversation to break through partisanship, division, and deception toward progress and to examine the influence of power, agency, and leadership on our politics today.
Etienne most recently served as deputy assistant to President Biden and communications director for Vice President Harris. Before returning to the White House, Etienne was the communications director and senior advisor to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the first woman and person of color to hold the position. While in this role, she led the communications strategy that resulted in the historic 2018 midterm victory for House Democrats and the reelection of Speaker Pelosi – and the first impeachment and trial of President Trump, which was integral to Biden winning the presidency.
Previously, Etienne was appointed special assistant to President Obama and communications director for the U.S. Cabinet. During this time, she led strategic communications for the President’s signature My Brother’s Keeper initiative. Prior to joining the Obama White House, Etienne held several positions in Congress, including deputy communications director for Leader Pelosi and communications director for the Oversight Committee under Ranking Member Elijah Cummings.
Etienne was recognized by the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum for her barrier-breaking career accomplishments and the game-changing legacy she leaves. She recently launched a strategic communications firm, Etienne & Saint, and serves as a senior advisor at Weber Shandwick, a global strategic communication and consulting firm, where she counsels top executives on navigating disruption in politics, business, and society. Etienne also shares her insights and expertise as a political contributor on CBS News and recently served as a Spring 2022 Fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service. She holds a Master of Arts in political communications from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Sam Houston State University.
Topics
Analyzing the Power Dynamics of Our Nation’s Leaders
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.
Politics from the Inside
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.
Breaking Glass Ceilings in War Rooms: A Guide for Women in Leadership
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.
Mastering Communication for Success
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.
