Get to Know Our Speaker

Keynote speaker and leadership expert Waldo Waldman is the author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller Never Fly Solo®. He teaches tactics on how to build trusting, revenue-producing relationships with employees, partners, and customers while sharing his experiences as a decorated fighter pilot and sales expert. A graduate of the Air Force Academy, he holds an MBA with a focus on Organizational Behavior and is a former top producing sales manager.

65 Combat Missions and 2,650 Flight Hours:
Waldo is a retired Lt Col who overcame massive claustrophobia and a fear of heights to become a decorated fighter pilot with 65 combat missions and 2,650 flight hours. He’s deployed worldwide and led combat missions in Iraq, SE Asia, and Kosovo during Operation Allied Force.

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Proud Father and Husband:
Waldo’s greatest honor is being a father to his son Ace and a partner with his loving wife Dana. He is passionate about 80’s music, fitness, big dogs and Thai food. He shares his Atlanta home with his Great Dane “Willie” and two cats – Olive and Fig.
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Waldo has been inducted into the National Speaker’s Association Speaker Hall of Fame. Also known as the Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE), the award honors those who have reached the top echelon of platform excellence. It has been bestowed on less than 200 speakers worldwide since 1977, including Colin Powell, Zig Ziglar, and Ronald Reagan. Waldo is also a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) – the highest earned designation recognized in the professional speaking industry. Only 7% of all professional speakers hold this exclusive designation.

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