Former Director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), Former NATO Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security
David Cattler gives audiences access to a rare firsthand perspective on the geopolitical forces shaping today’s business and security environment. Drawing on 35 years of experience advising presidents, military leaders, CEOs, and boards, David delivers practical insights that help leaders navigate uncertainty, strengthen resilience, and make better strategic decisions in an increasingly complex world.
Trust is Now Infrastructure: Governing Cloud and AI Under Pressure
"Intelligence: NATO's Invisible Bond": David Cattler
Modernizing Trust: David Cattler and Matthew Eanes on the Future of Security
Director David Cattler on the Future of Personnel Vetting and Industrial Security
"America’s Gatekeeper”: A Conversation with DCSA’s Director David Cattler
Most organizations think of trust as a cultural value. Increasingly, it is becoming strategic infrastructure.
Whether the challenge is AI adoption, cybersecurity, alliance management, institutional reform, or corporate governance, organizations that cultivate trust make better decisions, adapt more quickly, and outperform competitors during periods of disruption.
Drawing on decades of experience leading multinational intelligence integration and organizational transformation, David explains why trust is becoming a measurable competitive advantage—and how leaders can intentionally build it.
Competition among nations increasingly occurs through technology, investment, critical infrastructure, supply chains, semiconductors, AI, and industrial capacity—not only through military power.
David examines how governments are redefining national security and why business leaders must increasingly understand geopolitical risk, industrial resilience, trusted technology, and economic statecraft.
This presentation helps executives anticipate how strategic competition will affect investment, innovation, regulation, and global operations.
No nation—and increasingly no company—solves its hardest problems alone.
Drawing upon his experience as NATO’s senior intelligence official, David explores how successful organizations create decision advantage through trusted partnerships, information sharing, institutional design, and resilient networks.
The presentation offers practical lessons for any organization seeking to improve collaboration across departments, governments, industries, or international partners.
Artificial intelligence is transforming decision-making—but technology alone does not produce better decisions.
Drawing on his work advising governments and technology companies on AI governance and decision advantage, David explores why human judgment, institutional trust, and governance remain the critical differentiators.
Rather than asking whether AI can replace human expertise, this keynote examines how organizations should redesign leadership, governance, and decision processes to create trusted human-machine teams.
Today’s leaders face overlapping crises, technological disruption, economic fragmentation, and accelerating geopolitical competition.
Having advised senior leaders through Russia’s war against Ukraine, alliance crises, intelligence reform, and organizational transformation, David explains how leaders make better decisions when information is incomplete, events are moving rapidly, and the stakes are exceptionally high.
The keynote provides practical frameworks for navigating complexity without becoming overwhelmed by it.
Success increasingly depends on integrating intelligence, technology, industry, economics, alliances, cyber capabilities, AI, and democratic resilience into a single strategic framework.
Drawing upon experience across NATO, the White House, the intelligence community, and the Department of Defense, David explains where national security is headed—and what governments, companies, and citizens should expect during the coming decade.
David Cattler is a strategic advisor, board director, and former NATO Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security who helps executives, investors, and public-sector leaders understand how geopolitical competition, AI, economic security, and alliance dynamics are reshaping business and national security.
Over a 35-year career spanning NATO, the White House, the U.S. intelligence community, and the Department of Defense, David advised presidents, prime ministers, cabinet ministers, military commanders, CEOs, and boards through periods of geopolitical disruption and strategic competition.
Rather than focusing solely on threats, David examines why some nations, institutions, and companies consistently outperform others during periods of disruption. His work centers on four interconnected ideas: Trust as strategic infrastructure, economic security as strategic advantage, alliance advantage, and AI and decision advantage.
Audiences leave with practical frameworks for understanding geopolitical disruption, strengthening institutional resilience, leading through uncertainty, and making better strategic decisions in an era where trust, technology, and security increasingly determine competitive advantage.
David is a frequent keynote speaker whose insights have been featured at major international security conferences, think tanks, universities, and executive forums across North America and Europe. His commentary appears regularly through leading transatlantic policy organizations and international media.
All timing and logistics were seamless, and the client was super engaged and thankful. I’m happy to report that we have another WIN for WWSG! Let’s build on the momentum together!
Josh Linkner, Tech Entrepreneur, Hyper-Growth CEO, NYT Best-Selling Author, Venture Capitalist, and Keynote Speaker
The team at WWSG is certainly at the top of the scale. Building a long-term relationship with the client has really set WWSG apart and we clearly saw that with our partnership. WWSG found creative ways to build the partnership which results in a win-win for all.
Erik Qualman, Top Technology and Motivational Speaker, #1 Bestselling Author & Futurist
The consistent professionalism and quality for the way Worldwide Speakers Group handles events shows that they think of each detail and every contingency beforehand.
Newt Gingrich, Distinguished Leader, Visionary, & Political Vanguard; 2012 Republican Presidential Candidate; Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (1995-1999); Best-Selling Author
After 20 years in the lecture series business, WWSG has become a valued partner. We produce over 24 speaking events a year and have worked with dozens of agencies. We appreciate WWSG’s unparalleled professionalism, integrity, and creativity in suggesting speakers that are unique to the speaker circuit.
The Distinguished Speaker Series of Southern California
Thanks again for all your help. Your entire team there is truly stellar.
American Property Casualty Insurance Association
They provide us well-prepared and informed speakers who understand our expectations and unique format. With WWSG, we know that the speaker fees are fair and trust that the event will be a success.
The Distinguished Speaker Series of Southern California
Everything was buttoned up, from the initial outreach to the event execution and post follow-up. I have a great team of representatives from WWSG to work with, first class experience.
American Century Investments
The WWSG team are super responsive and flexible. I will definitely work with them again to find speakers for my next event.
Ernst & Young LLP
I hope to work again and again with Worldwide Speakers Group on the selection of our keynote and endnote speakers for our annual conference and other events. Our representative and her associate were terrific from my first communication to them until our speaking-event concluded... It is easy to see why many of the top speakers in the country work with Worldwide Speakers Group.
The National Recreation and Park Association
We always enjoy working with WWSG, and we thank you and your team for your diligence, thoroughness, and professionalism. Planning is already underway for next year's event (no rest for the weary). We hope to have every opportunity to work with you again in the near future.
Texas American Resources Company
Thank you to our WWSG agent and event coordinator for their partnership in the planning and execution of this session. You are all incredible professionals to work with and represent your elite speakers so well. The entire experience could not have been better.
Financial Horizons
