Speaker Bios

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mark Hertling

Former Commanding General, U.S. Army Europe; CNN, MS NOW & Bulwark Military Analyst; Leadership Expert & Author

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Mark Hertling, DBA, is a globally recognized authority on leadership, crisis decision-making, and national security.
With nearly four decades in the U.S. Army — culminating as Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army — he led over 90,000 soldiers and partnered with the armed forces of 51 nations.

A veteran of Desert Storm and the Iraq War, Hertling spent four decades in the Army and more than three years in combat command, including leading the 1st Armored Division during the surge in Iraq. His leadership experience spans high-risk combat operations, multinational coalition environments, and large-scale organizational transformation.

After retiring from the Army, Hertling served in executive leadership roles at major healthcare systems, translating military leadership principles to improve organizational performance and culture. He spent a decade as a military and national security analyst for CNN and CNN International, helping global audiences understand complex conflicts and geopolitical risk.

Today, he is a Professor of Practice at the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College, is a frequent and pro-bono contributor to MS-Now and various other media outlets, is a weekly contributor to The Bulwark and the host of the weekly “Bulwark Takes Command Post” on multiple streaming channels. His 2026 book, “If I Don’t Return,” explores leadership, family, and combat across three wars, offering timeless lessons on resilience, service, and character. His 2016 book, “Growing Physician Leaders,” was an Amazon Healthcare best seller.

Hertling delivers powerful, practical insights that help leaders build trust, navigate uncertainty, and lead with purpose in today’s complex world.

Michael Gunter, Jr., Ph.D.

Michael Gunter, Jr., Ph.D. is a Cornell Distinguished Faculty and Arthur Vining Davis Fellow at Rollins College where he chairs the Department of Political Science and serves as the college’s NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative. A former Fulbright Scholar for the US State Department at Univerzita Komenského in the Slovak Republic, and a veteran traveler across all seven continents, Gunter writes and speaks about climate change politics, ecotourism, and all things sustainable development. His work has appeared in/on Inside Higher Ed, NPR, The Washington Post, and USA Today. Books include: Climate Travels: How Ecotourism Changes Mindsets and Motivates Action (Columbia University Press, 2023), Tales of an Eco-tourist: What Travel to Wild Places Can Teach Us about Climate Change (SUNY, 2018), and Building the Next Ark: How NGOs Work to Protect Biodiversity (Dartmouth, 2004/2006). His literary agent is Jane Dystel of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC.

Brian Besanceney

Brian Besanceney is an accomplished C-Level Corporate Affairs & Communications Executive with an impressive +25- year career of advancement in increasingly demanding senior leadership roles helping globally-renowned brands, including Boeing, Walmart, Disney, and the White House. A two-time Fortune 50 Chief Communications Officer, he has a unique set of experiences in not only protecting and enhancing the reputation of brands at serious high-profile junctures, but transforming the way communications organizations work in an increasingly digital and connected world. Most recently as CCO of The Boeing Company, Brian led a 475-person team with responsibility for internal/external digital communications, media relations, crisis communications, brand marketing, and merchandising. He took immediate action to modernize the communications function after years of leadership transition. This included reinvigorating the team with a clear vision for the future; introducing new best practices such as the widespread adoption of Axios Smart Brevity as an internal communications model; and expanding the use of digital insights, analytics, and AI tools. These actions strengthened the team and played an essential role in navigating a high-profile operational and reputational crisis in 2024. Previously, Brian served as a SVP and CCO for Walmart Inc. As Walmart’s first-ever CCO, he led the company’s global communications team, including media, associate, and stakeholder communications, along with the company’s corporate social and digital channel strategy and special events. Brian transformed this previously disconnected and defensive-minded group into a world-class communications team, bringing the company’s story to life in new and innovative ways – a key center of excellence in Walmart’s widely recognized corporate affairs function. Prior to this, Brian held executive roles at The Walt Disney Company, serving as SVP of Public Affairs for Walt Disney World leading internal/external communications, government relations, and corporate citizenship for the world’s largest single-site employer. As well, he led worldwide government and industry relations across Disney’s global Parks & Resorts division. In his first role at Disney, as VP of Public Affairs for Business Development for the Parks & Resorts division, he played a key role in ensuring Disney’s successful market entry into Shanghai. For eight years, Brian served in leadership roles in the administration of President George W. Bush. He was Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the U.S. Department of State, and Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He also served as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy White House Communications Director in President Bush’s first term. Early in his career, Brian served as Communications Director for then-U.S. Rep. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), as well as a public relations and state government relations consultant. Brian serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Orlando Health, a high-performing +$7 billion health system in the Southeast. Additionally, he is on the Board of Trustees for the Institute of Public Relations, and is a member of Page, the association of chief communications officers. Previously, he served on the boards of the Trust for the National Mall and the Florida Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Brian launched his career upon obtaining his B.A. in Political Science & History from The Ohio State University, where he is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Arts & Sciences. Brian’s breadth of corporate affairs leadership experience and his exceptional depth as a communications practitioner and thought leader bring a game-changing perspective to the table as internal and external stakeholder expectations and technologies continue to rapidly evolve.

John Rife

Founder East End Market, Board member Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation

Eltavious Johnson

President Student Government Association at Rollins College

Jo Newell

Founder/CEO, Monday Strategies