- Houston, TX
Terry Virts Keynote Speaker
- Former Commander of the International Space Station
- Film Director, Photographer, Author
- Keynote Speaker
Terry Virts's Biography
Colonel Terry Virts (ret) served in the United States Air Force as a fighter pilot, test pilot and NASA astronaut. He is a former Commander of the International Space Station. On February 8 2010, he made his first spaceflight as pilot of the Space Shuttle Endeavour during mission STS-130. His next launch was the Russian Soyuz TMA-15M on November 23 2014. The following year, in March, he assumed command of the International Space Station (ISS) as Commander of Expedition 43.
Terry travels the world, inspiring his audiences from his stories in space to his insights into life on earth. Terry brings his unique perspective to businesses around the world, touching upon diverse topics including: the environment ent; global wealth; intercultural leadership; crisis and risk management; innovation; strategy and vision; and decision making.
He recently directed his first film, “One More Orbit” that was about his Guinness World Record-breaking mission in July 2019, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. His book, “The Art of Space Travel” is due to be published in September 2020. He has also authored “Apo11o: To the Moon and Back”; a collector’s edition reproduction of the original flight plan Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Mike Collins and the mission control team in Houston used to plan and execute man’s first mission to land on the moon. Terry is also involved in several television and film projects. And serves on corporate boards, promotes public policy and pursues photography. While in space, he took over 300,000 photographs of planet Earth, which then became an integral part of the IMAX film, “A Beautiful Planet”. His photography has been featured in his National Geographic book, “View from Above”.
He is one of the only four astronauts to have piloted a Space Shuttle, flown a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, performed space walks and commanded the ISS. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Harvard Business School.
Terry has performed National Geographic Live talks, delivered keynote addresses to corporate and non-profit entities worldwide. He impacts his audiences with his wit, fascinating stories from his time up in sapce, breathtaking images and his wisdom about life on Earth.
Terry Virts's Speaking Topics
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View From Above
Terry shares amazing photos and videos and hilarious stories from his seven months in orbit in an engaging talk that’s always a hit.
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Building World-Class Teams
As a former F-16 and ISS commander, Terry discusses how to recruit, train, inspire, debrief, and grow your high-functioning team.
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Leading Organizations Through Change
Terry explains how NASA changed its culture after the Columbia shuttle accident, and transitioned to the new commercial space economy.
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Case Study: Why Organizations Fail
As a rookie astronaut Terry was assigned as a ground support astronaut on the STS-107 mission that ended with the crew of Columbia’s demise. He explains how NASA’s leadership failed so profoundly during both Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2003), and how your organization can avoid the same tragic pitfalls.
Why Book Terry Virts as a speaker?
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He is one of the few people in history to have experienced leadership from both Earth and orbit, bringing extraordinary insights from commanding the International Space Station and operating in some of the most demanding environments imaginable.
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He translates lessons from space exploration, aviation and high-performance teams into practical strategies for leadership, decision-making and collaboration in complex, high-stakes environments.
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He combines the perspective of a fighter pilot, test pilot, astronaut and space station commander, offering audiences a unique understanding of risk, resilience and performance under pressure.
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Having viewed Earth from space for more than six months, he brings a powerful perspective on global interconnectedness, innovation and the challenges and opportunities facing humanity.
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His keynotes help leaders build stronger teams, navigate uncertainty, think strategically and develop the mindset required to succeed when the stakes are highest.
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