Col. Nicole Malachowski Keynote Speaker

First Woman Thunderbird Pilot
Combat Veteran, Fighter Squadron Commander
White House Fellow & Adviser

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Col. Nicole Malachowski's Biography

Col. Nicole Malachowski, USAF (Ret.), defies expectations. As the first woman pilot to join the Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron, a combat veteran, and a White House Fellow, her 21-year Air Force career was filled with groundbreaking achievements. She has been inducted into both the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame and even has a Star Trek starship named in her honor. Nicole’s life took an unexpected turn when a tick-borne illness left her unable to walk or speak for nearly nine months, but her resilience and determination helped her overcome the odds. Today, she inspires audiences as a keynote speaker with stories from her military career and personal journey, urging people to rise above resilience and embrace resurgence.

Nicole’s path to becoming a pilot began early. At 16, she took her first solo flight, and her passion for aviation never wavered. She graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1996 and was one of the first women selected to fly modern fighter aircraft. Over her career, she flew more than 2,300 hours in six Air Force aircraft, including 188 combat hours, and led the first fighter formation to provide security for Iraq’s 2005 democratic elections. As Thunderbird #3, she made history as the first woman to fly with any Department of Defense military jet demonstration squadron.

Nicole also held prestigious positions on the ground, including as a White House Fellow and Executive Director of the White House’s Joining Forces initiative, advising Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden on issues affecting service members, veterans, and military families. She served in high-level roles at the Pentagon and commanded the 333rd Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson AFB, leading F-15E instructors and managing over $1.1 billion in resources.

Nicole earned a Master of Arts, with honors, in National Security Policy from American Military University, and a second Master of Arts, with highest distinction, in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. While at the Naval War College, she became the first Air Force officer in history to receive the Admiral Stephen B. Luce Award as the class honor graduate. Recognized for her ongoing contributions to community service, Nicole continues to raise awareness about tick-borne illnesses as she recovers from her own neurological condition. She serves on the Board of Directors at the LivLyme Foundation and is a Patient Advisory Board Member at The Dean Center for Tick Borne Illness. In November 2020, Nicole was named one of the “Mighty 25” by We Are The Mighty for her dedicated advocacy on veterans’ health, an honor given to changemakers in the veteran, active duty, and military family communities.

HARNESSING HEADWINDS – SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATING CHANGE & ADVERSITY

Leaders across every industry and experience level share one thing in common: To be successful they need to effectively navigate failure, organizational change, and the unknown. Like headwinds to a pilot, these perceived barriers can force you to change direction, cost you momentum, and even take away options. These headwinds can feel confusing, disorienting, and downright uncomfortable. In this talk, Nicole Malachowski uses the aviation-based idea of headwinds as a metaphor to show how with the right mindset, individuals and teams can learn to harness the energy of these headwinds in their advantage.

PUSHING THE ENVELOPE – BEING THE BEST WHEN IT COUNTS

To be successful, leaders from every industry and experience level need to effectively navigate moments of self-doubt, master the role of a trustworthy team player, and embrace moments of personal and professional vulnerability. Using the idea of an aircraft performance envelope as a metaphor, this elite fighter pilot and military leader will share inspiring personal stories and practical tools to ignite individuals and teams to reach beyond commonly-assumed limitations to achieve their maximum capabilities and impact.

BREAKING BARRIERS – CONQUERING SELF-DOUBT AND CULTURAL PARADIGMS

Everyone faces barriers, both personal and professional, that may appear to place limits on what’s possible. When people pursue only what is expected, accept cultural norms that hold them back, and view barriers that appear unsurmountable, their personal and professional lives become limited—scripted. A powerful trailblazer herself, Nicole Malachowski reminds audiences to not let others draw their boundaries, and to break tradition with grace and purpose. She inspires people to see obstacles and challenges as opportunities to grow—a chance to reach new levels of personal and professional excellence.

CONQUERING FOG AND FRICTION – LEADING THROUGH TIMES OF CRISIS

“No war plan survives first contact with the enemy” is a truism. In the military, leaders must acknowledge and address the fog (things we can’t see, know, or predict) and friction (the forces which impede progress) of war. In such times, effective leadership is more crucial than ever. Using the challenges and uncertainties of combat as a metaphor for organizational challenges, Nicole Malachowski stresses perspective, priorities and positive leadership as she provides tools for leaders to use in times of crisis—or anytime—to keep their organizations successfully moving forward.

THE MACH 2 MINDSET – DECISION-MAKING IN A HIGH-SPEED ENVIRONMENT

One popular pilot saying is “speed is life,” because without enough speed, an airplane is nothing more than an expensive rock. In the business world, especially when technology is involved, speed can be just as crucial. The organization that moves the fastest often realizes the most success. Having flown a high-tech fighter aircraft that can reach speeds of up to twice the speed of sound, Nicole Malachowski offers principles that keep any organization functioning smoothly, efficiently, and at high speed, even when chaos and the unexpected occur.

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Comments & Testimonials

Nicole was fantastic. We've received nothing but positive feedback from all attendees, both internal and external. Many expressed interest in hiring her again for other events. Several people approached me and said “I needed to hear that message” today. She was absolutely phenomenal, and she did a great job tailoring the conversation to the audience in the room.

Vice President / Wells Fargo

Nicole was absolutely incredible and truly set the bar for the rest of our conference. I lost count of the number of attendees who told me she was by far the best keynote they have ever heard from. I have no idea how we are going to top her next year.

Event Director / Private Risk Management

It was beyond anything we could've asked for. It's like she had been on our planning committee for the past 6+ months.

Campaign Strategist / Reynolds, Smith & Hills

We were mesmerized and deeply moved as you shared your inspiring personal experiences to lift all of us. Thank you for being a real person and for creating a moment that our team and customers will never forget.

Director of Sales / Optima Health

Nicole has a multi-faceted story of overcoming adversity to achieve peak performance and she has adapted to tell that story in a compelling way during this time of virtual leadership meetings. Her messages about overcoming unexpected turbulence and harnessing headwinds were especially powerful for our leaders as we’ve shifted to serve customers and support our teams differently during a time of crisis. Nicole is a high flyer, brings great energy and would be a smart addition to any program.

Cox Communications