Katty Kay
Why Book Katty Kay
Washington-based Katty Kay is an award-winning journalist with a unique perspective on American politics and global affairs that comes from having lived and worked as a journalist all over the world. Currently U.S. special correspondent for BBC Studios, Katty creates and hosts TV documentaries from both the U.S. and Europe. In her Influential series, Katty interviews some of the most powerful and change-making icons in culture, business, and science. In the streaming world, Katty co-hosts the popular podcast The Rest is Politics US with Anthony Scaramucci and her own limited-run podcast Doing it Anyway which looks at how confidence is built, why it matters, and what prevents people from acting on their ambitions. She is also co-author, with Claire Shipman, of six books on issues affecting women at work and adolescent girls, four of which are New York Times’ bestsellers: Womenomics, The Confidence Code, The Confidence Code for Girls, Living the Confidence Code, The Confidence Code for Girls Journal, and The Power Code. Katty is an engaging keynote speaker on a wide range of topics as well as a brilliant moderator, interviewer, and event host.
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Throughout her career as an anchor and reporter, Katty has covered many of the most consequential news stories of our time: Presidential elections, financial collapse, economic swings, the pandemic, global conflict, the emerging new world order, technological change, and much more. Through it all, Katty looked at these developments from a refreshing and different angle – owing to her international background. She always gives her audience of global viewers an understanding that goes beyond merely explaining the facts.
Helping women turn thoughts into action and master a more confident mindset is one of Katty’s passions. She is co-author of six books with Claire Shipman, including four New York Times bestsellers – two were #1. Their first two bestsellers focused on women, success, and work. Womenomics examined the workplace revolution and inspired women to take control, dream big, and discover a different way of weaving work into their lives. In the process create more profitable companies with happier and more productive employees. They followed up with The Confidence Code, which inspired women to understand that confidence – the lynchpin of success – is a choice.
After The Confidence Code was released, parents everywhere asked about confidence and girls. That led to three more books co-authored by Katty with Claire Shipman and JillEllyn Riley. The Confidence Code for Girls debuted at the #1 spot on The New York Times bestseller list. The empowering, entertaining guide gives girls the essential yet elusive code to becoming bold, brave, and fearless. The follow-up, The Confidence Code for Girls Journal, is based on their in-depth research and helps teens and tweens tackle any challenge. Living the Confidence Code also debuted at #1 on The New York Times bestseller list (Children’s Middle Grade) and is a collection of 30 true stories of real girls pursuing their passions, struggling and stumbling, but along the way figuring out how to build their own special brand of confidence.
Katty and Claire’s sixth book, The Power Code, explores the nature of women’s power – in the workplace, in politics, and at home. It reveals how a new model, one designed by and for women, can empower them to become their most powerful selves and lead fuller and more satisfying lives, and help men do the same.
On the fun side, Katty had the distinction of being immortalized in pop culture in 2018 when her name was the answer to a question on the Jeopardy game show. In the same week, she was portrayed in a skit on Saturday Night Live which satirized a moment from MSNBC’s Morning Joe program.
Katty Kay settled in Washington, DC in the mid-90s where she lives with her husband, two cats, and a dog. They have four grown children.
Speech Descriptions
Decoding DC
Leaders in Washington, DC have upended everything we know about politics and convention. Never have there been so many dramatic domestic and global policy shifts in such a short period of time. Longtime Washington-based journalist Katty Kay has covered the first and now the second Trump administrations and is well-sourced on both sides of the political aisle. She sorts through the noise to explain what you really need to pay attention to – decoding what is performance and what is really changing America and the rest of the world. It has never been more important for business leaders to get an authoritative, objective take on events in Washington. After years living and reporting around the globe, Katty marries her insider access with an outsider’s perspective, bringing a truly global perspective to American politics.
A World in Flux
Veteran journalist Katty Kay brings a uniquely personal global perspective shaped by growing up in the Middle East and decades of reporting from Washington, Tokyo, London, and international hotspots. In her talk, Katty cuts straight to the forces redefining world affairs: rising geopolitical tensions, shifting power centers, and the strains facing Western democracies. Drawing on frontline reporting and conversations with global leaders, Katty explains how conflict, economic volatility, and misinformation are reshaping alliances and public trust. She also tackles America’s evolving role – where influence is strengthening, where it’s slipping, and why the world is watching closely. With crisp analysis and vivid storytelling, Katty gives audiences a sharp, accessible roadmap to the trends that will shape the next decade – leaving them more informed, more aware, and better equipped to lead.
The Confidence Code
Confidence! With it, we can take on the world; without it, we don’t ask for raises, request that important meeting, or take risks. In the success equation, research shows that confidence is even more critical than competence. But what is confidence? Where does it come from? Are we born with it or do we acquire it? And why do women have less of it than their talents deserve? This speech can be tailored to women or girls/parents and is based on Katty’s bestselling books on the subject. Katty Kay inspires audiences with the latest scientific research and anecdotes from her own career and the many women and girls she interviewed. Katty’s experience is like that of so many women, even senior women, whose lack of confidence is what really holds them back. The good news then is that being confident is a choice. Katty’s talk inspires audiences to take action – to go outside their comfort zones, to try new hard things, to take risks, to be prepared to fail and to discover the secret to success.
Moderator, Discussion Leader, & Interviewer
As a journalist, Katty Kay regularly interviews scores of political dignitaries, business leaders, and cultural icons for her news broadcasts. She brings that talent to corporate, association, and organization events where she’s interviewed noted figures from a wide variety of backgrounds including Condoleezza Rice, Anna Wintour, Dan Levy, Michael Lewis, Cynt Marshall, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Carlo Ancelotti, Anoush Ansari and scores more. The skill, grace and humor Katty brings to in-person and virtual events as a panel moderator, discussion leader, and interviewer will get the most out of her guest/panelists and create a memorable experience for the audience.
Speaker Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Katty Kay is an award-winning journalist, U.S. Special Correspondent for BBC Studios, bestselling author, popular podcaster, and keynote speaker on U.S. politics, global affairs, women, leadership, confidence, and power. Based in Washington, DC, Katty has spent decades reporting from around the world and brings both an insider’s understanding of Washington and a distinctly global perspective to the forces shaping business, politics, and society.
Katty Kay speaks about U.S. politics, Washington and the Trump administration, global affairs, geopolitics, the changing world order, women and leadership, confidence, and power. Drawing on decades of international reporting and conversations with political, business, and cultural leaders, she helps audiences understand complex events, separate consequential developments from the noise, and see how political and global shifts may affect the world around them.
Katty also speaks about the role confidence plays in how women lead, communicate, take risks, and pursue opportunities. Drawing on her research into confidence and women in the workplace, she offers practical insights that help women recognize what may be holding them back and step more confidently into their influence and potential.
Katty’s keynote topics include Decoding DC, an authoritative, objective look at the dramatic political and policy shifts coming out of Washington and what they mean for America and the world, and A World in Flux, which examines geopolitical tensions, shifting power centers, economic volatility, misinformation, changing alliances, and America’s evolving role in the world. In The Confidence Code, Katty speaks about women, confidence, leadership, and power, drawing on the research and insights behind her bestselling books.
Katty combines decades of frontline journalism with the ability to make complicated political and global issues clear, relevant, and engaging. She has covered presidential elections, economic upheaval, global conflict, technological change, and other defining events while living and reporting around the world. For organizations trying to understand what is happening in Washington or navigate a rapidly changing global landscape, Katty brings insider access, an outsider’s perspective, crisp analysis, and compelling storytelling.
Katty is a strong fit for corporate leaders, executive audiences, associations, financial and professional services organizations, global companies, women’s leadership groups, and organizations seeking greater insight into political, economic, and geopolitical change. She speaks at conferences, annual meetings, leadership programs, corporate events, client events, executive gatherings, and association meetings, and is also an experienced moderator, interviewer, and event host.
Audiences can expect thoughtful analysis, vivid storytelling, a global perspective, and an accessible explanation of complex issues. Katty draws on decades of reporting and her experience interviewing influential leaders to help audiences understand not just what is happening, but what matters and why. Her style is engaging, informed, relatable, and grounded in real-world experience.
Yes. Katty can tailor her presentation to the audience, organization, industry, and issues most relevant to the event. Her experience covering a wide range of political, economic, global, and workplace issues allows her to connect larger trends to the interests and concerns of a specific audience.
Yes. In addition to keynote presentations, Katty is an experienced moderator, interviewer, and event host. She is particularly skilled at leading conversations and Q&A sessions that make complex subjects accessible and engaging, drawing on decades of experience interviewing political leaders, business figures, cultural icons, and other influential voices.
No. Katty Kay approaches politics as a veteran international journalist, not as a partisan commentator. Drawing on decades of reporting from Washington and around the world, she brings an objective, global perspective to U.S. politics and is well-sourced on both sides of the political aisle.
Katty helps audiences cut through the noise to understand what is really changing, why it matters, and what leaders should be watching. Her goal is to inform and provide context, not advocate for a political party or candidate, making her keynotes appropriate for audiences across the political spectrum.
Contact the D’Amelio Network to check Katty Kay’s availability, discuss your audience and event objectives, and begin the booking process:
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