"Kennedy doesn't ignore the elephant in the room; to the contrary, he looks it straight in the eye" John King – CNN “bold and smart” Fred Barnes of FOX News

The Honorable Mark Kennedy leads George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM), the world's first and foremost school of applied politics. GSPM's premier position and global partnerships ideally position it to make democracy work!

Kennedy equips leaders to succeed by sharing insights that fuse the perspectives he has gained from:

Academics – head of the world's first and foremost school of applied politics; instructor at leading business schools around the world
Politics – United States Congressman from 2001 to 2007, and presidentially appointed trade advisor to both President Bush and President Obama
Business – Fortune 100 senior executive (Macy’s), and more
Global Engagement – three decades of extensive speaking and involvement with foreign business leaders and government ministers across 40 countries

The Hon. Mark Kennedy has acquired a unique combination of perspectives from his experiences leading in C-suites, serving in the halls of Congress, and traveling across the world to engage business, political, and civic leaders in nearly 40 countries. In his speeches and lectures, Kennedy shares insights taken from his broad experiences that overturn conventional business wisdom.

Professor Kennedy leads George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management. Previously, Kennedy led as a Senior Vice President and Treasurer of a Fortune 100 company (Macy’s); helped Pillsbury acquire Häagen Dazs and spread it around the globe; served three terms in the U.S. Congress (2001–7); and then returned to the private sector in a global role with Accenture (a leading consulting firm) while continuing public service as a presidential appointee to the Advisory Committee on Trade Policy (under both President Bush and President Obama).

Kennedy has lectured or led research projects at the University of Pennsylvania / Wharton, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, NYU, Maryland, Minnesota, London Business School, HEC-Paris, Mannheim, National University of Singapore and Fundação Getulio Vargas (São Paulo).

Kennedy also serves as Chairman of the Economic Club of Minnesota (www.ecomn.org).

Kennedy has a record of effective collaboration. While a Republican Congressman, he partnered with twenty Democrats to introduce and lead several pieces of legislation; more than half of the Democrats in the U.S. House co-sponsored one of his bills.

A graduate of St. John's University, Kennedy received a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) with distinction from the The University of Michigan.

Mark and Debbie, his wife of 33 years, are the proud parents of four successful young adult children. When they are not traveling, they split their time between Washington, DC and Minnesota.