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Top rated!Jack Barsky turns a life of espionage and reinvention into powerful lessons on strategy, resilience, leadership, and the choices that shape us.
5 of 5
“Jack’s testimony of transformation from atheist KGB spy to follower of Jesus was deeply moving. He engaged our congregation across four sessions and was a pleasure to work with.”
Reggie Neeposh
Pastor, New Life Church, Quebec
Jack Barsky offers keynote experiences that stay with audiences long after the event ends. As a former deep-cover KGB agent who built a new life as a corporate leader, bestselling author, and widely recognized speaker, he blends suspenseful storytelling with actionable insight. His journey, from covert operations to boardroom leadership to personal redemption, delivers a rare mix of intrigue, wisdom, and humanity. With major features on CBS 60 Minutes and appearances on leading global podcasts, Jack shares lessons on strategy, resilience, and the power of choice with clarity and emotional impact. His talks challenge assumptions, inspire courage, and show how transformation is possible at any stage of life.
Jack Barsky’s story is unlike anything most audiences will ever encounter. Born and raised in East Germany, he was recruited by the KGB and trained to become a deep-cover agent sent to the United States. For a decade, he lived under a stolen identity, operating within one of the most complex intelligence networks of the Cold War. His experience offers a firsthand look into the mindset, discipline, and strategic systems behind international espionage.
Yet the element that sets Jack apart is not only the mission he carried out, but the radical shift that followed. Instead of returning to the Soviet Union when ordered, he chose a different path, one rooted in love, responsibility, and the recognition that some decisions change the course of an entire life. This turning point laid the foundation for the powerful message he brings to audiences today.
After leaving espionage behind, Jack started over in a world where he had no résumé, no connections, and no real identity. Through determination and relentless learning, he built a successful corporate career, eventually becoming a respected technology executive.
Jack draws on both chapters of his life, covert operations and corporate leadership, to illuminate high-performance principles that apply to any organization. He speaks about understanding strategy at a deep level, assessing risk, earning trust, and navigating environments where pressure shapes every choice. His experiences reveal how discipline, long-term thinking, and emotional control can become tools for personal and professional advancement.
He also speaks candidly about the challenges of reinvention: how to rebuild from nothing, how to make decisions with integrity, and how to face the consequences of past actions while choosing a better future.
Jack’s talks weave espionage tension with deeply human moments. He shares what it felt like to live a double life, the psychological toll of secrecy, and the surprising truths about human behavior learned through years of deception and analysis.
Audiences discover how resilience is built not in comfort but under strain, and how personal values become anchors in moments of uncertainty. Jack explores the idea that courage is often quiet, not dramatic and grounded in everyday choices.
These lessons resonate across industries. Corporate teams gain insight into decision-making under pressure. Educators and students learn how identity can evolve through purposeful action. Faith-based groups connect with Jack’s journey of redemption, forgiveness, and transformation.
Jack Barsky’s keynote sessions are known for being gripping, entertaining, and unexpectedly emotional. His story has led to features on CBS 60 Minutes and interviews on major cable networks, as well as over 100 widely followed podcasts, including conversations with Lex Fridman and Jordan Peterson. These appearances reflect the depth and relevance of his message.
At events, he brings that same depth directly to the room. Audiences are pulled into real-life intelligence operations, placed at the center of critical choices, and guided through the personal turning points that reshaped his future. His storytelling builds momentum, suspense, and insight in equal measure, making each talk both an education and an experience.
Organizations book Jack Barsky because he offers something rare: a fusion of real espionage, hard-earned leadership wisdom, and genuine human transformation. His message fits conferences, corporate events, universities, and faith-driven gatherings.
Event planners value his authenticity, his ability to connect across age and background, and his talent for making complex ideas accessible. Whether speaking about strategy, resilience, integrity, or reinvention, Jack leaves audiences with practical takeaways and a renewed sense of what is possible when courage and choice align.
5 of 5
“Jack’s testimony of transformation from atheist KGB spy to follower of Jesus was deeply moving. He engaged our congregation across four sessions and was a pleasure to work with.”
Reggie Neeposh Pastor, New Life Church, Quebec
5 of 5
“Tremendous experience — Jack’s unique experiences and Christian testimony were a highlight of our event. Highly recommended.”
Lucas Aufenkamp North Dakota Assemblies of God
5 of 5
“Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating!”
Ashley Gunter Partner Gunter Group
5 of 5
‘Our entire team of 400 associates thoroughly enjoyed Jack’s emotion-laden tale about the role of love in the life of a ‘hardcore’ spy. Many lined up after the presentation for the opportunity to personally meet Jack.”
Bill Yeargin CEO of Correct Craft
5 of 5
“Our audience overwhelmingly found Jack to be interesting, entertaining, engaging and an excellent presenter."
James Weston Bureau of Diplomatic Security – U.S. Department of State
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“Our audience gave Jack's Applied Spychology presentation the highest marks and recommend it to others. They loved hearing about his insight and experience and felt that he had a fascinating story.”
Beth Anne Demeter Event Manager, MENSA Annual Gathering
5 of 5
“Jack Barsky has a spellbinding story and delivers it with both intelligence and a disarming candor. It combines the intrigue of international espionage, politics, corporate America, and the intimacy of a real man living his secret life as an executive, husband and father. I have heard him speak to both college students, university professors and top executives. At each event you could have ‘heard a pin drop’ as everyone was riveted by a fascinating story"!
Allen Morris President and CEO of the Allen Morris Company, Miami
5 of 5
“Jack’s presentation was riveting from the very start. He unapologetically delights the audience by taking and transporting us to the heartbreaking, humble beginnings of his life in Germany, the curious and secretive world of his Russian espionage days, and the inevitably decisive moment that changed his life forever. His story compels and inspires. The audience gasps and animatedly responds to the remarkable journey. A must-see session and a must-meet gentleman, Jack will have you in laughter and tears, all in just one hour.”
Miri Rodrigues Microsoft Storyteller, Head of Global Internship Program
Keynote by Jack Barsky:
This keynote dives deep into Jack’s remarkable life story, first brought to wide attention through his feature on 60 Minutes. He expands far beyond the televised summary, sharing vivid details, untold moments, and the hidden realities of operating as an illegal lone-wolf sleeper agent for the KGB. Audiences get an inside look at the pressure, discipline, and constant mental calibration required to survive in total secrecy. Jack reveals what daily life looked like under a false identity, how he managed high-risk missions without support, and the personal turning points that shaped his transformation once he left espionage behind.
Keynote by Jack Barsky:
This is all about the role of love in Jack’s life, a life of exhilarating highs and devastating lows. The story peaks with the most dramatic moment in Jack’s life when he disobeyed KGB orders at the risk of his freedom and life, just to be with his baby daughter who made him experience the power of unconditional love. After some more ups and downs the story ends with how Jack took full ownership of his love and made that the foundation of his very existence, regardless circumstances and regardless of the words and deeds of others. And that is why Jack is now in a state he calls “The lightness of being”. The end of the story is not a happy one in the traditional sense, it is highly emotional and deeply motivational. This talk can also be marketed under the title “An Undercover Love Story”
Keynote by Jack Barsky:
In this motivational keynote, Jack reveals how the very skills that once made him an effective deep-cover operative became the foundation of a highly successful corporate career. He breaks down the mindset, habits, and finely tuned abilities he developed as a spy, observation, strategic thinking, emotional control, adaptability and shows how each one can be applied in everyday professional life. Jack illustrates how these “spy skills” helped him navigate leadership roles, build trust, manage complex situations, and make sound decisions under pressure. The heart of the message is simple and powerful: Jack is sharing with audiences the superpower of spy skills, offering practical takeaways that anyone can use to elevate performance, strengthen resilience, and approach challenges with greater clarity and confidence.
Keynote by Jack Barsky:
In part ONE Jack destroys the legendary reputation of the ‘Mighty KGB’ with examples from his own experience. In part TWO he plays a game with the audience called ‘What is wrong here and why’.’ He shows a dozen clips from famous spy movies and TV shows and asks the audience to guess how real-life top-notch spies would never act in such a way in the particular scenes.
Keynote by Jack Barsky:
This presentation starts with a brief history of the Soviet Union and the KGB It then goes on to how Jack was recruited, trained and deployed. This is followed by some tidbits about what it was like for him to operate as a deep cover illegal sleeper in the U.S. Optionally, there is also a section about modern Russia, Vladimir Putin and the Ukraine war. Depending on the audience, Jack can also add a segment on cyber security with a focus on the insider threat.
Watch Jack Barsky in action!
