Professor Rory Cormac
Unveil the power of covert strategy with Professor Rory Cormac, intelligence expert trusted by 10 Downing Street and the Pentagon.
Why book Professor Rory Cormac for your next event
- Professor Rory Cormac has delivered high-level briefings and keynotes at 10 Downing Street, the Pentagon, the State Department, and other leading government institutions, demonstrating a proven ability to translate elite intelligence knowledge into actionable insights for the most critical decision-makers.
- With five influential books on secret intelligence and international security, including How to Stage a Coup and Disrupt and Deny, Rory brings unparalleled subject matter authority and original thought leadership to every keynote, offering audiences fresh perspectives grounded in rigorous research.
- Rory’s expert commentary is featured across BBC, Channel 4, and leading global media outlets. His ability to communicate complex issues with clarity and relevance makes him a powerful and compelling speaker for audiences seeking to understand today’s covert geopolitical dynamics.
Non-binding request for Professor Rory Cormac
Inside the World of Secret Intelligence
Step inside the hidden world of espionage with one of the UK’s foremost experts on covert operations. Professor Rory Cormac, author, broadcaster, and trusted advisor to 10 Downing Street and the Pentagon, reveals how secret intelligence shapes global power. His captivating keynotes equip leaders with unique strategic insights to navigate risk, influence decision-making, and anticipate disruption in an increasingly unpredictable world. A must-have voice for organizations seeking clarity in complexity.
Keynote Speaker Professor Rory Cormac is one of the UK’s leading experts on secret intelligence, covert operations, and international security. As a professor of international relations and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he has dedicated his career to uncovering how states use covert tools, like espionage, disinformation, and sabotage, to influence global events and outmaneuver adversaries behind the scenes.
Professor Cormac is the acclaimed author of five authoritative books, including How to Stage a Coup and Disrupt and Deny, which reveal how governments deploy “secret statecraft” to shape foreign policy. His work has been featured by the BBC, Channel 4, and major publications worldwide. Trusted by top institutions, he has delivered expert insights at 10 Downing Street, the Pentagon, the State Department, and corporate forums across the globe.
Booking Professor Rory Cormac for your event means giving your audience exclusive access to the hidden strategies shaping today’s geopolitical and corporate environments. His keynotes are both eye-opening and deeply relevant, especially for organizations navigating uncertainty, crisis, and global risk.
Whether you’re hosting a leadership summit, corporate retreat, or strategic forum, book Professor Rory Cormac for your event to empower your audience with rare insight into the intelligence world and practical tools to lead with clarity in a complex landscape. He’s a keynote speaker who truly delivers substance, strategy, and story.
Keynotes
Keynote by Professor Rory Cormac:
Trends in espionage and likely consequences for business and governments
Are you overlooking the invisible threats shaping your organization's future?
In today’s volatile geopolitical climate, espionage is no longer limited to spies and secret missions, it’s infiltrating boardrooms, supply chains, and digital infrastructures. Governments and businesses alike face unprecedented risks from covert influence campaigns, disinformation, and cyber-espionage. Yet many leaders remain unprepared for these complex, hidden dynamics.
Keynote Speaker Professor Rory Cormac delivers eye-opening insights into the evolving landscape of espionage and its far-reaching consequences. Drawing on decades of research, bestselling books, and briefings at the highest levels of government, he equips audiences with a deeper understanding of the covert tactics reshaping global power and what they mean for organizational strategy.
Book Professor Rory Cormac for your event to gain a competitive edge through intelligence-informed thinking. His keynote offers practical tools to detect, understand, and adapt to the new threats redefining business and security in the 21st century.
Keynote by Professor Rory Cormac:
Espionage, the secret state and the AI revolution
How do you protect your organization when threats are invisible, AI-driven, and state-backed?
As artificial intelligence accelerates, so too does the sophistication of espionage and covert influence. Today, the fusion of AI and secret statecraft creates an urgent, complex threat landscape, where disinformation, surveillance, and digital sabotage can undermine even the most secure institutions. For leaders in business and government, understanding these trends is no longer optional, it’s essential.
Keynote Speaker Professor Rory Cormac, renowned expert on intelligence, covert operations, and international security, delivers powerful, accessible insights into how AI is transforming the world of espionage. With experience briefing the Pentagon and 10 Downing Street, his keynotes decode the unseen strategies shaping tomorrow’s crises.
Book Professor Rory Cormac for your event to prepare your organization for the next wave of invisible threats, arming your leadership with strategic awareness, actionable foresight, and a competitive advantage in the age of AI-fueled secrecy.
Keynote by Professor Rory Cormac:
How to thrive in the space between peace and war known as the Grey Zone
Is your organization equipped to operate in the unpredictable space between peace and war?
Welcome to the Grey Zone, where traditional rules don’t apply, and threats come not from open conflict but from covert influence, cyber attacks, disinformation, and economic coercion. In this murky terrain, businesses and governments must navigate strategic ambiguity without clear enemies or defined battle lines.
Keynote Speaker Professor Rory Cormac is a leading authority on Grey Zone warfare, secret intelligence, and covert statecraft. Drawing from decades of research, high-level advisory roles, and acclaimed publications, he helps organizations understand and anticipate the hidden forces shaping this volatile space.
Book Professor Rory Cormac for your event to equip your leadership with the insights and tools needed to thrive in the Grey Zone. His keynote offers practical strategies for resilience, adaptability, and strategic advantage, empowering your team to lead with confidence in the world’s most uncertain domain.
Keynote by Professor Rory Cormac:
How to manage the threat of Russian and Chinese covert political and economic warfare
Are you prepared for the covert warfare tactics reshaping global business and politics?
Russia and China are no longer relying solely on tanks or trade, they’re waging silent campaigns of political manipulation, economic coercion, cyber-espionage, and disinformation. These invisible threats infiltrate institutions, distort markets, and challenge democratic systems, leaving many organizations exposed and unprepared.
Keynote Speaker Professor Rory Cormac is a leading expert on secret intelligence and international security, with deep knowledge of Russian and Chinese covert strategies. Drawing on high-level research, bestselling books, and briefings to senior government leaders, he reveals how these powers operate and how businesses and governments can respond.
Book Professor Rory Cormac for your event to gain actionable insight into the tools, tactics, and long-term risks of modern-day covert warfare. His keynotes empower audiences to detect hidden influence, strengthen resilience, and lead confidently in the face of 21st-century geopolitical disruption.
Keynote by Professor Rory Cormac :
How to build resilience to subversion and sabotage
How can your organization stay strong when targeted by subversion and sabotage?
In today’s volatile geopolitical climate, threats rarely come through the front door. Instead, they emerge from covert operations, disinformation, internal disruption, economic pressure, and cyber sabotage, all designed to weaken resilience from within. Most organizations aren’t prepared to recognize, let alone counter, these invisible threats.
Keynote Speaker Professor Rory Cormac, one of the world’s leading experts on covert operations and strategic subversion, helps leaders understand how modern adversaries operate below the threshold of open conflict. Drawing on years of research, government briefings, and bestselling books, he equips organizations with the tools to detect, deflect, and deter subversive tactics before they cause real damage.
Book Professor Rory Cormac for your event to arm your leadership with the foresight and strategies needed to stay resilient under pressure and secure your organization’s future in an age of hidden warfare.
Keynote by Professor Rory Cormac:
The role of industry in “whole of society” approach to deter Russian and / or Chinese aggression
Are you aware of your industry's role in countering state-led aggression?
In today’s “whole of society” approach to national security, private sector organizations are no longer bystanders. Russian and Chinese aggression now targets supply chains, digital infrastructure, and economic stability, making industry a critical frontline actor. Yet many leaders lack the intelligence awareness and strategic insight needed to respond effectively.
Keynote Speaker Professor Rory Cormac, renowned expert in covert operations and international security, delivers high-impact keynotes that clarify the role of industry in deterring state-backed threats. With experience advising top government institutions and researching modern statecraft, he empowers business leaders with the knowledge to spot, understand, and withstand hostile influence.
Book Professor Rory Cormac for your event to prepare your organization to act confidently and strategically within a broader national security context. His keynote transforms complexity into clarity, giving your team the tools to lead with resilience and responsibility.
Keynote by Professor Rory Cormac:
How to manage messaging in a crowded information ecosystem
Is your message being drowned out, or worse, manipulated, in today’s chaotic information landscape?
In a world flooded with noise, misinformation, and deliberate disinformation campaigns, organizations struggle to control their narrative and maintain trust. Competing voices, hidden agendas, and covert influence operations create an environment where clarity, credibility, and consistency are more vital—and more difficult, than ever.
Keynote Speaker Professor Rory Cormac is a leading authority on strategic deception, influence operations, and information warfare. Drawing from years of research and experience advising governments, he helps organizations understand how hostile actors exploit the information space and how to build effective, resilient messaging in response.
Book Professor Rory Cormac for your event to equip your team with strategic tools to manage messaging, navigate complexity, and counter narrative manipulation. His keynote offers powerful insight into protecting your voice and your values, in a weaponized information age.
Keynote by Professor Rory Cormac:
The costs and opportunities of covert economic operations
Do you understand how covert economic operations are impacting your industry, right now?
State-led economic sabotage, strategic investments, and hidden influence campaigns are reshaping global markets in ways most businesses can’t see coming. These covert economic operations create both serious risks and untapped opportunities, but without the right insight, organizations risk being blindsided or exploited.
Keynote Speaker Professor Rory Cormac is a globally recognized expert on secret statecraft and covert influence. With deep knowledge of how economic tools are weaponized by states like Russia and China, he helps business leaders decode the strategies at play behind seemingly ordinary market movements.
Book Professor Rory Cormac for your event to gain exclusive access to the hidden dynamics driving economic disruption and influence. His keynote offers actionable strategies to navigate, counter, and capitalize on covert operations, giving your organization a strategic advantage in a complex, competitive world.
Rory Cormac on BBC News - Has Russia Been Spying?
Watch Professor Rory Cormac in action!
