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Rupal Patel

The former CIA analyst and agent turned entrepreneur, speaker and author helps leaders and teams think bigger, lead better and be bolder

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Rupal Patel’s high-octane career has taken her from the CIA and military briefing rooms in jungles and war zones, to being an inspiring speaker in corporate boardrooms and international stages.

Such is her influence and impact that she has been invited to speak at The White House.

Her key mission today is to use her remarkable experience to help leaders and organisations unlock their potential and excellence.

Her story is captured in the international best-seller From CIA to CEO: Unconventional Life Lessons for Thinking Bigger, Leading Better, and Being Bolder.

During her thrilling career as an intelligence analyst and field agent at the CIA, she advised Four-Star Generals, earned War Zone Service Medals and was recognised by the CIA director for “superior support to the President of the United States”.

This role required physical and mental strength, as well as the resilience to overcome any obstacle.

After leaving the CIA, she earned her MBA and started her first award-winning business over a decade ago. Called a ‘Power Woman’ by Harper’s Bazaar Magazine and a ‘super-strategist’ by her clients, Rupal is a sought-after international speaker and corporate advisor who has spoken in front of thousands and worked with Fortune 500 companies around the globe and The White House.

Her trailblazing work has been incorporated into the MBA and Executive MBA programs at elite business schools across the US and UK where she serves as visiting faculty, and has been featured in USA Today, Business Insider, and other prominent media outlets. In 2023, Rupal was named “One of the Most Influential Women of the Year.” and has recently been awarded the Changemaker award by SUCCESS Magazine for her “relentless passion and innovative spirits” in creating “meaningful social, environmental and economic impact worldwide.”

Her commitment to developing the next generation of leaders and change-makers extends into her pro bono work for Virgin Startup, and through her roles as Entrepreneur in Residence at London Business School and Alumni in Residence at the University of Chicago.

Her book From CIA to CEOprovides a powerful toolkit for living and leading that reveals how the techniques of the CIA can help anyone thrive in the world of business and unleash personal excellence without conforming to stale stereotypes or dated “best practice”.

Her captivating speaking engagements are tailored to meet the needs of each audience – a skill honed at the CIA where she briefed everyone from ground force “grunts” to high-level dignitaries, and expanded through her work with executives and founders across the globe.

Her talks focus on topics such as:

identity-driven leadership
personal and professional resilience
performance under pressure
tenacity and adaptability
growth mindset

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj1fkYGs33M&t=15s

"Rupal ran a session with us on responding to challenge and building inner strength. She was absolutely fantastic! Ekimetrics is an internationally-based company made up predominantly of data scientists and analytical thinkers and Rupal really took that into account for our session, offering practical and logical tools & solutions that our teams could relate to and incorporate into their own lives. She really took our brief for the session onboard and created something that fit perfectly with not only what we were aiming to achieve, but also to who Ekimetrics are as people. Rupal’s session was dynamic, engaging and, above all, full of thought provoking guidance."

Katherine Baylis, Ekimetrics

"We had the pleasure of having Rupal join us at ZX Venutures for a workshop on 'finding your voice' surrounding International Women's Day. The inspiring and relatable conversation addressed a major challenge many of us face at different points in our lives - being our authentic selves. The level of depth, life experience and insight that Rupal brought to the conversation left our team with much to reflect on as we manage our lives and careers. Thank you for an engaging and memorable session."

Jackie Senner, Global VP, ZX Ventures

Book launch for Rupal Patel’s ‘From CIA to CEO’ at FOLD London. Photos by Millie Turner

From CIA to CEO

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