Show Notes
After 25 years working for the CIA, the Honorable Sue Gordon has served the United States across administrations. She joins Dr. Kathleen McInnis and Lauren Bedula, the Managing Director at Beacon Global Strategies, for a conversation on how she balanced it all as a mother of two—plus, she’ll get into her time in the CIA during the 2012 Benghazi attacks – where the realization came that secrets just aren’t what they used to be.
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Mishal Husain is known as one of Britain’s best interviewers who commands the attention of powerhouse figures. SWSP guest host, Emily Harding, sat down with Mishal to unpack her approach to high-stakes interviews and to explore major geopolitical trends that have emerged in 2025, from artificial intelligence to the shift in global leadership.
Dr. Peggy Whitson holds the record for the longest cumulative time in space by an American astronaut and any woman astronaut in the world. In this episode, guest host Emily Harding, Vice President of the CSIS Defense and Security Department, sits down with Dr. Whitson, Vice President of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space and former NASA astronaut, about health breakthroughs in space, the future of human spaceflight, and her record-setting journey in low orbit.
Dr. Kathleen McInnis joins Nina Easton, Co-CEO of SellersEaston Media and Co-Founder of Journey to Lead, for a thoughtful discussion reflecting on her time leading SWSP and shaping a research agenda that explores how the United States can apply fresh perspectives to its most pressing security challenges — from strategic competition with China to Russia’s war in Ukraine. We hope you'll stay tuned as we continue to bring you powerful, in-depth conversations with women leaders from around the globe.
When Jennifer Ewbank was chosen to lead the CIA’s digital innovation team, she quickly made the strategic decision to center its digital mission around countering China’s comprehensive national digital strategy — a threat widely underestimated at the time within the U.S. government. On this episode, Host Kathleen McInnis digs into the “why” of this story and dives in deeper on Jennifer’s career in the CIA and State Department.
Iceland has no standing military—so how did Brynja Huld Óskarsdóttir, an Icelandic civilian, find herself working for NATO in Afghanistan and now holding a key role at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly? Host Kathleen McInnis sits down with Brynja to explore her unique journey and meaningful contributions to the Alliance.