Chris Voss is a globally recognized negotiation expert, speaker, and author whose expertise is rooted in a distinguished 24-year career in the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit. He served as the FBI's chief international hostage and kidnapping negotiator, having worked on over 150 high-stakes international cases. His career, which began with counter-terrorism and complex investigations, established him as a master of high-pressure influence and communication.
Voss’s most high-profile roles included being the lead negotiator on critical cases, such as the Jill Carroll case in Iraq and the Steve Centanni case in the Gaza Strip. Following his retirement from the FBI in 2007, he founded The Black Swan Group, a leading consultancy and training firm that translates his crisis negotiation tactics into actionable business strategies for individuals and organizations. This proven methodology is designed to help anyone negotiate as if their life depended on it.
His international bestselling book, Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It, co-authored with Tahl Raz, has sold over one million copies and has been translated into more than 30 languages. He also created and narrates a widely popular Master Class on negotiation. This massive success underscores the widespread relevance of his unique, counter-intuitive negotiation techniques.
As a highly sought-after speaker, Voss shares his expertise with organizations worldwide. He is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a regular commentator on major news networks, including CNBC and CNN. His presentations offer engaging, thought-provoking insights on influence, emotional intelligence, and tactical empathy, providing audiences with the psychological edge necessary to achieve their most critical business and personal goals.
