Trust AAE Speakers Bureau for Booking Top Professional Speakers. Find a Keynote Speaker Today.
Trust AAE Speakers Bureau for Booking Top Professional Speakers. Find a Keynote Speaker Today.
Philip Bredesen

Philip Bredesen

Keynote Speaker: Governor of Tennessee 2003-2011; Author, "Fresh Medicine: How to Fix Reform and Build a Sustainable Health Care System"

  • Travels From:
  • Speaking Fee:
    Live Event Fee: $30,000 - $50,000
    Virtual Event Fee: $30,000 - $50,000
    More Fee Info
  • Categories:

Philip Bredesen Biography

Philip Bredesen, a Democrat, served as Tennessee's governor from 2003 until 2011.

Known for his nonpartisan approach to problem solving and careful fiscal management, Bredesen's political style proved successful and popular. In 2006, despite his state's strong Republican majority, he won re-election with more votes than any candidate for governor in Tennessee history and became the first governor in over a century to carry all 95 counties.

Among senior elected officials, Governor Bredesen has a unique depth of experience in the field of health care. As a private sector entrepreneur, he started a managed care business from his home in 1980 and grew it to an NYSE-listed company with 6000 employees before the end of the decade.

As governor, he reformed Tennessee's out-of-control Medicaid program—called TennCare—and developed several innovative approaches to assisting the uninsured. He was a leader nationally in eHealth initiatives and served as both the Policy Chair of the Democratic Governors Association and the Democratic co-chair of the National Governor's Association task force on health reform.

He is also the author of Fresh Medicine: How to Fix Reform and Build a Sustainable Health Care System (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2010). Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham said of it: "Phil Bredesen does something unique: he brings together the perspectives of a businessman, a politician and an historian to tell the story of health care in America. Told with skill and grace, Fresh Medicine explains how we got where we are, and what we have to do going forward."

Governor Bredesen is also well-respected for his successes with education. At the public school level, he established a state-wide pre-K program, presided over a successful multi-year campaign to raise academic standards and gained legislation establishing the use of objective student performance data for teacher evaluation. At the college level, he shifted funding of the state's higher education institutions to a performance-based system, mandated transfer agreements between the state's two- and four-year institutions and created a more unified and consistent community college system.

His leadership was recognized when Tennessee was chosen as one of the initial two states to win the federal Race to the Top competition. He's served as co-chair of Achieve, the organization in the forefront of the standards movement. He currently chairs Complete College America, an organization funded by major foundations—including Gates, Ford and Lumina—to begin the work of improving college graduation rates.

As governor, he also spearheaded successful economic development initiatives, . These included recruiting Volkswagen's U.S. manufacturing operations and Nissan's North American headquarters to Tennessee and obtaining multi-billion dollar investments in alternative energy. Under his leadership, Tennessee added over 200,000 new jobs, $33 billion in new investments and secured 52 new corporate headquarters.

Also a proud conservationist, Governor Bredesen was recently honored by the Nature Conservancy for the preservation of 350,000 acres of ecologically sensitive Tennessee land for future generations.

Prior to his two terms as governor, Bredesen was the Mayor of Nashville. There, he was recognized for his downtown revitalization, including recruiting the Tennessee Titans (NFL) and Nashville Predators (NHL) to the city. He rebuilt and expanded the city's library system, including an award-winning new downtown main library, doubled the acreage of the city's park system and built a large number of new public schools.

He speaks to a variety of organizations nationwide on topics as diverse as health care, conservation, education and leadership.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Philip Bredesen and other top speakers and celebrities.

Philip Bredesen Speaking Topics

Leadership

As a Democratic governor in a very red state, Governor Bredesen tackled numerous contentious issues: reform of the Medicaid system, substantial changes in both K-12 and higher education and designing and implementing the large budget cuts that were necessary during the current recession. Despite this, he remained a highly popular governor-re-elected by a landslide and exiting office with strong support from both sides of the aisle.

As a successful entrepreneur, mayor and governor, Bredesen believes that true leadership is about finding common ground and that the key to success is a command of the art of persuasion. His real world experience and examples of what works offer audiences a refreshing perspective that will also challenge them to raise the bar.

Current Issues in the Headlines

As one of the most successful two-term governors in Tennessee history, Governor Bredesen was actively involved with a broad range of issues at both the state and national level-including health care, education reform, job creation, fiscal policy, green energy and land conservation.

His broad experience and practical, down-to-earth approach to the issues of the day make him a much sought-after keynote speaker and member of panels and smaller discussion groups. His insights and experience as a highly successful change agent in both the private and public sectors, provides audiences with unique and thought-provoking discussions.

Fresh Medicine

With decades of direct experience in health care, Governor Bredesen offers audiences a commonsense and non-ideological view of our American health care system and the recent reforms. As a private-sector entrepreneur, he started an organization in the early 1980s in the managed care field and grew it to a substantial NYSE-listed company. He has been a founder of other health care businesses, including Coventry Corporation, now a Fortune 500 operator of health maintenance organizations. In the public sector, as governor, he fixed substantial problems with TennCare, the Tennessee Medicaid program that was threatening to bankrupt the state. He was responsible for several innovative programs to assist the uninsured, expanded the access of children to health insurance and oversaw public health efforts that reduced teenage smoking and infant mortality.Governor Bredesen is the author of Fresh Medicine: How to Fix Reform and Build a Sustainable Health Care System (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2010). He speaks extensively on this subject to investors, health care organizations and general audiences. Perfect for any audience wishing to get out of the weeds and take a long view of American health care, Governor Bredesen delivers memorable insights.

How do I book Philip Bredesen to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Philip Bredesen for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Philip Bredesen, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Philip Bredesen or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Philip Bredesen for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Philip Bredesen, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Philip Bredesen are $30,000 - $50,000 for live events and $30,000 - $50,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Philip Bredesen, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Philip Bredesen speak about?

Philip Bredesen is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Business, Authors and Political.

Where does Philip Bredesen travel from?

Philip Bredesen generally travels from Nashville, TN, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Philip Bredesen?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Philip Bredesen for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Philip Bredesen for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Philip Bredesen or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Philip Bredesen is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Business, Authors and Political. The estimated speaking fee range to book Philip Bredesen for live events is $30,000 - $50,000, and for virtual events $30,000 - $50,000. Philip Bredesen generally travels from Nashville, TN, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Vali Nasr, Juan Zarate and Ron Paul. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Philip Bredesen for an upcoming event.

Philip Bredesen Speaking Topics

  • Leadership

    As a Democratic governor in a very red state, Governor Bredesen tackled numerous contentious issues: reform of the Medicaid system, substantial changes in both K-12 and higher education and designing and implementing the large budget cuts that were necessary during the current recession. Despite this, he remained a highly popular governor-re-elected by a landslide and exiting office with strong support from both sides of the aisle.

    As a successful entrepreneur, mayor and governor, Bredesen believes that true leadership is about finding common ground and that the key to success is a command of the art of persuasion. His real world experience and examples of what works offer audiences a refreshing perspective that will also challenge them to raise the bar.

  • Current Issues in the Headlines

    As one of the most successful two-term governors in Tennessee history, Governor Bredesen was actively involved with a broad range of issues at both the state and national level-including health care, education reform, job creation, fiscal policy, green energy and land conservation.

    His broad experience and practical, down-to-earth approach to the issues of the day make him a much sought-after keynote speaker and member of panels and smaller discussion groups. His insights and experience as a highly successful change agent in both the private and public sectors, provides audiences with unique and thought-provoking discussions.

  • Fresh Medicine

    With decades of direct experience in health care, Governor Bredesen offers audiences a commonsense and non-ideological view of our American health care system and the recent reforms. As a private-sector entrepreneur, he started an organization in the early 1980s in the managed care field and grew it to a substantial NYSE-listed company. He has been a founder of other health care businesses, including Coventry Corporation, now a Fortune 500 operator of health maintenance organizations. In the public sector, as governor, he fixed substantial problems with TennCare, the Tennessee Medicaid program that was threatening to bankrupt the state. He was responsible for several innovative programs to assist the uninsured, expanded the access of children to health insurance and oversaw public health efforts that reduced teenage smoking and infant mortality.Governor Bredesen is the author of Fresh Medicine: How to Fix Reform and Build a Sustainable Health Care System (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2010). He speaks extensively on this subject to investors, health care organizations and general audiences. Perfect for any audience wishing to get out of the weeds and take a long view of American health care, Governor Bredesen delivers memorable insights.

BOOKING INFORMATION REQUEST
PHILIP BREDESEN

We are happy to assist you with your interest in booking a speaker or celebrity for your event, your organization, and the type of talent you would like to secure, and an agent will be in touch shortly.

Fill out the form below to or call us at 1-800-698-2536 if need immediate assistance.

Tell us about your event!

We respond to most inquiries within 4 hours. Under special circumstances, it may take up to 24 hours.


This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.