Jonna Mendez
Keynote Speaker: Former CIA Chief of Disguise; Author of "Spy Dust," "Argo" & "In True Face"
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Jonna Mendez Biography
Jonna Mendez is a former Chief of Disguise in the CIA’s Office of Technical Service, often compared to “Q” in the Ian Fleming novels, Mendez was also a specialist in clandestine photography. Her 27-year career, for which she earned the CIA’s Intelligence Commendation Medal, included operational disguise responsibilities in the most hostile theaters of the Cold War, from Havana to Beijing to Moscow and ultimately into the Oval Office.
She is currently an author, lecturer, teacher and consultant on intelligence matters. Mendez has spoken at West Point, the Sorbonne University and Pompidou Centre in Paris, and was a keynote speaker at the 2022 Intelligence International Conference in Melbourne, Australia. She was recently the author in residence at the Hemingway House in Ketchum, Idaho. She is frequently interviewed by the media as an expert commentator.
She has co-written several books with her late husband Antonio Mendez, including "Spy Dust: A True Story of Espionage and Romance," "Argo," and "The Moscow Rules." Her latest book, "In True Face," recounting her career as a female operations officer in the CIA was published in Spring 2024.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Jonna Mendez and other top speakers and celebrities.
Jonna Mendez Speaking Topics
Jonna Mendez has fabricated disguises around the world, in the most hostile cities in the world. She is able to take a well-known figure and quickly disguise them to the level that they basically disappear and their colleagues would not be able to recognize them. This has proven to be an excellent way to bring her talks home to her audience, and she can combine the fascinating clandestine disguise of an “Undercover Boss” with any of her presentation topics below.
Jonna Mendez served 27 years undercover with the CIA, retiring as Chief of Disguise. She relates spy tales about a number of effective and not so effective female spies, and also discusses her own experiences, living and traveling around the world, operating in the alleyways of Europe, the Far East and the Subcontinent, in alias identities, participating in classic espionage operations.
From Sun Tzu to the present, warfare has been conducted by the use of deception and illusion. Jonna Mendez, former Chief of Disguise for the CIA, reviews some of the most important deception operations through history. With the use of the art of magic, illusion and misdirection many enemies have been defeated without taking the field of battle. Jonna will recount stories of deception as used by the Allies in the Battle of El Alamien and “D” Day. From Hollywood she learned how to manage the “stage” on the streets of Moscow, delivering “performances” that helped win the Cold War. She also gives examples of how the “stage” of battle could be better managed today in the war against terrorism.
Jonna served 27 years in the Office of Technical Service, the technical arm of the CIA’s operations directorate. She gives an overview of technical operations and the spy gear that made them unique. These gadgets were designed to keep foreign agents in place in hostile environments and to get them out of harm’s way when it was time. She finishes with an in-depth review of operational disguise and identity transformations operations where she tells stories of some of her life and death operations designed to elude surveillance and move intelligence agents and officers clandestinely around the world.
Jonna Mendez Videos
How do I book Jonna Mendez to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Jonna Mendez 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 Jonna Mendez, 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 Jonna Mendez or any other speaker of your choice.
How much does it cost to book Jonna Mendez for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Jonna Mendez, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire Jonna Mendez, 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 Jonna Mendez speak about?
Jonna Mendez is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Women, Female Leadership, Inspirational, Overcoming Adversity and Security & Defense.
Who is the agent for Jonna Mendez?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Jonna Mendez 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 Jonna Mendez 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 Jonna Mendez 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.
Jonna Mendez is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Women, Female Leadership and Inspirational. Please contact us for live or virtual event fee details. Jonna Mendez can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Cathy Lanier, Carey Lohrenz and Shoshana Johnson. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Jonna Mendez for an upcoming event.
SPEAKING TOPICS
Jonna Mendez Speaking Topics
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UNDERCOVER BOSS
Jonna Mendez has fabricated disguises around the world, in the most hostile cities in the world. She is able to take a well-known figure and quickly disguise them to the level that they basically disappear and their colleagues would not be able to recognize them. This has proven to be an excellent way to bring her talks home to her audience, and she can combine the fascinating clandestine disguise of an “Undercover Boss” with any of her presentation topics below.
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FEMALE SPIES: CLANDESTINE WOMEN UNDERCOVER
Jonna Mendez served 27 years undercover with the CIA, retiring as Chief of Disguise. She relates spy tales about a number of effective and not so effective female spies, and also discusses her own experiences, living and traveling around the world, operating in the alleyways of Europe, the Far East and the Subcontinent, in alias identities, participating in classic espionage operations.
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DISGUISE, DECEPTION AND ILLUSION: CLANDESTINE OPERATIONS BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF MAGIC
From Sun Tzu to the present, warfare has been conducted by the use of deception and illusion. Jonna Mendez, former Chief of Disguise for the CIA, reviews some of the most important deception operations through history. With the use of the art of magic, illusion and misdirection many enemies have been defeated without taking the field of battle. Jonna will recount stories of deception as used by the Allies in the Battle of El Alamien and “D” Day. From Hollywood she learned how to manage the “stage” on the streets of Moscow, delivering “performances” that helped win the Cold War. She also gives examples of how the “stage” of battle could be better managed today in the war against terrorism.
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THE REAL “Q”: GADGETS AND TECHNOLOGIES IN ESPIONAGE OPERATIONS
Jonna served 27 years in the Office of Technical Service, the technical arm of the CIA’s operations directorate. She gives an overview of technical operations and the spy gear that made them unique. These gadgets were designed to keep foreign agents in place in hostile environments and to get them out of harm’s way when it was time. She finishes with an in-depth review of operational disguise and identity transformations operations where she tells stories of some of her life and death operations designed to elude surveillance and move intelligence agents and officers clandestinely around the world.
VIDEO
Jonna Mendez Videos
BOOKS
FAQS
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How do I book Jonna Mendez to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Jonna Mendez 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 Jonna Mendez, 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 Jonna Mendez or any other speaker of your choice. -
How much does it cost to book Jonna Mendez for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Jonna Mendez, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire Jonna Mendez, 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 Jonna Mendez speak about?
Jonna Mendez is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Women, Female Leadership, Inspirational, Overcoming Adversity and Security & Defense. -
Who is the agent for Jonna Mendez?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Jonna Mendez 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 Jonna Mendez 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 Jonna Mendez 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.
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