Derek Gaunt

Derek Gaunt is a lecturer, author of "Ego, Authority, and Failure," and a trainer with 29 years of law enforcement experience, including 20 years as a member, leader, and then commander of hostage negotiations teams in the Washington, D.C. area. He is a leadership expert and a lead hostage negotiator, recognized as a subject matter expert in hostage negotiation and incident command. Gaunt frequently speaks at hostage negotiations conferences across the country. His deep interest in interpersonal communications began during his tenure as a detective in the Criminal Investigations Section of a municipal police agency, leading him to become a hostage negotiator in 1997. After advancing to a supervisory role, his focus shifted from practicing to teaching these critical communication skills.

As a negotiation trainer and personal coach, he has delivered his expertise internationally, instructing at both national and international business schools and providing seminars, workshops, and in-house training to corporate clients including JetBlue, Google, Facebook, Harris, and Kronos. His training programs emphasize the application of hostage negotiation practices to enhance business outcomes, focusing on understanding human behavior to improve relationships and accelerate business performance.

Gaunt's engaging presentations are packed with practical techniques for understanding human behavior and managing difficult conversations effectively. His approach helps leaders and their organizations enhance performance by refining their communication strategies, making his sessions highly beneficial for a wide range of professional environments.