Yvonne R. Davis is an internationally recognized leadership development trainer, professional coach, speaker, and award winning journalist. She is an expert in cross-cultural and global emerging markets, understanding what drives government, private sector, and non-governmental organizations in challenging times to bring insight and viable solutions.
Throughout her remarkable 25-year career, she has spearheaded initiatives that impact social and political change to thousands world-wide. A hard-hitting columnist, crisis communications strategist, and au fait traveler, Davis has worked in 59 countries, enabling her to greatly enhance her erudition of the global community. She’s an expert about critical economic and socio-political issues in the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, the Balkans, and Eastern Europe.
With an impressive academic background in communication theory and application, leadership, business ethics, strategic thinking and scenario planning, international relations and comparative politics, Davis drives management and negotiation stratagems that are utilized by the public and private sector.
Ms. Davis serves the U.S. Department of State in the capacity as a Lecturer, Trainer, and Speaker for the Speakers’ Bureau enhancing and spreading Public Diplomacy on behalf of the Unites States of America. She is called upon to speak about a myriad of leadership issues related to her areas of expertise inclusive of media and public affairs on a national and global level.
Ms. Davis was an appointee of President George W. Bush, and was appointed by former Governor M. Jodi Rell of Connecticut to the position of Commissioner for the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women. She worked closely with the White House from 2001 to 2005 on housing, Education, Small Business, HIV/AIDs (AGOA), Global Trade, and Women’s issues.
She served on the Board of Directors for the World Affairs Council in Connecticut, She was the Vice President of Global Women’s Issues Forum, and member of Board of Directors to Al Waref Foundation (a Middle Eastern policy think tank in Washington, D.C., Lebanon, and Morocco). She serves on the fiduciary board of directors for Connecticut Public Affairs Networks (CPAN). She was an Ambassador for the Good Will Treaty for Peace. In February 2010, Ms. Davis was bestowed a Humanitarian award by Orphans International, a U.N. sanctioned organization for her work around the world.
Ms. Davis holds a Master of Science in Leadership and Business Ethics from Duquesne University and a Master of Art in Political Science from the University of Connecticut, and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and Political Science from the University of Hartford, graduating magna cum laude. She completed “The Art and Practice of Leadership,” at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Ms. Davis is a Professionally Certified Coach from Duquesne University. She is completed an Executive Leadership Program at Cornell University in November 2012. With a love for language, Ms. Davis studied French for eight years. She speaks Italian studying at the Sorrento Lingue in Sorrento, Italy and with a private tutor. She is also studies Arabic. Ms. Davis led an academic roundtable discussion at the Global Women’s Leadership Conference in Dubai, UAE. In June of 2010, Ms. Davis presented in the Court of the Crown Prince in the Kingdom of Bahrain on Adaptive Leadership.
Ms. Davis is an amateur athlete engaged in intensive fitness training on a daily basis. Her sports of choice are long high intensity band and resistance training on a professional level, and Bikram yoga. A love for philosophy and political theory, she enjoys reading and having thought provoking discussions with others on a wide range of topics. She writes love poetry, is passionate about international travel, and her guilty pleasure is chocolate.