Seth Harris

It took a man who takes no prisoners to help America escape a second Great Depression. When Seth Harris was appointed the Department of Labor's (DOL) Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer in 2009, large parts of the DOL – and its $85 Billion annual budget – epitomized government bureaucracy. Fortunately for the American people, Harris identified and eradicated inefficiencies, and with a combination of driven leadership and a firm commitment to accountability, quickly and effectively transformed the DOL into the federal government’s best-performing department.

Seth Harris can help you understand how to institute visionary strategic plans, aggressive performance management and measurement, and a data-driven, evidence-based approach to management. Some have called it “Moneyball for Government,” referring to the data-driven and winning strategies used by the Oakland Athletics that are now common throughout baseball and many Fortune 500 companies. You can use Harris’ strategies to eliminate ineffective, obsolete legacy practices, develop innovative new strategies, transform your human capital strategies, adopt new mission-focused technologies and, above all, unleash your employees’ desire to achieve greatness.

In addition to his management insights, Harris has decades of experience and expertise in labor, employment law and policy as a teacher, scholar, lawyer and policymaker at the highest levels of the U.S. Government. Harris brings his unique perspective on the global economy, the future of the workplace and the condition of America’s middle-class, as well as his insider’s knowledge of the Obama Administration and the federal government’s executive branch, to your audience.

Harris’ legendary, charismatic style of speaking is both practiced and passionate – smartly seasoned with notes of humor. After attending one of his popular presentations, you will understand why attendees such as President Bill Clinton praise Harris for being one of the best orators to come out of the government, as seen in the video on this page. With consistently captivated audiences, Harris imparts his knowledge, insights and passion to groups of all kinds and all sizes – freeing them to break out of their mold and achieve their goals.

Seth Harris left the DOL in January 2014. He is a Distinguished Scholar at Cornell University and Counsel at Dentons, the global law firm.