Suzanne Kianpour

Suzanne Kianpour is an Emmy-nominated journalist and anchor specializing in global security and the Middle East. She is the founder and CEO of Helmet to Heels™, a digital brand that merges news, travel, and fashion to amplify the voices of extraordinary women worldwide. This initiative builds on her impactful career at the BBC, including the award-winning series “Women Building Peace,” a collaboration with the Georgetown Institute of Women, Peace, and Security.

Suzanne’s documentary “Out of the Shadows” explores the covert conflict between Israel and Iran, showcasing her depth in handling sensitive geopolitical topics. This work earned her a nomination for Presenter of the Year by the Association of International Broadcasters in London in November 2023.

She also hosts ‘News with Suz LIVE,’ a social media show that engages audiences with in-depth analyses of current headlines and interviews with key newsmakers. Her extensive reporting background includes assignments in Washington, D.C., London, Beirut, and Los Angeles with the BBC. Notably, she reported on the US-Cuba détente from Havana, accompanied US Secretary of State John Kerry during the Iran nuclear negotiations, covered Hillary Clinton during the 2016 US presidential election, and served as a congressional correspondent for BBC’s ‘The Context.’ Her investigative reporting on BBC’s ‘The Inquiry’ has delved into cutting-edge topics such as NFTs and AI in warfare.

Throughout her career spanning over a decade, Suzanne has traveled to more than 80 countries, securing exclusive interviews with prominent figures like Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, former President Obama post-Iran Nuclear Deal, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, and other global leaders.

As a moderator and public speaker, she has addressed global audiences at prestigious platforms such as the World Economic Forum, COP28, UN General Assembly, and Milken. She has also shared her expertise academically as a professor of Public Diplomacy at UCLA and as a fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service.

Suzanne authored “Iranian Digital Influence Efforts: Guerrilla Broadcasting for the Twenty-First Century,” reflecting her commitment to countering disinformation. Her work and influence have been recognized with an Emmy nomination, a successful alum under 40 by her alma mater, and features in Washington Life magazine’s “Power Issue.”

An active member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Meridian International Center’s Rising Leaders Council, Suzanne also serves on the board of the Friends of the American University in Afghanistan.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, with Persian and Sicilian heritage, she is fluent in Farsi, conversational in Spanish, and possesses basic proficiency in Italian, French, and Arabic. An Emory University graduate, Suzanne studied abroad at the University of Oxford and pursued postgraduate studies at Georgetown University.