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Sam McAlister is a BAFTA-nominated producer, and LSE senior fellow who has negotiated interviews with the likes of The White House, Tesla, Facebook, and Buckingham Palace.
With skills honed over a decade working for the BBC, notably Newsnight, Sam is used to persuading reluctant people to participate in interviews known for their severity and bite.
Interviewees that Sam has booked include Sheryl Sandberg, Justin Trudeau, President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Julian Assange, Prime Minister Benajamin Netanyahu, Elon Musk, James Comey, Trevor Noah, Stormy Daniels, Eric Schmidt, and Amy Schumer.
Contact Great British Speakers today to book interviewer, speaker producer Sam McAlister for your next event.
Whilst Sam McAlister is known for her interview production now, she is actually a trained criminal barrister, but moved into BBC producing until 2021.
Her most famous interviewee was Prince Andrew, who was interviewed by Emily Maitlis regarding the Jeffrey Epstein Scandal. Since the interview gained worldwide attention, she wrote the book, Scoop: Behind the Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews From Prince Andrew to Steven Seagal (2022), detailing the secrets of her life at the BBC and what it’s like to be given a backstage pass to some of the most unforgettable pieces of journalism in modern times.
Away from her work in the media, she is also a Visiting Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics where she teaches negotiation at the law faculty.
Through her production career, Sam has built up some unique ideas about leadership, reputation, and communication. She has learnt how to avoid mistakes and how to manage mainstream media and social media. She has also honed her skills in the art of negotiation with elite individuals.
– Negotiation
– Interviews
– Communication
– Leadership
– Reputation
– Dealing With the Media
Inside Story – Prince Andrew Interview: Sam talks about the famous interview with Prince Andrew that has made news headlines around the world.
Negotiation: Sam has negotiated with everyone from Buckingham Palace to Facebook. With skills honed over the years, Sam explores the ways she gets elite individuals and corporations to agree to tough interviews.
Crisis Management: Sam explores how she manages to steer clear of major crises, and educates audiences on how to be well equipped in case of a crisis.
Reputation: Sam understands the importance of reputation, both for herself and her clients.
Journalism: Sam has spent many years as a journalist for the BBC; here she talks about her experiences working with industry professionals.
Resilience: Sam talks about what it is like to get your requests turned down, about what it’s like to hear 99 no’s and 1 yes, and why resilience is vital for getting ahead in the workplace.
Communication: Sam gives her audiences a plethora of ways to communicate with people, how to adapt to a situation, and how to be a social chameleon.
Current Affairs: Sam discusses current affairs both national and international.
As well as her keynote speaking, Sam is available for short or day-long events, intimate or large audiences, award ceremony hosting duties, and panel moderating. She also advises private clients on media and negotiation issues.