Michael Allison

Michael W. Allison, MBA, is a keynote speaker, leadership theorist, and executive advisor whose work sits at the intersection of adversity, performance psychology, and decision-making under pressure. With more than twenty-five years of leadership experience across the U.S. Marine Corps, government, higher education, and entrepreneurship, he is widely recognized for helping leaders turn adversity into strategic advantage. A decorated Marine and Purple Heart recipient, Michael’s leadership was forged in high-stakes environments, including surviving a VBIED attack in Iraq and leading Marines through uncertainty and extreme operational pressure—experiences that continue to shape his approach to resilience, identity, and performance.

Following military service, Michael built a distinguished civilian career, holding executive roles on a Class I railroad, leading multimillion-dollar federal initiatives at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, serving in senior higher-education leadership, and founding and exiting an INC 5000–recognized company. He is the founder and CEO of The Adversity Leadership Institute and creator of proprietary frameworks such as Adversity Leadership®, Break The Bottle®, and Protect The House. A best-selling author and international speaker, Michael has worked with organizations including Salesforce, Visa, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Boeing, and ESPN, with insights featured on NBC, ESPN, and USA Today. Grounded in faith and family, he brings clarity, discipline, and conviction to leaders navigating pressure, complexity, and rapid change.