Mark Pfeifle is the former Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communication and Global Outreach at the White House.  Whether operating in the public or private sectors, Mark has been recognized as a leader in traditional communications and evolving social media, and for his broad expertise and deep experience with planning and successfully executing high-impact policies and strategies.

Mark was the key White House coordinator for interagency national security, communication outreach and coordination.  He led successful communication-based efforts that enhanced the impact of the surge of troops into Iraq and that shaped adversary perceptions in Afghanistan.  While in the White House, Mark developed and directed an information "fusion cell" which, through planned activities and agile response, countered misinformation, disinformation, propaganda, and shaped adversary perceptions in Afghanistan. 

Mark previously served as press secretary and communications director for Secretary Gale Norton at the U.S. Department of Interior.  He was the Deputy Communication Director at the Republican National Committee in 2000 and the Director of Communication at the Republican National Convention in New York City in 2004.

Mark is in constant demand among members of the press corps, appearing frequently on national radio and television networks including The CBS Evening News, BBC, TVN POLAND, MSNBC, CNN and Fox News. His opinions have appeared in Reuters, The Huffington Post, The Washington Times and The Christian Science Monitor.

Mark experienced the violence and devastation of 9/11 when he was one of the first advisors sent by the White House to New York City after Al Qaeda’s attacks.  He led the campaign to support the surge of US military forces in Iraq and guided efforts to enhance the impact of their operations.  Mark is an ardent supporter of America’s veterans and champions the causes of veterans of all conflicts through his initiatives with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

Mark gained some notoriety three years ago when he recommended Twitter as the best candidate for a Nobel Peace Prize, a suggestion that still garners attention across the Internet.

Mark holds an Edward R. Murrow Award for radio news reporting, is a recipient of a Polly Award for Best Overall Internet Strategy Campaign, and was recognized with the US Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Award.  He is a noted international, political and media strategist who has worked in the private sector for the past three years supporting clients as diverse as the Department of Homeland Security, the president of Colombia with his election campaign, and a Fortune 500 company with a major acquisition.

Mark has presented before a number of academic and industry gatherings. He debated at the Oxford Union Society in May of 2012 on the link between social media and social activism; on “Emerging Technologies and Social Media” at 2011’s Kellogg School of Management Technology Conference at Northwestern University; at the Department of Homeland Security’s 2010 “Conference on Public Perceptions of Emerging Security Technology” at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; the 2010 conference on “Political Communication, Media, and Good Governance: The New Era” in Guadalajara, Mexico; the 2010 “InfoWarCon Conference” in Washington; the 2009 Moscow State University “Conference on Cybersecurity and Information Warfare”; the 2009 “Personal Democracy Forum” in New York; and the 2009 “Talkers’ Magazine New Media Seminar” in New York.