INTERVIEW VIEW

InterviewINTER White House Experience

An Interview with Ed Gillespie, Former Counselor to President George W. Bush, and founder of Ed Gillespie Strategies

Washington, D.C., and now serves on its board of At the end of the Bush administration, trustees. Gillespie, along with former White House did you know what you wanted as your Counsel to President Bill Clinton, , next career step? founded Quinn Gillespie & Associates in January i didn’t know. the white house envi- 2000. Ed Gillespie’s next project involves launch- ronment doesn’t allow much time to put your ing his own strategic consulting and public re- feet up and think about what’s next. but i’m lations fi rm that will help companies, industries, launching a new fi rm that will help companies, and associations anticipate change, communi- industries, and associations anticipate change, cate strategically, and manage crises. communicate strategically, and manage crises. working at the white house at that level gives As a leader of the Republican Party for many you a broader horizon and understanding of de- years, are you concerned with the state of veloping trends – you can spot some things as the party today? they’re coming. top companies, industries, and i am concerned, but i also believe that these trade associations need to anticipate change and are times of opportunity for the party. pendulums position for it, and they also need crisis manage- swing in politics, and it has swung away from us ment. we’re in a time in our economy and in our at this moment, so how you react to that is impor- media culture where even the most upstanding tant. but i’ve seen the republican party declared companies and individuals can fi nd themselves dead at least twice before in my lifetime and i’m very quickly facing reputational damage. crisis Ed Gillespie only 47. the aggressiveness of the obama ad- management, happily or not, is something i’ve ministration and their overreaching on federal had a lot of experience with over the years. so EDITORS’ NOTE Ed Gillespie began his po- spending, as well as some of their policies on i can offer insights and add value for people litical career as a Senate parking lot atten- energy, health care, and other areas provide the facing some pretty high stakes situations. dant. He later worked for a decade as a top republican party an opportunity to offer alterna- i’m very proud of my previous fi rm, Quinn aide to former House Majority Leader Dick tives to show how we would solve problems and gillespie & associates, as it’s one of the premier Armey (R-TX). In 1996, he became Director of address issues from a more conservative, market- public affairs fi rms in washington, d.c. but after Communications and Congressional Affairs for oriented perspective. there’s impatience because leaving the white house, i decided i didn’t want the Republican National Committee under Haley we live in an information-age society where ev- to go back to lobbying, which is a big part of Barbour, with whom in 1997 he formed Policy erybody wants answers right now. but we have the Quinn gillespie business model. i wanted to Impact Communications. From 1999 to 2008, a year and a half until the midterm elections, and stay focused on the strategic communications, Gillespie served as a political strategist to sev- that’s an eternity in politics. public relations, and crisis management aspects. eral American politicians. In 1999, he worked Are you concerned about the long- in addition, i wanted to have a smaller number as an advisor for the Presidential exploratory term effects of the policies of the current of clients and to be the person who was the cli- committee of . In 2000, Gillespie administration? ent lead in every case – the one responsible for served as Senior Communications Advisor for i worry when rahm emanuel says that in working directly with clients. so this will be a the Presidential campaign of George W. Bush. every crisis there is an opportunity to do more smaller shop, more focused on communications In 2002, he was general strategist for Elizabeth than you could otherwise, and that they’re lever- and messaging. Dole’s winning North Carolina Senate campaign. aging concerns about the economy for that pur- No matter what the relationship to the In 2003, Gillespie was elected as Chairman of pose. in the long term, that is not going to help President, it seems it would be most diffi cult the Republican National Committee, serving in us recover. we all need to be americans fi rst, to give him bad news. Do you need to get that role through the 2004 elections. His book, so although i’ll work as hard as anyone in 2012 past that to maintain an open dialogue? winning right, was released in September of to try to elect a republican president, i would you do. i remember shortly after i got to 2006. He served as Chairman of the Republican rather have low unemployment, high economic the white house urging president bush to do Party in his home state of from growth, and a safe country than to have the op- something that i knew he probably wouldn’t December 2006 to June 2007. He played a visi- posite and have it be easy for us to beat the want to do, but also knew that he would likely ble role in the 2006 Virginia Senate elections as incumbent president. but i fear that’s not going recognize that it was something he needed to a confi dante of defeated Virginia Senator George to be the case. i fear that we’re not going to have do. so i made my case and he listened and he Allen. In late June 2007, President Bush brought done what needs to be done in order to turn said he would do it. and i thanked him and told Gillespie into the White House on a full-time ba- our economy around. i fear that we’re going to him i thought it would turn out well. and as he sis as Counselor to the President. In February have imposed too much debt, too much spend- was leaving, he yelled back over his shoulder, 2009, Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell ing, and too many taxes on the economy when “i trust you, eddie.” and i realized then that he announced Gillespie as General Chairman of we should have been trying to free up entrepre- was telling me very early on in my tenure that his campaign for Governor. Gillespie is a grad- neurship. i also worry that president obama’s he was counting on me to tell him things he uate of The Catholic University of America in policies are making us less safe. may not like to hear.• 44 Leaders posted with permission. copyright © 2009 leaders magazine, inc. volume 32, number 3