Eric Schnure
Managing Director
When Eric Schnure was six and on a family trip to Disney World, he had a strange obsession. Surrounded by rides and cartoon characters, all he cared about was the Hall of Presidents. While his siblings begged to move on, Eric refused to leave until he’d had a private audience with the animatronic Abraham Lincoln. He had a question for Abe: did he play hockey?
That moment foreshadowed a career dedicated to helping leaders show what makes them human, what makes them unique, and why their companies and causes matter.
As Managing Director at West Wing Writers, Eric continues that work as a thought partner and advisor to CEOs and global organizations, helping them turn complex ideas into clear, strategic narratives. One of his specialties is scripting large-scale events, bringing multiple speakers together to tell one coherent story. He also coaches senior leaders to make their messages more memorable, their words more effective, and their delivery more powerful.
Eric lectures and leads workshops on leadership communications, executive presence, speechwriting, storytelling, and the art and science of persuasion. He has led seminars for Google, IBM, Marriott, Corning, UPS, and Airbus, as well as international institutions such as INTERPOL, the Rockefeller Foundation, the World Bank, and the European Commission.
Eric began his communications career in the White House in 1993 as a speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore. He later served in senior roles at HUD and at NASA, where he once ordered business cards bearing the title “Deputy Astronaut.” They never made it to his desk.
After leaving government, he became a principal at the public affairs firm Dewey Square Group. Later, as Director of Executive Communications at GE, he developed communications strategies for the global conglomerate’s CEO. For much of his career, Eric ran his own communications practice, advising leaders and organizations across industries and sectors.
Eric is known around Washington for bringing humor into speeches. He co-founded the Humor Cabinet, a communications consulting firm, and is a Friend of the Gridiron, the venerable journalists’ club famous for its annual dinner and political satire.
People like to say Eric wrote the book on speechwriting. Technically, he co-wrote it with his mentor, Bob Lehrman. Their book, The Political Speechwriter’s Companion, is used by communicators worldwide to write speeches that move audiences to action. A longtime Adjunct Professor of Public Communication at American University, Eric has also taught at Johns Hopkins and Georgetown.
Eric graduated from Hobart College and holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics. He remains an avid, although sometimes injured, hockey player. He still has all of his own teeth.
