Kim "KC" Campbell

Keynote Speaker. Bestselling Author. Leader. Fighter Pilot.

Kim "KC" Campbell

Keynote Speaker. Bestselling Author. Leader. Fighter Pilot.

About Kim

Kim “KC” Campbell is a retired Colonel who served in the Air Force for over 24 years as a fighter pilot and senior military leader. She has flown 1,800 hours in the A-10 Warthog, including more than 100 combat missions protecting troops on the ground in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2003, Kim was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism after successfully recovering her battle-damaged airplane after an intense close air support mission.

As a senior military leader, Kim has led hundreds of Airmen both at home and in deployed environments, enabling them to succeed in complex, high-pressure missions. She has experience leading large organizations and driving cultural change. In 2023, Kim was awarded the Leadership Achievement Award from the Air Force Academy, recognizing graduates who demonstrate exceptional professional accomplishment, integrity, and character in service to others.

Kim “KC” Campbell is a retired Colonel who served in the Air Force for over 24 years as a fighter pilot and senior military leader. She has flown 1,800 hours in the A-10 Warthog, including more than 100 combat missions protecting troops on the ground in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2003, Kim was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism after successfully recovering her battle-damaged airplane after an intense close air support mission.

As a senior military leader, Kim has led hundreds of Airmen both at home and in deployed environments, enabling them to succeed in complex, high-pressure missions. She has experience leading large organizations and driving cultural change. In 2023, Kim was awarded the Leadership Achievement Award from the Air Force Academy, recognizing graduates who demonstrate exceptional professional accomplishment, integrity, and character in service to others.

Mom & Wife

Fighter Pilot

Leader

Speaking

Kim is a sought-after keynote speaker, sharing her inspirational story with business and corporate audiences about a life changing combat experience while weaving in lessons about leadership, vulnerability, and courage. Kim’s remarkable story demonstrates how leading with courage builds deeper relationships, inspires loyalty, and enables teams to perform at their best.

Kim will motivate your team to get outside of their comfort zone to improve their leadership skills. She will provide practical ideas and examples to improve trust in your organization and help your team prepare to face challenges in their personal and professional lives.

Kim's Newest Book

During 24 years of military service as a fighter pilot and senior leader, Kim developed distinctive leadership techniques and principles different from what you might find in most leadership books. In her new book, Flying in the Face of Fear: A Fighter Pilot’s Lessons on Leading with Courage, you’ll discover how to…

  • Cultivate a wingman culture on your team where each person is part of something bigger and more important than themselves
  • Develop a fighter pilot mindset for failing forward and embracing risk, even in times of uncertainty and stress
  • Prepare, practice, and plan for contingencies
  • Create your own flight plan to find balance and fulfillment
  • And much more

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Kim is a distinguished graduate from the United States Air Force Academy. As a Marshall Scholar, she earned an MBA from the University of London and a Master of Arts in International Security Studies from the University of Reading in England. 

Kim’s Air Force assignments include leadership roles as a Group Commander, responsible for over 1,000 Air Force personnel in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Kim also served as the Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, advising the number three civilian official in the Department of Defense on national security and defense policy formulation.

She has also served as the Air Force Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, a pre-eminent think tank promoting international leadership and engagement. During her time as a fellow, Kim participated in strategy sessions with ministers of defense, military leaders, and CEOs. Most recently, Kim served as the Director, Center for Character and Leadership Development at the Air Force Academy, responsible for the professional development of faculty and staff and reinforcing character and leadership programs within the 4,000-member Cadet Wing.

Kim resides in Colorado with her husband and two sons.