Dan Watson

Dan Watson is a Managing Director at Bully Pulpit International (BPI) specializing in strategic and crisis communications. For the past two decades, Dan has advised leaders in government, the private sector and civil society through some of the most challenging political and reputational issues. He most recently served as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs during the Biden Administration, driving the communications strategy for a broad range of complex national security issues, including border security and immigration policy, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, disaster response, congressional oversight and other matters impacting the Department’s 260,000-strong workforce.

Dan joined DHS after six years at the public affairs consultancy FGS Global, where he advised high-profile clients, including some of the largest financial institutions and technology companies, on strategic communications, crisis management, litigation and regulatory scrutiny, and public policy advocacy.

Prior to that, Dan served in senior positions in the Obama Administration, including as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, leading communications on major financial, fiscal and economic policy issues, and as the spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during more than 200 federally declared disasters, including Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Dan also worked in Congress for three years for U.S. Senator Tom Udall. He started his career organizing the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver and on the Obama for America presidential campaign.

Originally from England, Dan grew up in Denver, Colorado and graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with degrees in international affairs, economics and journalism. Dan lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Abbey.

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