Obama's Chief Campaign Strategist confirmed to speak at Leaders in Dubai Business Forum

David Plouffe, the man widely credited to have orchestrated Obama's historic presidential campaign victory, will address top-level business executives from around the region on an inside and behind-the-scenes look into an innovative campaign that overcame Hilary Clinton during the Democratic primaries, trounced John McCain in the presidential elections, and inspired a whole nation and the world that change in the biggest and most dramatic way is possible. Following the campaign, President Obama referred to Plouffe as "the unsung hero of this campaign".

Media accounts of the race to the White House affirm that the political exercise is a fast-paced marathon, not for the faint of heart.

"The ability to lead and manage a presidential campaign is a rare and highly specialised skill possessed by a select few. David Plouffe is one of those exceptional leaders, and to whose name now goes the distinction of stirring one of the most compelling campaigns in US political history,"

said Lucy Mountain, Project Director, Leaders in Dubai Business Forum, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Among the topics that Plouffe is expected to discuss is the widespread use of technology, in particular email and social networking sites, in managing not only the successful Obama campaign, but also raised the largest amount of campaign funding in election history.

"Besides harnessing the powers of technology and grass roots movement, what we have realised early on in the campaign is that we have to talk to people like they were adults. Nothing is more important than authenticity, and the same applies to businesses especially now that the economic landscape calls for a lot of transparency so that confronted with the challenges we can devise the most appropriate, realistic and creative of solutions," said Plouffe, who is currently working on a book about the 2008 Presidential election entitled The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory to be published later this year.

With the example that Dubai has shown towards greater openness and transparency, Middle Eastern economies and business leaders should take the cue, and assist in this now global effort to overcome the current crisis situation," he added.

Additional highlights of Plouffe's presentation include insights on how to infiltrate the organisation with steadfast leadership strategy designed to produce incredible results, and how to stay on course and not be distracted by diversions or a crisis.

The Leaders in Dubai Business Forum is scheduled on October 26-27, 2009 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, where Plouffe will be joined by notable speakers such as Former Vice President Al Gore and Desmond Tutu, among others. It will be followed by a two-day intensive leadership training to be led by Dr. Tommy Weir on October 28-29, 2009 at The Monarch Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road.

The region's largest gathering of senior level business executives is being sponsored by Philips, Noor Islamic Bank, Noor Takaful, The Monarch Hotel, Saxo Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank, Canon, Cadillac, Al Arabiya and BBC World.