A Conversation with Matt Kivel, Cicero Speechwriting Award Winner

Matt KivelOn Thursday, July 19th the Silicon Valley Speechwriters Roundtable hosted Matt Kivel in a free conference call.

Matt is the overall 2018 Cicero Speechwriting Award Winner for his speech The Power of a Story delivered by Gregory L. Fenves, President, the University of Texas at Austin. This is a searing personal story about the experiences of the President’s father as a Holocaust survivor.

Watch the speech being delivered by President Fenves:

Matt has been writing professionally since 2007. He started as a freelance music critic, and soon became an editor and writer for the entertainment industry bible/trade publication/newspaper Variety, where he interviewed prominent members of the entertainment industry including Warren Beatty, David Lynch, and George Stevens Jr. Later on, he took a job at The Aerospace Corporation and wrote speeches for the company’s President and CEO, Dr. Wanda Austin. He is now the speechwriter to Gregory Fenves, President of The University of Texas.

The call covered a wide range of topics including:

  • His hour-long conversation with Warren Beatty.
  • His career transition from rock n’ roll critic to speechwriter.
  • The process of developing a speech on an intensely personal topic.
  • The audience reaction when the speech was delivered.
  • His favorite Peggy Noonan quote.
  • The upcoming webinar with David Murray on how to win a Cicero Award.
  • And much more…

To hear the full discussion click on the podcast icon below.

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