Scott Tillema is an internationally recognized crisis negotiator and professional keynote speaker. He is known and respected for his experience negotiating in emotionally charged situations, with high stakes and when the situation requires sensitivity to the human element. As a partner at The Negotiations Collective, an international negotiations training firm, he provides training and coaching to clients from across the world.

Scott has over 20 years of law enforcement experience in the Chicago area and is an FBI trained hostage negotiator. He has spent many years negotiating with one of the largest regional SWAT teams in the United States.

Educationally, Scott holds a master’s degree in psychology, a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science, and has received negotiation training at Harvard University’s Program on Negotiation and at IMD Business School.

In 2016, he was invited to give a TEDx talk titled “The Secrets of Hostage Negotiators”, which has received over 1 million views. Scott is a recognized leader in the field of negotiation, communication, influence, and conflict resolution. His visibility as a speaker and educator through TEDx and other venues has reached global status. He has spoken at events for Microsoft, Bosch, the FBI, and has delivered training to Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) chapters on multiple continents.