THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE IS YOU.
30 Years of Crisis Leadership. Four Continents. Zero Fluff.
Patrick R. Dunn delivers high-stakes operational resilience strategies for corporate leaders navigating systemic burnout, and deep narrative infrastructure for premium hospitality brands looking to drive unforgettable guest loyalty.
WATCH PATRICK IN ACTION
Patrick’s hospitality storytelling appears regularly in Edible Reno-Tahoe, and his weekly Vianarra newsletter reaches 1,400+ hospitality professionals nationwide.
THE TWO LANES: SELECT YOUR PATH
LANE 1: LEADERSHIP & OPERATIONAL RESILIENCE
LANE 2: HOSPITALITY & STORYTELLING (VIANARRA)
For Association Executives, Healthcare Leaders, & Corporate L&D
Most organizations don’t break because the work is hard. They break because their leaders have been running on empty for years, operating without a structural reserve. When the system fails under fire, the cost is paid in poor decisions, fractured cultures, and systemic operational drift.
Primary Framework: Lead with Soul (Presence, Purpose, Renewal, Service)
Primary Framework: Lead with Soul (Presence, Purpose, Renewal, Service)
For Winery Owners, Boutique Hotel GMs, & Operators
Every premium property has a story found along the way—a Vianarra. But very few know how to tell it at the table. If your team cannot articulate your terroir and heritage, you are losing wine club conversions and guest loyalty every single day.
Primary Framework: Narrative Architecture & Guest Experience Audits
STOP LEADING ON EMPTY
The book for leaders who are still performing — and quietly running out of everything performance depends on.
Patrick R. Dunn is a keynote speaker, author of Stop Leading on Empty (Archway Publishing, April 2026), and the founder of Vianarra. Built from 30 years of global crisis management and operational resilience leadership at Gilead Sciences, SunGard, Capgemini, and Broadridge, he delivers high-stakes strategies to nationwide corporate, healthcare, and hospitality audiences. Based in Sparks, Nevada.
For Winery Owners, Boutique Hotels & Restaurants
Patrick founded Vianarra to help you find your story and tell it the way it deserves to be told. **Every place has a Vianarra. Not every place knows how to tell it.** When your front-line team can’t translate your terroir, heritage, and story into guest loyalty, you’re losing wine club conversions and word-of-mouth every single day. Vianarra works with hospitality operators on guest experience audits, staff training workshops, and narrative consulting.
77%
of workers report experiencing burnout at their current job. — Gallup Workplace Report.
This is not a human resources issue; it is a systemic risk to your operational continuity.
70%
of team burnout is driven directly by managerial depletion.— UKG Workforce Institute
If you are running on fumes, your entire line of defense is compromised.
$322B
is lost globally each year to turnover and lost productivity. Gallup State of the Global Workplace
Resilience isn't a soft skill—it's a balance sheet reality.—
My Signature Keynotes
Lead With Soul: How to Lead When You’re Running on Fumes
The Art of Making Guests Belong
"Patrick didn’t just speak to us—he brought us into the story. It felt like we were walking the minefields alongside him, hearing the voices of those rebuilding their lives, and standing quietly among the redwoods during the Muir Woods Peace Walk. His way of storytelling is honest and real. Through his 'Lead with Soul' message, he reminded us why we serve not for recognition, but to make a difference. It was one of those talks that stays with you, long after the meeting ends."
About Patrick:
Built from the Terrain, Not a Spreadsheet.
Patrick R. Dunn didn’t learn leadership from a textbook or a wellness seminar. He built his career from a small town in Maine to managing global crisis rooms across four continents for Gilead Sciences, SunGard, Capgemini, and Broadridge.
As a former National Park Service interpretive ranger, he learned how to read a room before speaking to it. As an operational resilience executive, he led global business continuity through 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and Hurricane Sandy. Today, based in Sparks, Nevada, he is a WSET Level 2 certified wine connoisseur, a Lifetime Rotarian, and the author of Stop Leading on Empty (April 2026).
He speaks selectively to audiences who require real-world readiness, structural logic, and insights worth defending at dinner.
Stories from the places worth remembering — for travelers with high standards and the hospitality professionals who serve them.
Ready to bring Patrick to your next event?
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Patrick R Dunn?
Patrick Dunn is a keynote speaker, author of Stop Leading on Empty (Archway Publishing, April 2026), and founder of Vianarra, a hospitality storytelling practice. He spent 30 years leading global crisis management and operational resilience at Gilead Sciences, SunGard, Capgemini, and Broadridge — including operational leadership through 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and Hurricane Sandy. Patrick is a three-time NCAA Division I All-American, a former National Park Service interpretive ranger, a Six Sigma Green Belt, and a Lifetime Rotarian. He is based in Sparks, Nevada.
What does Patrick Dunn speak on?
Patrick delivers three signature keynotes nationwide. Lead With Soul: How to Lead When You’re Running on Fumes is engineered for healthcare and corporate systems navigating systemic burnout. The Art of Making Guests Belong is built for wineries, boutique hotels, and premium hospitality organizations where story is an operational service standard. What’s Next: Leading With Purpose After the Career That Defined You guides high achievers through critical executive identity transitions.
What is the Lead with Soul framework?
The Lead with Soul framework is the operating system at the center of Patrick’s book Stop Leading on Empty. It is built on four pillars — presence, purpose, renewal, and service — and gives high-performing leaders a practical approach to staying effective without burning through what they cannot replace. The framework draws on 30 years of crisis leadership experience and is designed for leaders who need structural solutions, not motivational language.
What is Vianarra?
Vianarra is Patrick Dunn’s nationwide hospitality storytelling and consulting practice—built for premium wineries, boutique hotels, and restaurateurs ready to find their story and tell it the way it deserves to be told. Coined from the Latin via (journey) and narra (to tell), it represents the authentic story found along the way.
Operating across the United States, Vianarra works with hospitality owners and operators on comprehensive guest experience audits, staff storytelling training, and the deep narrative infrastructure required to drive wine club conversion, guest loyalty, and irreplaceable word of mouth. It is an operational business consulting practice, not a wellness brand or a journalism outlet.
How do I book Patrick Dunn?
To book Patrick for a keynote, workshop, or consulting engagement, use the booking link on this page or contact him directly through patrickdunnintl.com. Initial conversations are 30 minutes by phone or video and focus on understanding your audience, your event goals, and the specific outcomes you want from the session. Travel is reimbursed for all engagements.