Is this you? Or do you exclusively represent this speaker?

Stavridis_James_HS-682x830-1.jpg

James Stavridis

16th Supreme Allied Commander, NATO; Partner and Vice Chair, Global Affairs of The Carlyle Group; New York Times Bestselling Author

About

Gender: Male
Nationality: United States
Languages: English
Travels from: United States

Engagement Types

Speakers FAQ

Biography Highlights

  • Decorated Admiral and archetype of exemplary leadership, Adm. James Stavridis, USN (Ret.) addresses security concerns in a technologically transforming world.

Biography

A Florida native, Jim Stavridis attended the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, and spent 37 years in the Navy, rising to the rank of 4-star Admiral.  Among his many commands were four years as the 16th Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, where he oversaw operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, the Balkans, and counter piracy off the coast of Africa.  He also commanded US Southern Command in Miami, charged with military operations through Latin America for nearly three years.  He was the longest serving Combatant Commander in recent US history.  Following his military career, he served for five years as the 12th Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

In the course of his career in the Navy, he served as senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of Defense. He led the Navy’s premier operational think tank for innovation, Deep Blue, immediately after the 9/11 attacks. Admiral Stavridis was promoted directly from 1-star rank to 3-star rank in 2004.

He won the Battenberg Cup for commanding the top ship in the Atlantic Fleet and the Navy League John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational leadership, along with more than 50 US and international medals and decorations, including 28 from foreign nations. He also commanded a Destroyer Squadron and a Carrier Strike Group, both in combat.

In 2016, he was vetted for Vice President by Secretary Hillary Clinton, and subsequently invited to Trump Tower to discuss a cabinet position with President Donald Trump.

He earned a PhD from The Fletcher School at Tufts, winning the Gullion prize as outstanding student in his class in 1983, as well as academic honors from the National and Naval War Colleges as a distinguished student.  He speaks Spanish and French.

Admiral Stavridis has published thirteen books on leadership, character, risk, the oceans, maritime affairs, and Latin America, as well as hundreds of articles in leading journals.  An active user of social networks, he has tens of thousands of connections on the social networks.  His TED talk on 21st century security in 2012 has close to one million views.  He tweeted the end of combat operations in the Libyan NATO intervention. Two of his most popular books are the novel 2034: A Novel of the Next World War which was a New York Times bestseller and is being published in 22 languages; and To Risk It All: Nine Conflicts and The Crucible of Decision. His most recent book is 2054 which is about artificial intelligence and geopolitics.

Admiral Stavridis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and Chief International Security Analyst for NBC News.

Videos

Media, podcast appearances and interviews

Speaking videos

Popular Talks

Admiral Stavridis, drawing on his time as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, will describe the roots of the war in Ukraine, beginning with a profile of Vladimir Putin based on personal experience. He will sketch out the state of the conflict, the response of the Ukrainian resistance, the role of NATO, the chances of nuclear or cyber attacks, and ultimately how larger geopolitical forces will come to bear in this tragic and very dangerous situation. Calling on his current role as Vice Chair, Global Affairs of The Carlyle Group, one of the largest private equity firms in the world, he will assess the impact on the global economy, the efficacy of sanctions, and the role of China in the conflict. Admiral Stavridis will conclude with some additional measures the west must take to maintain democracy as a viable force in this turbulent 21st century, as well as a look at potential outcomes stemming from the war in Ukraine.

Drawing on his decades of experience globally, Admiral Stavridis describes the leadership tools necessary to work through this crisis. The leadership lessons are applicable from the White House to Fortune 500 companies to small businesses, as enterprises seek the right path forward and think through new business practices and even personnel systems to select post-crisis leaders. He will also describe the geopolitics of a new emerging global security environment and how the virus will affect not only the US, but China, Russian, Europe, and emerging markets. In particular, the Admiral emphasizes changes in the cybersecurity environment that will evolve in a world that is more digitally dependent than ever. Typically a 30 minute presentation with 30 minutes for questions, it adapts perfectly to virtual systems in a tight 60 minute presentation.

In this presentation, Admiral Stavridis draws on his multiple operational experiences dealing with medical crises, including both Ebola in West Africa and Cholera in Haiti to discuss the role of our military in responding to this world-threatening pandemic. He will discuss historical precedents, including the notorious Spanish Influenza of 1918-1919 and the deadly Avian Flu of 1997, which had a 60% mortality rate. Most importantly, he will put the pandemic into a global economic and geopolitical perspective, discussing how this will impact the trajectory of China, the turbulence in the Middle East, and economic development in Africa and Latin America. Audiences will leave with broad ideas to respond positively and better prepare for future biological events.

Based on decades of experience in the Middle East and Levant, Admiral Stavridis walks the audience around the region with deep emphasis on Israel. He has personally met with all the key leaders of Israel from the Prime Minister to all the recent Chiefs of Defense and many Knesset members. As the Commander of NATO, he was charged with the NATO-Israel relationship, and as Commander of US European Command, he went frequently to Israel and was responsible to the President and Secretary of Defense for the US-Israeli military relationship. His perceptions on the future of Israel and the entire region are powerful and grounded in deep experience.

Emerging security concerns will be addressed in the future with a combination of cyber capabilities, unmanned vehicles and drones and special operations forces. In particular, the reach and function of cyber tools will change how we view the world and keep ourselves safe in it. Admiral James Stavridis lays out the future of 21st century security tools that are very nontraditional in their reach and application. He describes for audiences how the world of international defense is fundamentally changing before our eyes, and how that will impact business, personal life and the global marketplace.

Based on James Stavridis’ nearly four decades of military service, he advocates a unique model of “leader as servant.” He believes in the power of people and shares with audiences specific ways to unlock their strength through positive reinforcement and innovative incentive systems. In particular, he helps audiences leverage lessons learned from their own experiences, understand how to identify role models and gain insight into leadership strategies from other cultures—both the positives and negatives.

After nearly 10 years at the four-star level as a global combatant commander and senior military assistant to the Secretary of Defense, Admiral James Stavridis gives a global overview of risks, opportunities and strategies for successfully creating a secure nation, government and business community. This tour d’horizon is very effective for business audiences investing worldwide.

Admiral Stavridis, an expert on China who spent over half his career in the Pacific Fleet, takes the audience through the history and culture of China and describes how the US and China have emerged as the two crucial superpowers of the 21st century. He describes the ongoing conflict between the nations in trade, tariffs, intellectual property, global influence and the “hotspot” of the South China Sea. The Admiral then lays out a prescription for avoiding a conflict with China in the decades ahead, with predictions of the evolution of the global landscape as it will be influenced by the US-China relationship. A must see experience to understand the big issues ahead for the world.

Bringing in a business consultant can challenge you and your organization to think differently about your business. Whether you are a new leader seeking a renewed vision for your company or a seasoned C-Suite executive exploring new trends in the marketplace, they provide the deep, strategic insights and much-needed perspective to help you make confident and profitable decisions.

James Stavridis, named a “Renaissance Admiral” by The New York Times, is a visionary leader and the longest-serving global combatant commander in recent American military. He’s widely recognized for his paramount expertise in strategy, tactics, diplomacy, national security, and strategic communications. His persistence and promotion of durable partnerships among nations have been critical in establishing the U.S. military as a solid and highly effective unit of intelligence and manpower. Adm. Stavridis will share poignant lessons with your executive leadership team on how to address your company’s most pressing challenges and take command of your future.

His advisory topics include:

  • Crisis Management
  • Cultivating Innovation and Creativity
  • Cyber Security Solutions
  • Global Opportunities
  • Leadership
  • Leveraging Media and Communications
  • Risk Management Planning
  • U.S. Foreign Policy
  • Understanding Emerging Markets

James'S

TESTIMONIALS

Books

To Risk It All: Nine Conflicts and the Crucible of Decision

At the heart of Admiral James Stavridis’s training as a naval officer was the preparation to lead sailors in combat, to face the decisive moment in battle whenever it might arise. In To Risk it All, he offers up nine of the most useful and enthralling stories from the US Navy’s nearly 250-year history, and draws from them a set of insights that we can all put to use when confronted with fateful choices. Conflict. Crisis. Risk. These words have a distinct meaning in a military context that we hope will never apply identically in our own lives. But at the same time, as Admiral Stavridis shows with great clarity, many lessons are universal. To Risk it All is filled with thrilling and heroic exploits, but it is anything but a shallow exercise in myth burnishing. Every leader in this book has real flaws, as all humans do, and the stories of failure, or at least the decisions that have been defined as such, are as crucial as the stories of success. In the end, when this master class is concluded, we will be better armed for hard decisions both expected and not.

Read more..

To Risk It All: Nine Conflicts and the Crucible of Decision

Biographies, Biographies, Memoirs and Autobiographies, Memoirs and Autobiographies
At the heart of Admiral James Stavridis’s training as a naval officer was the preparation to lead sailors in combat, to face the decisive moment in battle whenever it might arise. In To Risk it All, he offers up nine of the most useful and enthralling stories from the US Navy’s nearly 250-year history, and draws from them a set of insights that we can all put to use when confronted with fateful choices. Conflict. Crisis. Risk. These words have a distinct meaning in a military context that we hope will never apply identically in our own lives. But at the same time, as Admiral Stavridis shows with great clarity, many lessons are universal. To Risk it All is filled with thrilling and heroic exploits, but it is anything but a shallow exercise in myth burnishing. Every leader in this book has real flaws, as all humans do, and the stories of failure, or at least the decisions that have been defined as such, are as crucial as the stories of success. In the end, when this master class is concluded, we will be better armed for hard decisions both expected and not.

The Sailor's Bookshelf: Fifty Books to Know the Sea (Blue & Gold Professional Library)

Admiral Stavridis, a leader in military, international affairs, and national security circles, shares his love of the sea and some of the sources of that affection. The Sailor’s Bookshelf offers synopses of fifty books that illustrate the history, importance, lore, and lifestyle of the oceans and of those who “go down to the sea in ships.” Stavridis colors those descriptions with glimpses of his own service–“sea stories” in popular parlance–that not only clarify his choices but show why he is held in such high esteem among his fellow sailors.

Read more..

The Sailor's Bookshelf: Fifty Books to Know the Sea (Blue & Gold Professional Library)

Biographies, Biographies, Memoirs and Autobiographies, Memoirs and Autobiographies
Admiral Stavridis, a leader in military, international affairs, and national security circles, shares his love of the sea and some of the sources of that affection. The Sailor's Bookshelf offers synopses of fifty books that illustrate the history, importance, lore, and lifestyle of the oceans and of those who "go down to the sea in ships." Stavridis colors those descriptions with glimpses of his own service--"sea stories" in popular parlance--that not only clarify his choices but show why he is held in such high esteem among his fellow sailors.

Partnership for the Americas: Western Hemisphere Strategy and U.S. Southern Command

Admiral James G. Stavridis, USN, reflects on his tenure as Commander of United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). The first Admiral to command Southern Command, Admiral Stavridis broke with tradition from day one, discarding the customary military staff model and creating an innovative organization designed not solely to subdue adversaries, but, perhaps more importantly, to build durable and lasting partnerships with friends. As he has said often, “We are excellent at launching Tomahawk missiles; in this part of the world, we need to get better at launching ideas.” From his unique perspective as commander, Stavridis uses his engagingly personal style to describe his vision for the command’s role in the Americas, making the most of limited resources to create goodwill and mutual respect, while taking care of the serious business of countering illegal drug trafficking, overcoming a dangerous insurgency in Colombia, and responding to humanitarian crises. He also devotes chapters to USSOUTHCOM’s role in nurturing institutional respect for human rights among the military and security forces of the region, in advancing health security, and in supporting a new regional strategy to counter the increasing challenge of urban and transnational gang violence. Citing the hemisphere’s common geography, culture, economy, and history, Stavridis makes a passionate case for a common approach and strategy for defending our “shared home of the Americas” through an international, interagency, and private-public approach, all connected through coherent and effective strategic communication.

Read more..

Partnership for the Americas: Western Hemisphere Strategy and U.S. Southern Command

Biographies, Memoirs and Autobiographies, Memoirs and Autobiographies, Motivational & Inspirational
Admiral James G. Stavridis, USN, reflects on his tenure as Commander of United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). The first Admiral to command Southern Command, Admiral Stavridis broke with tradition from day one, discarding the customary military staff model and creating an innovative organization designed not solely to subdue adversaries, but, perhaps more importantly, to build durable and lasting partnerships with friends. As he has said often, "We are excellent at launching Tomahawk missiles; in this part of the world, we need to get better at launching ideas." From his unique perspective as commander, Stavridis uses his engagingly personal style to describe his vision for the command's role in the Americas, making the most of limited resources to create goodwill and mutual respect, while taking care of the serious business of countering illegal drug trafficking, overcoming a dangerous insurgency in Colombia, and responding to humanitarian crises. He also devotes chapters to USSOUTHCOM's role in nurturing institutional respect for human rights among the military and security forces of the region, in advancing health security, and in supporting a new regional strategy to counter the increasing challenge of urban and transnational gang violence. Citing the hemisphere's common geography, culture, economy, and history, Stavridis makes a passionate case for a common approach and strategy for defending our "shared home of the Americas" through an international, interagency, and private-public approach, all connected through coherent and effective strategic communication.

ENQUIRE ABOUT

James Stavridis

Contact Speaker
Your name
Your name

Speaker Bureaus and Talent Agencies

James Stavridis is available to book via these agencies
Recommended
Washington Speakers Bureau
Speaking Agency