Adm. James Stavridis, USN (Ret.) is a 1976 distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who spent over 35 years on active service in the Navy. He commanded destroyers and a carrier strike group in combat and served for seven years as a four-star admiral, including nearly four years as the first Navy officer chosen as Supreme Allied Commander for Global Operations at NATO. After retiring from the Navy he was the 12th dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He holds a PhD in international relations and was Chairman of the Board of the US Naval Institute. He is currently an Operating Executive with the Carlyle Group; and Chair, Board of Counselors for McLarty Associates. He has written articles on global security issues for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Atlantic Magazine, Naval War College Review, and Proceedings and is the author or co-author of several books, including The Leader's Bookshelf and Destroyer Captain.