Rear Admiral Michael E. Smith (US Navy, Ret.) has over twenty years of senior military and commercial executive experience building successful teams, managing transformational change and leading a range of highly technical and diverse organizations. He currently serves as President of the American College of National Security Leaders.
A US Naval Academy graduate with a Bachelor’s in Ocean Engineering and graduate level education in nuclear engineering, Admiral Smith spent over 30 years in the US Navy.
His last duty assignment was as President, Board of Inspection and Survey where he was responsible for independently assessing overall fleet performance and delivered an annual report on the state of fleet material readiness to the CNO and Congress. He commanded at all operational levels and completed combat tours in Desert Storm, Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraqi Freedom. His last operational tour was as Commander, Carrier Strike Group Three where he was responsible for the operations of over 8,000 personnel, 10 ships, and 70 aircraft.
Rear Admiral Smith was recognized as one of the Navy’s premier strategists and served in its headquarters as the Division Director responsible for developing and implementing Navy Strategy and Policy. Admiral Smith was a key advisor and direct report to Admiral Mike Mullen, then the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the senior military advisor to the President. He similarly advised Admiral Robert Willard when he was responsible for leading the nation’s strategic approach to Asia and the Pacific.
Admiral Smith was awarded the Bronze Star for action during combat, is a fellow of MIT’s Seminar XXI program, has a Master’s in International Negotiations and is a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College.