The Penguin Speakers Bureau

Craig M. Mullaney was appointed Senior Advisor at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in April 2010. In that capacity, he advises the USAID Administrator, Dr. Rajiv Shah, on all issues related to Afghanistan and Pakistan. He previously served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as the Principal Director for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia Policy and as the Chief of Staff for the Department of Defense Transition Team. Prior to joining the Department of Defense, Mullaney was President Obama’s defense policy advisor during the 2008 presidential campaign.

Mullaney graduated second in his class from the United States Military Academy. After completing Ranger School, he continued to the University of Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship. At Oxford, he completed masters degrees in diplomatic and economic history.

In 2003, Mullaney led an infantry rifle platoon along the hostile border between Afghanistan and Pakistan with the 10th Mountain Division as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. His platoon operated along the entire spectrum of military operations—from humanitarian assistance with the first Provincial Reconstruction Team established in Afghanistan to combat engagements against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Following his return to the United States, Mullaney joined the elite 3rd Infantry Regiment, “The Old Guard,” in Arlington, Virginia, responsible for Arlington National Cemetery burials, the Tomb of the Unknowns, and defense of the National Capital Region. He served for three years on the history faculty at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and led the International Scholarships Program.

Mullaney’s military decorations include the Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal with “V” device, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Ranger Tab, and Parachutist Badge.

Mullaney is the author of the 2009 New York Times bestseller The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier’s Education. He has appeared on The Charlie Rose Show, The CBS Early Show, BBC World News America, National Public Radio, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He has lectured at Harvard Business School, U.S. Southern Command, Princeton University, military service academies, and numerous business and policy forums.

Mullaney lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Dr. Meena Seshamani, a senior health policy advisor in the Department of Health and Human Services.

Check out Craig Mullaney’s website here