Admiral James Stavridis

The Carlyle Group Operating Executive, Retired 4-Star Admiral of the U.S. Navy

Admiral Stavridis is an Operating Executive of the global private equity firm, The Carlyle Group. A retired 4-star Admiral of the U.S. Navy, he was the 16th Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. During his naval career, he also led the Navy's premier operational think tank for innovation and held commands as Commander of U.S. Southern Command in Miami, Florida, and Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of Defense.

Admiral Stavridis has won more than 50 medals, including 28 from foreign nations, as well as the 2019 Theodore Roosevelt Association Medal of Honor for his resilient leadership and dedicated service during his extensive military career.

He earned a Ph.D. from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, where he served as Dean for five years, winning the Gullion prize as the outstanding student in his class, as well as academic honors from the National and Naval War Colleges as a distinguished student. Jim has published nine books on character, leadership, the oceans, Latin America, ship handling, and innovation, along with hundreds of articles in leading journals.