General Peter Pace retired in 2007, after more than 40 years of active service in the United States Marine Corps.
As the sixteenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2005-2007), he served as the principal military advisor to the President, the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council. He also served as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2001-2005. Notably, General Pace is the first Marine to have served in either of these positions.
During his distinguished career, General Pace held command at virtually every level, beginning as a Rifle Platoon Leader in Vietnam. He also served in Europe, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, and Somalia.
Born in Brooklyn and raised in Teaneck, NJ, General Pace is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, and the National War College. He holds a master's degree in Administration from George Washington University.
In 2008, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor a President can bestow.
Boards and Charities
General Pace is currently serving on the Board of Directors of several corporate entities involved in management consulting, private equity, and cybersecurity. He has served on the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, and the Secretary of Defense's Defense Policy Board. As an Adjunct Faculty member, he taught Business Leadership and Ethics at Indiana University, Fordham University, and Georgetown University.
General Pace is associated with a number of charities focused on supporting the troops and their families. He is a board member for the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation, a charity that provides scholarship bonds to children of Marines or Federal law enforcement personnel who were killed while serving our country. He and his wife Lynne are longtime supporters of the Fisher House Foundation, which builds homes near VA and military medical centers, offering military families a place to stay while loved ones receive treatment; and they are both on the advisory board for Our Military Kids, an organization that supports children of deployed Guard and Reserve personnel with tutoring and enrichment activities.
What to Expect
General Pace shares with audiences his insight into one or more of these topics: leadership, cybersecurity, non-political advice, and artificial intelligence.
Leadership: General Pace discusses the importance of integrity and a moral code not just on the battlefield, but in the boardroom, and in life. He offers insights and personal examples about leading up and down the chain, to include: Embracing the job you didn't want; navigating between the organization's vision and your own personal goals; speaking up in a way that challenges assumptions but not authority; and preparing for ethical decisions before they arrive.
Cybersecurity: General Pace combines vast military experience with unprecedented access to information technology and security expertise to provide the audience with a thorough understanding of cybersecurity vulnerabilities and what nations, businesses and individuals can do to protect themselves from this unique and ubiquitous threat.
Non-political Advice: Transcending any partisan political debate, General Pace explains the chain of command and the value of civilian control of the military, demonstrating how non-political advice plays an important role in our government process even in (especially in) a very political environment. He shares "a day in the life" view, detailing what it's like to provide strategic guidance to an organization with 2.4 million members and a budget in excess of $700 billion, as well as how to address competing priorities, stove piped perspectives, the importance of time, mentorship, accessibility, meetings, and well-defined responsibilities.
Artificial Intelligence: Algorithms, math, and statistical analysis can be applied to complex problems to identify trends and patterns, making logical projections or forecasts, which empower us to make timely and informed decisions impacting our daily lives, the market economy, and national security. But who determines policy, and how do we ensure those rules are followed to safeguard intellectual property, personal privacy, and basic safety? Relying on access to cutting edge IT innovations and expertise, combined with decades of experience in decision-making in the national security arena, General Pace shares what organizations should consider to take advantage of Artificial Intelligence, while assessing and mitigating its inherent risks.
