About Speaker

Dr. Sean McFate is a foreign policy expert, author and novelist. He is a Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council, a Washington DC think tank, and a professor of strategy at the National Défense University and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Additionally, he serves as an Advisor to Oxford University’s Centre for Technology and Global Affairs.

Dr. McFate’s career began as a paratrooper and officer in the U.S. Army, serving under Generals Stan McChrystal and David Petraeus. In the sphere of international business, he was a Vice President at TD International, a political risk consulting firm. He also worked at Deloitte and Booz Allen. His book, The New Rules of War, has received wide acclaim as has The Modern Mercenary.

McFate also writes fiction (the Tom Locke series) including Shadow War and Deep Black. His newest book is Fire Starters: How America Can Defeat Autocrats Without Starting World War III. McFate has appeared before the House of Commons, CNN, Fox, MSNBC and on many other venues. McFate holds a B.A. from Brown University, an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a Ph.D. in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He was also a Fellow of Oxford.