Jeff Eggers

Jeff is the Executive Director of the McChrystal Group Leadership Insitute, where he leads research and training on organizational performance and leadership. He is also the best-selling author of Leaders: Myth and Reality, a book that re-defines leadership for the 21st century.  He is also a senior fellow at New America conducting research on the intersection of behavioral science and decision-making, and an advisor to the Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, where he assists with international conflict mediation efforts. 

In government, Jeff served as a Special Assistant to President Obama for National Security Affairs, and worked at the White House from 2010 through early 2015, principally as the National Security Council's Senior Director for Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2014 President Obama presented Jeff with the Samuel Nelson Drew Award for "Distinguished Contribution in Pursuit of Global Peace" for his role in mediating the political crisis following the 2014 Afghan presidential elections.

Jeff retired from the Navy in 2013, serving over 20 years as a combat veteran Navy SEAL. Jeff served in the military as Strategic Advisor to General Stanley McChrystal, Special Assistant to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen, Branch Chief for Combating Terrorism on the Joint Staff, and White House Fellow and Director for Combating Terrorism at the National Security Council. Jeff's operational tours included several SEAL Teams, commander of the Special Operations Task Unit in western Iraq, and Operations Officer and Mission Commander for the U.S. Navy's undersea special operations command.

Jeff currently serves on the board of a non-profit that cares for and assists the families of veterans killed in action. Jeff is also a member of the NationSwell Council, a forum for advancing innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges in America. He holds an M.A. from Oxford University and a B.S. from the United States Naval Academy.