Chris Miller
The Honorable Christopher C. Miller served as a public servant for 34 years in the Army and national security apparatus of the United States. His service culminated as the Acting Secretary of Defense in 2020-21 overseeing the military’s $720 billion budget and leading its two million service members and 700k civilian employees. After gaining commercial experience as a founder of the business consultancy Boundary Channel Partners, and then as an executive at the aerospace company DZYNE Technologies, he recently created FPF-Defense, a startup focused on countering drones.
Miller is on the board of directors of Albers Aerospace, Onebrief, Draganfly and Evolution Metals and Technologies. He serves on the advisory boards of numerous innovative defense and defense-adjacent companies committed to rapidly delivering needed capabilities to our Nation’s defenders and transforming the national security ecosystem. Miller also evaluates defense-related technologies as a member of Fulcrum Venture Group.
The Senate unanimously confirmed Chris on August 6, 2020, as the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center where he was responsible for defending the U.S from terrorist attacks. Prior to his confirmation, Chris led the Department of Defense’s counterterrorism, hostage rescue and irregular warfare efforts as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. He also served temporarily as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations.
In 2018 and 2019 Chris was the Special Assistant to the President for Counterterrorism and Transnational Threats at the White House. As the government’s senior most policy-making official in those fields, Chris developed and implemented strategy and policy and provided counsel to the National Security Advisor, Vice-President, and President.
Chris enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1983. In 1987 he became an Army officer through R.O.T.C and served 27 years in the Infantry and Special Forces (Green Berets). He planned and participated in the invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003, in addition to numerous other deployments worldwide. After retiring from the Army in 2014, he provided advice to senior government officials and drove change in the fields of Special Operations, Political Warfare and Intelligence as a defense contractor and government employee.
Raised in Iowa City, Iowa, Chris received a Bachelor of Arts in History from the George Washington University. He earned a Master of Arts degree in National Security Studies from the Naval War College and is a graduate of the Army War College.
Chris is one of his generation’s most seasoned national security professionals and remains committed to transforming antiquated thinking and processes to ensure a strong national defense and secure Republic while advocating for members of our Armed Forces, Veterans and their families. He volunteers as a board member for the Special Operations Association of America, Donovan and Bank Foundation and Check-a-Vet.
With over 40 years of proven success leading and managing teams and organizations in the most complex, dynamic, demanding, and sensitive environments, his experiences and philosophy are available in his book, “Soldier-Secretary: Warnings from the Battlefield & the Pentagon about America’s Most Dangerous Enemies”.