General Eric K. Shinseki (USA Retired) currently holds the Class of 1951, Chair on Leadership as a Visiting Professor at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York.  He graduated from West Point and was commissioned in the United States Army on June 9, 1965, from which he retired on August 1, 2003.

During his 38 years in uniform, GeneralShinseki served in a succession of command and staff assignments worldwide, including two combat tours in Vietnam and over 10 years in Cold War and post-Cold War Europe.  He culminated his service in Europe with three simultaneous commands:  U.S. Army, Europe and NATO Land Forces, Central Europe, both headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany; and the NATO-led Peace Stabilization Force, Bosnia-Herzegovina, headquartered in Sarajevo.  General Shinseki served as the 34th Chief of Staff, United States Army, June 22, 1999-June 11, 2003.  

As Chief of Staff, General Shinseki helped craft a vision to transform the Army from its Cold War structures to meet a rapidly changing global operating environment.  To prepare young general officers for their leadership responsibilities in a transforming Army, he established a Strategic Leaders Course that included benchmarking selected U.S. corporate approaches to strategic leadership and organizational change.  Following the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, General Shinseki oversaw the preparation of Army formations for operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

A graduate of the U.S. National War College (1986), General Shinseki earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy (1965) and a Master of Arts degree from Duke University (1976).  In addition to awards and decorations from the U.S. government, General Shinseki was recognized by NATO and the governments of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, and Thailand for his military service. 

He serves on several corporate boards and is a member of the Advisory Boards at the Center for Public Leadership, JFK School of Government, Harvard University, and to the U.S. Comptroller General.  He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Atlantic Council of the United States, and the Association of the United States Army.