Admiral William H. McRaven, is a retired U.S. Navy Four-Star admiral and the former Chancellor
of the University of Texas System. During his time in the military, he commanded special
operations forces at every level, eventually taking charge of the U.S. Special Operations
Command. His career included combat during Desert Storm and both the Iraq and Afghanistan
wars.
McRaven is a recognized national authority on U.S. foreign policy and has advised Presidents
George W. Bush, Barack Obama and other U.S. leaders on defense issues. He currently serves
as a Senior Advisor for Lazard Financial Advisory and he is on the boards of the Council on
Foreign Relations (CFR), the National Football Foundation, the International Crisis Group, The
Mission Continues, and ConocoPhillips.
McRaven is the author of four books, SPEC OPS: Case Studies in Special Operations Warfare,
and three New York Times Best Sellers, Make Your Bed, Sea Stories, and The Hero Code.
He met his wife, Georgeann, while they were students at UT Austin, and they have three grown
children. McRaven stays active with his writing, speaking and board commitments.