Craig M. Mullaney was appointed as a Senior Advisor at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in April 2010. He currently advises USAID’s Development Innovation Ventures, a venture-style fund that identifies, rigorously tests, and seeks to scale breakthrough solutions to core development challenges. He previously served at USAID as the senior adviser to the USAID Administrator, Dr. Rajiv Shah, on Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2009, Devex named Mullaney a “40 Under 40 International Development Leader.”

Before joining USAID, Mullaney served at the Pentagon in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as the Principal Director for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia Policy and as the Chief of Staff for the Department of Defense Transition Team. Prior to joining the Department of Defense, Mullaney was a national security advisor on President Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign staff.

Mullaney graduated second in his class from the United States Military Academy. After completing Ranger School, he continued to the University of Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship. At Oxford, he completed masters degrees in diplomatic and economic history and backpacked extensively through the developing world.

In 2003, Mullaney led an infantry rifle platoon along the hostile border between Afghanistan and Pakistan with the 10th Mountain Division as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. His platoon operated along the entire spectrum of military operations—from humanitarian assistance with the first Provincial Reconstruction Team established in Afghanistan to combat engagements against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Following his return to the United States, Mullaney joined the elite 3rd Infantry Regiment, “The Old Guard,” in Arlington, Virginia, responsible for Arlington National Cemetery burials, the Tomb of the Unknowns, and defense of the National Capital Region. He served for three years on the history faculty of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland and led the International Scholarships Program to record levels of success. Mullaney’s military decorations include the Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal with “V” device, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Ranger Tab, and Parachutist Badge.

Mullaney is the author of the 2009 New York Times bestseller The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier’s Education, a Washington Post Best Books of 2009, Military Times Best Military Books of the Decade, and Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers selection. He has appeared on The Charlie Rose Show, The CBS Early Show, BBC World News America, National Public Radio, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He has lectured at Harvard Business School, U.S. Southern Command, Princeton University, military service academies, and numerous academic, leadership, and policy forums.

A proud Rhode Island native, Craig currently lives outside Baltimore, Maryland with his wife Dr. Meena Seshamani, a resident otolaryngologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and his one-year-old son Arjun. A former wrestler, rower, marathoner, and sports parachutist, Mullaney’s current interests include cycling, yoga, and barefoot hiking.

Books by Craig M. Mullaney