Aspen Strategy Group

John Hamre

President and CEO, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Program:
Aspen Strategy Group

Biography

John Hamre is president and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Before joining CSIS, he served as the 26th U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense. Prior to holding that position, he was Under Secretary of Defense (comptroller) from 1993 to 1997. Before serving in the Department of Defense, Dr. Hamre worked for 10 years as a professional staff member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. During that time, he was primarily responsible for the oversight and evaluation of procurement, research and development programs, defense budget issues, and relations with the Senate Appropriations Committee. From 1978 to 1984, he served in the Congressional Budget Office, where he became its deputy assistant director for national security and international affairs. In that position, he oversaw analysis and other support for committees in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Since 2007, Dr. Hamre has served as Chairman of the Defense Policy Board.  He also serves on the boards of ITT, SAIC, Inc., Oshkosh Corporation, and the MITRE Corporation. Dr. Hamre received a B.A., with high distinction, from Augustana College, studied as a Rockefeller fellow at Harvard Divinity School, and received a Ph.D., with distinction in 1978 from the School of Advanced International Studies at the Johns Hopkins University. He is a member of the Aspen Strategy Group.