R. James Woolsey

R. James Woolsey

Partner at VantagePoint Venture Partners, Socrates Program

R. James Woolsey is a venture partner at VantagePoint Venture Partners. He is also the Annenberg Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University; Of Counsel to the law firm of Goodwin Procter; and chairman of the Strategic Advisory Group of Paladin Capital Corporation. Before he joined VantagePoint in March 2008, Mr. Woolsey was a Partner with Booz Allen Hamilton in McLean, Virginia, specializing in energy and security issues, and prior to that a partner with Shea & Gardner in Washington D.C., specializing in commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution (arbitration and mediation). He practiced at the firm for 22 years on four different occasions and served five times in the federal government for a total of 12 years, holding Presidential appointments in two Democratic and two Republican administrations. He served as Director of Central Intelligence (1993-95), Ambassador and Chief Negotiator for the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty in Vienna (1989-91), Delegate at Large (on a part-time basis) to the Strategic Arms Reductions Talks (START) and the Defense and Space Talks in Geneva (1983-86), Under Secretary of the Navy (1977-79), and General Counsel to the U.S. Senate committee on Armed Services (1970-73). He has served on numerous corporate and non-profit boards. From time to time he speaks publicly and contributes articles to newspapers and other periodicals on such issues as national security, energy, foreign affairs and intelligence.