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Steve Wilbur

@stevewilbur

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Strategic Futures | Geopolitics | National Security

United States

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking to apply strategic foresight and long-range military analysis to help leaders navigate geopolitical volatility and emerging technology—leading elite cross-functional teams and interagency programs that convert insight into decisive action.

I’m a strategic leader with 20 years of experience driving high-stakes analysis and operational excellence across the National Intelligence Council, the CIA, and the U.S. Navy. I specialize in strategic foresight and long-range planning—translating geopolitical volatility and emerging technologies into actionable decision support.

At the National Intelligence Council and the CIA, I led comparative analysis of strategic competitors and threats, future of war analysis, and military implications of emerging technology. I co-authored Global Trends and also chaired the IC’s Adversary Cooperation Community of Interest, earning recognition for support to crisis planning and leading a major program of record.

Earlier in my career, I directed Navy cyber intelligence operations to support elite cyber capability development, managed theater-level intelligence assessments at CENTCOM, and served as Chief of Intelligence for a Task Force with SEAL Team 10. I bring structured analytic techniques, rigorous tradecraft, and a proven ability to lead elite cross-functional teams to inform critical decisions at the highest levels.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Strategic Military Analyst

Central Intelligence Agency

Oct 2018 - Dec 2025 (7 years 2 months)

Led CIA’s strategic military analysis, recognized for analytic expertise, tradecraft, and intelligence acumen. Produced strategic assessments spanning geopolitical and future of warfare topics, including advanced computing, advanced manufacturing, and critical infrastructure defense, and supported interagency mission solutions.

Intelligence Tradecraft Future of Warfare Analysis Geopolitical Analysis Interagency Mission Support Advanced Computing Assessment Critical Infrastructure Defense Analysis

Director for Strategic Competition

National Intelligence Council

Sep 2024 - Sep 2025 (1 year)

Responsible for comparative analysis of U.S. strategic competitors and threats, future of war analysis, military implications of emerging technology, and geopolitical trends. Co-authored Global Trends—the National Intelligence Council’s quadrennial strategic foresight assessment—authoring chapters on strategic competition, geopolitics, and the future of warfare.

Competitive Analysis Strategic Foresight Analysis Emerging Technologies Geopolitical Analysis Strategic Foresight

Cyber Intelligence Director

Navy Cyber Warfare Development Group

Jan 2015 - Jan 2017 (2 years)

Directed intelligence operations and analysis to support the Navy’s elite cyber capability development unit. Led interagency planning efforts to enable new intelligence operations against hard targets.

Intelligence Analysis Hard Target Intelligence Operations

Navy Intelligence Officer

U.S. Navy

Jan 2008 - Jan 2017 (9 years)

Directed intelligence operations and analysis supporting Navy cyber capability development. Led interagency planning efforts to enable new intelligence operations against hard targets, and received early promotion to Lieutenant Commander.

Intelligence Analysis Operational Planning Crisis Contingency Support

Senior Intelligence Analyst

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Joint Intelligence Center

Jan 2012 - Jan 2015 (3 years)

Managed, coordinated, and produced theater-level operational and strategic intelligence assessments focused on violent extremist organizations and regional trends. Led development of a foundational study of ISIS’s cyber strategy and helped produce a quantitative framework supporting counterterrorism analysis.

Theater Level Intelligence Assessment Operational Intelligence Production Strategic Intelligence Terrorism Analysis ISIS Cyber Strategy Analysis Counterterrorism Analysis Support

Assistant Intelligence Officer

SEAL Team 10

Jan 2010 - Jan 2012 (2 years)

Served as the intelligence chief for a combat-deployed team of 43 joint-service intelligence personnel. Deployed to Afghanistan supporting 1100+ combat and intelligence operations and led liaison and key leader engagement with Afghan partners.

Combat Deployed Intelligence Leadership Targetable Intelligence Production Joint Service Intelligence Coordination Training Program Establishment for Deploying Intelligence Officers

Deputy Team Chief

US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT)

Jan 2009 - Jan 2010 (1 year)

Managed a regional intelligence portfolio spanning Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, and Gulf Cooperation Council nations, including TDY service as Chief of Intelligence for Task Force Iraqi Maritime. Served in watch and morning briefing roles and managed crisis response and contingency planning by creating intelligence annexes for compartmented strategic conti

Regional Intelligence Briefings Senior Leader Intelligence Relations Crisis Response Management Contingency Plan Intelligence Annex Development

Academia Research Analyst

Jones Graduate School of Management, Rice University

Jan 2003 - Jan 2005 (2 years)

Completed a two-year research fellowship performing quantitative and qualitative research, writing and editing academic papers, and managing research teams. Created new metrics to measure the efficacy of public institutions and focused on e-commerce best practices and venture capital models.

Quantitative Research Qualitative Research Research Team Management Metrics Public Institution Efficacy Measurement E Commerce Best Practices Venture Capital Model Research

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Jones Graduate School of Management, Rice University

Research Fellowship, Quantitative & Qualitative Research

2003 - 2005

Activities and societies: Conducted research and authored academic papers; managed research teams (2–7); developed new metrics for public-institution efficacy; focused on e-commerce best practices and venture capital models.

Completed a two-year research fellowship at Jones Graduate School of Management, Rice University, conducting quantitative and qualitative research and publishing academic work.