The Honorable James “Hondo” Geurts has over three decades of leadership in national security. He is actively involved in numerous efforts to improve the Nation’s defense industrial base, serving on several commissions, study efforts, and co-hosting the innovative Building the Base Podcast. He devotes much of his time to mentoring public and private sector teams on scaling, agility, innovation, talent development, and servant leadership.
He retired from government service in 2021 after performing the duties of the Under Secretary of the Navy, the Department’s number two civilian with responsibility for the effective global business operations of the over one million personnel and a $200B for the US Navy and Marine Corps team. He previously served as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition where he was responsible for a $150 billion annual budget and ensuring the effective procurement and sustainment of platforms, systems, technologies, and services for America’s Sailors and Marines serving around the globe.
Before joining the Department of the Navy, he served as the Acquisition Executive for the United States Special Operations Command as a member of the Senior Executive Service. He began his career as an Air Force officer, leading the acquisition of numerous weapons systems before his retirement as a Colonel. He is the founder of SOFWERX, Naval X, and the Ghost Mentor Program, all of which have been emulated as an effective means to drive innovation into large public sector organizations.
EDUCATION
National Defense University, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, M.S., National Security Resourcing
Air Force Institute of Technology, M.S., Electrical Engineering
Lehigh University, B.S., Electrical Engineering