General Wesley K. Clark is a businessman, educator, writer and commentator. He serves as Chairman and CEO of Wesley K. Clark and Associates, a strategic consulting firm; Co-Chairman of Growth Energy; senior fellow at UCLA’s Burkle Center for International Relations; Advisor at the Blackstone Group; Director of International Crisis Group; Chairman of City Year Little Rock/North Little Rock; Chairman of UGR Inc., a banking and strategic advisory firm; as well as numerous corporate boards. General Clark has authored three books and in addition to serving on AIPR’s Advisory Board, he serves as a member of the Clinton Global Initiative’s Energy and Climate Change Advisory Board, plus ACORE’s Advisory Board.
Clark retired a four star general after 38 years in the United States Army. He graduated first in his class at West Point and completed degrees in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University (B.A. and M.A.) as a Rhodes Scholar. While serving in Vietnam, he commanded an infantry company in combat, where he was severely wounded and evacuated home on a stretcher. He later commanded at the battalion, brigade and division level, and served in a number of significant staff positions, including service as the Director Strategic Plans and Policy (J-5). In his last assignment as Supreme Allied Commander Europe he led NATO forces to victory in Operation Allied Force, saving 1.5 million Albanians from ethnic cleansing.
His awards include the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Defense Distinguished Service Medal (five awards), Silver star, bronze star, purple heart, honorary knighthoods from the British and Dutch governments, and numerous other awards from other governments, including award of Commander of the Legion of Honor (France).