Mark T. Esper

Biography

Mark T. Esper served as the 27th Secretary of Defense from 2019-2020, and as Secretary of the Army from 2017-2019. A distinguished West Point graduate, he spent 21 years in uniform, including a combat tour in the Gulf War. Dr. Esper worked for several years on Capitol Hill and at the Pentagon in varying senior capacities. He was also a top executive at a prestigious think tank, business associations, a China-focused commission, and a Fortune 100 technology company. Dr. Esper currently sits on several public policy and business boards and is a partner in the Red Cell Partners venture capital firm.