Kurt Klausner is president of Klausner Consulting, LLC, a company that consults for clients from business, government, and academic organizations on leadership, Chief Information Officer (CIO) strategies, and operational art (implementing strategy). Mr. Klausner is an internationally recognized subject matter expert on leadership, information technology, intelligence, and military matters. He has more than three decades of military and government service. He has been published in United States Air Force’s Air & Space Power Journal as well as the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force equivalent Air Power Review. He has presented at technical conferences to include the Armed Forces Communications Electronic Association (AFCEA), the Department of Defense Intelligence Information Systems (DODIIS) worldwide, and a Symposium in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Klausner most recently held a Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service position at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), directly responsible for mission success of a global information system supporting over 54,000 users. In this capacity, he oversaw the efforts of over 1500 personnel, providing vision, direction, and guidance on matters related to requirements, operations, and information technology governance. In this capacity he served as Chairman of the Capabilities Services Board, a cross-functional group made up of senior leaders from across DIA and governing over a portfolio in excess of $500M.
Prior to his DIA position, Mr. Klausner culminated his active duty service as the CIO and Director for Command, Control, Communications and Computer (C4) Systems, Headquarters, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He directed the activities of a joint staff responsible for C4 systems support to special operations forces (SOF) worldwide, and managed and programmed for command C4 systems assets valued at over $300 million. He orchestrated and advocated research, development and acquisition of new warfighting C4 systems for the SOF community. During this assignment, he deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan numerous times and served as Chief of Staff for a Joint Special Operations Task Force engaged in combat operations.
Also while in the Air Force, he served in a wide range of communications and electronics-associated disciplines, including positions in engineering installation, combat communications, airborne command post operations, computer systems operations, airborne early warning operations/support, and headquarters staffs. These duties include assignments at the detachment, squadron, group, joint task force, major command, Air Staff and unified command levels. He has seven years of unit command experience that included one remote detachment, two squadrons, and a group. His overseas assignments and deployments, totaling more than ten years, include support to NATO, European Command, Africa Command, Central Command, NORAD, and National Command Authority operations.
In addition to his highly decorated military career, Mr. Klausner received the Communicator of the Year award from the Associate of Old Crows. As Chapter President (Oklahoma City Chapter), he garnered the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association’s Model Chapter of the Year. His article “Command and Control of Air and Space Forces Requires Significant Attention to Bandwidth” has been cited continuously since its publication.
Mr. Klausner graduated from the John Carroll University with a B.S. degree in Business Administration, earned a Masters in Business Administration from Boston University and a Masters in Strategic Studies from Air University. He graduated from the Air War College and received a Chief Information Officer Certificate from Nation Defense University.