KEVIN HIGGINS

Mr. Kevin Higgins is a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) senior executive who retired after 30 years of distinguished service. In his last assignment, he served as Chief of Staff to the CIA Director. Mr. Higgins’ prior senior executive leadership roles include Assistant Director of CIA for Africa, Chief of Operations of the Counterterrorism Center, four foreign field assignments as Chief of Station, and Chief of Base of an expeditionary site in Afghanistan. During his three decades of service, he has received several honors–including the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, CIA’s Excellence in Leadership Award, the George W. Bush Award for Excellence in Counterterrorism, two CIA Director’s Awards, and is a three-time recipient of the Presidential Rank Award.

Mr. Higgins currently serves as a principal at WestExec, and sits on multiple boards and advisory boards spanning tech, wireless carrier, venture capital, private equity, renewable energy, and non-profit sectors. He founded KSTK Enterprises, a boutique advisory firm that specializes in opportunities that close the divide between private industry and the national security domain, as America’s challenges ahead will require whole-of-nation solutions and global partnerships. Mr. Higgins was previously the Senior Vice President and General Manager for US Operations and Global Opportunities at Zipline, a Silicon Valley start-up. Zipline has been recognized by Time Magazine as one of the TIME100 most influential companies, and has also been featured on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list. He holds a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College and is a graduate of Grambling State University, where he played Division I tennis.