Cedric Leighton

To Inspire. To Lead. To Succeed. That is the motto of Cedric Leighton, Founder and President of Cedric Leighton Associates, a unique strategic risk and leadership management consultancy. Cedric brings an unmatched level of global geopolitical, operational, leadership and management expertise to his clients as they navigate the 21st century global marketplace.

Cedric honed his analytical and leadership skills during a 26-year career as an intelligence officer in the US Air Force. He witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall, oversaw critical Special Operations missions, established key partnerships with nations in South and Southeast Asia and deployed five times to the Middle East. He served at every command echelon from small deployed elements to the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, where he was the Deputy Director for Warfighter Support and Integration in the Intelligence Directorate.  His last military assignment was as the National Security Agency’s Deputy Director for Training. His numerous military awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Bronze Star (for his work in Operation Iraqi Freedom), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and seven Meritorious Service Medals. He retired as a Colonel in 2010.

Since founding Cedric Leighton Associates, Cedric has become an internationally known strategic risk expert. He has appeared on Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, Bloomberg TV, CNN, C-Span, MSNBC, BBC, CCTV (Chinese Central TV), CTV (Canada), ABC (Australia), RT America, Fox 5 DC, Fox 29 Philadelphia, as well as Washington DC’s News Channel 8, where he is a regular contributor to the “Capital Insider” program. He has written articles on cyber strategy, national security and management topics for AOL Defense, Business Excellence Magazine, MWorld, Leadership Excellence Magazine, theStreet.com, CNBC.com, JenningsWire, and the Huffington Post.  On radio, he has appeared on national shows such as the Jim Bohannon Show and the Leslie Marshall show, as well as numerous regional radio talk shows. Internationally, he has been a guest on the Voice of America and was quoted by the French national newspaper Le Figaro. He was a panelist for three Bloomberg Cyber Security Defense and National Security conferences. He is a National Journal ‘National Security Insider’, one of 89 nationally recognized experts who contribute insights every week.

Cedric graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University and holds a Master’s Degree in International Studies from Angelo State University. He speaks German, French and Spanish and has traveled extensively in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.