Patrick Mahaney

Colonel (USA, Retired) Patrick J. Mahaney, Jr. completed 32 years of service in the U.S. Army.  A Special Forces officer (Green Beret), he held key leadership positions from the tactical to strategic levels. Prior to retiring in October 2017, he served as Director and Senior Military Fellow for the Chief of Staff of the Army’s Strategic Studies Group, following assignment as the Army Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. His service includes nine combat tours and extensive operational assignments worldwide.  He commanded the U.S. Army’s Asymmetric Warfare Group, a tactical Special Forces battalion, and a Special Operations Task Force.  He served in a range of special operations units, as well as in several U.S. embassies. 

Colonel (Ret) Mahaney currently serves as a Senior Advisor in the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN), in the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Undersecretary of Defense (Research and Engineering).  He is co-founder and Director of the National Center for Urban Operations, a non-profit based in NYC, and is the Senior Mentor for the Dense Urban Studies Strategic Broadening Seminar, sponsored by the U.S. Army.  He also serves as a Mentor with NYU Stern School of Business’ Endless Frontier Labs, in the Deep Tech and Digital Tech programs. 

Colonel (Ret) Mahaney is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.  He holds a B.A. from NYU (with honors, Phi Beta Kappa), and Master’s degrees from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and from the University of Perugia (Italy).  He is a graduate of Italy’s Institute for High Defense Studies (U.S. Army War College Fellowship) and of the Spanish Army’s Staff College. An Honorary Battalion Chief of the NYC Fire Department (FDNY) and Trustee of the NYC Fire Museum, he served alongside the FDNY during recovery operations at the World Trade Center in November 2001.  

Education

• MA (Level II) in International Affairs, University of Perugia (Italy)
• MIA, Columbia University SIPA
• BA, New York University