Christopher D. Kolenda is an independent consultant focusing on leadership and human security in conflict areas.

He formerly served as the Senior Advisor on Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Department of Defense senior leadership and has served four tours in Afghanistan.

In 2007-08, he commanded an airborne infantry task force in Kunar and Nuristan provinces that pioneered an innovative approach to counterinsurgency. Employing locally-tailored combinations of armed diplomacy, conflict resolution, and both kinetic and non-kinetic leverage, his unit dramatically improved the levels of stability in what had been one of the most violent areas of Afghanistan.

From 2009 to 2014 he shaped every critical policy and strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. His advice has been adopted by three Secretaries of Defense and the President of the United States.

His efforts have been featured in New York Times bestsellers The Outpost by Jake Tapper and Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson, as well as in numerous newspaper and journal articles and studies.

A highly sought-after speaker and writer, Christopher Kolenda is the editor and coauthor of Leadership: The Warrior’s Art, which has appeared on the professional reading lists of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and many professional schools.

His new book, The Counterinsurgency Challenge, examines the complexities of leadership and decision-making in modern conflict.