Benjamin Backsmeier

About Benjamin Backsmeier

I am a global operations and strategy executive with over 15 years of leadership experience across the United States, Europe, and Asia. My career includes senior roles in the U.S. Army, JPMorgan Chase, and Medcor, where I have led organizations through growth, transformation, and operational complexity in both mature and emerging markets. I have built and scaled high-performing teams, led under private equity ownership, and driven measurable improvements in performance, efficiency, and organizational resilience.In my current role as Division Vice President at Medcor, I lead multinational teams and oversee operational execution, strategic expansion, and enterprise effectiveness. My leadership experience across Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States has given me a deep understanding of global execution, cross-cultural team dynamics, crisis response, and long-horizon strategic planning.I also continue to serve as a U.S. Army Reserve Officer. My military career includes domestic and international assignments, and it has shaped my approach to leading through uncertainty, managing risk, and building adaptable organizations. I have published research and commentary in the areas of national security, industrial policy, economic warfare, and geopolitics, and I remain actively engaged in these subjects as part of my ongoing professional and academic interests.In addition, I serve as Board Chair of the Orion Military Scholars, a nonprofit focused on expanding educational opportunities for the children of service members. I help guide a mission-driven nonprofit that ensures children of active-duty U.S. service members can access stable, high-quality boarding‑school educations.I hold an MBA from Chicago Booth, an MLitt in International Security Studies from the University of St. Andrews, and a BS in Political Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point.I am passionate about helping mission-driven organizations scale, transforming complex operations, and advising leaders at the intersection of strategy and business. I welcome opportunities to serve on boards in mission-driven organizations, advise on strategy, or partner with leaders who value disciplined operations, global perspective, and principled data-driven decision-making.

Experience

1. Strategic Planner

   U.S. Pacific Command

   Feb 2024 — Present · Camp Parks, CA, US

   Serve as the primary Noncombatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) Planner for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Army Reserve Element (ARE). Supported US Operations in South Korea.

Education

• University of St Andrews

  Master’s Degree, International Security Studies

• The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Concentrations: Strategic Management; Entrepreneurship

• United States Military Academy at West Point

  Bachelor of Science, Political Science, Engineering Concentration: Environmental Engineering

• U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Graduate Certificate, Intermediate Level Education (ILE)

Skills

• Command
• Conflict Resolution
• Intelligence Analysis
• Public Speaking
• Security Clearance
• Operational Planning
• International Relations
• Foreign Affairs
• Military Operations
• Leadership
• International Trade
• Policy
• Economics
• Weapons
• International Security
• Combat
• Military
• Program Management
• Army
• Counterinsurgency