Michael Williams is a Senior Military Analyst for Cognitive Performance Group. He is a retired Army Information Operations (IO) officer, consultant, and investor. He entered the U.S. Army Chemical Corps in 1985 and transitioned to Military Intelligence a few years later. He became an IO Officer in 1999 after seeing the importance of IO during a tour in the Balkans. He was an IO Team Leader in Kosovo in 2001, in Afghanistan in 2002, and later led the training and deployment of IO teams supporting tactical and theater headquarters in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Haiti. He finished his military service while assigned to the Joint Staff J-39. After retiring he became an advisor and consultant to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (OUSD(I)) and later the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (OUSD(Policy)) working on strategic communication and information operations policy, programs and budgeting for the department, services, and combatant commands. He continues to consult on military issues while also operating a real estate brokerage and construction firm with his spouse.
