GOVERNANCE RISK GLOBAL HOLDINGS
LEADERSHIP TEAM

Back To Team

General Joseph L. Votel is a retired U.S. Army Four-Star officer and the former Commander of the U.S. Central Command – responsible for U.S. and coalition military operations in the Middle East, Levant and Central and South Asia. During his 39 years in the military, he commanded special operations and conventional military forces at every level. His career included combat in Panama, Afghanistan and Iraq. Notably, he led a 79-member coalition that successfully liberated Iraq and Syria from the Islamic State Caliphate. He preceded his assignment at CENTCOM with service as the Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and the Joint Special Operations Command. 

Following his retirement from military service, General Votel served as the President & CEO of Business Executives for National Security (BENS). He is member of the Board of Trustees of Noblis Corporation and a Strategic Advisor for Sierra Nevada Corporation and AGI, Inc. General Votel is a Board Director with AeroVironment, Minnesota Wire, DC Capital Partners, Helix Decision Science and a member of the Government Advisory Board for Insight Partners.  He is the Distinguished Chair of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point.

​

General Votel is a member the Board of Governors at the Middle East Institute and Executive Board at the UPenn Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law (CERL). He is a member of the Board for both Bravo Zulu House and the Veterans Defense Project. General Votel is a member of the advisory Board for Spirit of America. He is a current member of the Council on Foreign Relations. 

​

General Votel was recognized with the Distinguished Military Leadership Award from the Atlantic Council, the U.S. – Arab Defense Leadership Award from the National Council on U.S. - Arab Relations, the Patriot Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the SGT James T. Regan Lifetime Achievement Award from the “Lead the Way” Foundation and the Freedom Award from the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.

General Votel is a 1980 graduate of the United States Military Academy and earned master’s degrees from the U.S. Army Command and Staff College and the Army War College.