LESSONS LEARNED FROM A NAVY SEAL

Mike Hayes

With a Bronze Star for valor in combat in Iraq, a Bronze Star for his service in Afghanistan, and the Defense Superior Service Medal from the White House, plus a business resume that includes chief of staff to the CEO and COO at Bridgewater Associates, few people are more qualified to talk about leadership than Mike Hayes. He is currently the chief digital transformation officer at VMware and leads the company”™s worldwide business operations and the acceleration of the company”™s SaaS (Software as a Service) transition. Prior to joining VMware, he served as senior vice president and head of strategic operations for Cognizant Technologies. 

Hayes spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy SEALs as one of 19 graduates from a class of 120. He served throughout South America, Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, including the conflicts in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. His last job in the Navy was as the commanding officer of SEAL Team TWO, which included 10 months as the commander of a 2,000-person Special Operations Task Force in southeastern Afghanistan. Before that, he was selected as a White House Fellow (2008 to 2009) and served two years as director, defense policy and strategy at the National Security Council. In the Bush Administration, Hayes was responsible for the START Treaty. In the Obama administration, he led the White House response to President Obama”™s first major foreign policy showdown ”“ the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama off the coast of Somalia. Prior to the White House Fellowship, Hayes served as the deputy commander for all special operations in Anbar Province, Iraq. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Public Policy from Harvard”™s Kennedy School and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Holy Cross College 

Hayes published his book in 2021, “Never Enough: A Navy SEAL Commander on Living a Life of Excellence, Agility and Meaning.” 

On Sunday, Sept. 11 at 11:15 a.m. Hayes will discuss his book and career at Christ Church Greenwich Parish Hall, 254 E. Putnam Ave., Greenwich. His presentation will be live streamed on christchurchgreenwich.org.