John L. Clarke

Associate, The Futures Strategy Group

Dr. John L. Clarke is an associate consultant of the Futures Strategy Group (FSG) and a professor of defense management and strategic studies at the Marshall Center in Garmisch, Germany. He has consulted on numerous strategy projects in Europe and in the United States. Most recently, he contributed European politico-military expertise and insight to Project Horizon, a U.S. interagency long-term scenario planning undertaking organized by the Department of State.

Dr. Clarke has been associated with the principals of FSG since 1998, when he led European operations for The Futures Group, Inc., the predecessor organization of FSG. He subsequently provided consultant service to Deloitte Consulting, leading their European efforts in business intelligence and scenario-based strategic planning.

Dr. Clarke is recognized as a leading expert on homeland security and homeland defense issues. He has developed and taught numerous courses on homeland security, crisis management, and stability operations. He has also developed scenario based exercises and simulations. He recently led a major research project on European approaches to homeland security. For a major U.S. government scenario planning project, Dr. Clarke conducted confidential interviews with senior political, military, and business leaders across Europe.

In a military career spanning more than a quarter century, Dr. Clarke held numerous positions of great responsibility in the national security organizations of the United States. A political-military affairs expert, he was responsible for developing the U.S. Army’s doctrine for operations into the next century. In particular, he developed the Army’s doctrinal response for operations such as Bosnia. In addition, Dr. Clarke served as a senior planner and crisis manager in the Joint Staff in the U.S. Department of Defense, as well as the executive assistant to the Commanding General, Fifth Army.

Dr. Clarke holds a Doktorat in political science from the University of Salzburg, Austria, a Brévet from the Ecole Supérieure de Guerre in Paris, an M.A. from the University of Southern California, a Diploma from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and a B.A. from Norwich University. He held a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University and was an Olmsted Scholar. A former Special Forces officer, Dr. Clarke commanded elite military units (parachute, commando, Ranger, armored infantry) in combat operations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the USA.

Dr. Clarke has led projects in 46 countries worldwide, speaks 6 languages, and has lived abroad for more than 20 years. He has published numerous articles on defense and security issues appearing in such publications as EuroFuture, Sot, Defense News, Mazanine der Bundeswehr, European Security and Journal of Homeland Security. He is a frequent contributor on German and Austrian radio and television.