Christopher Schmitt

Location: Seattle, WA
Language: English

After retiring from 30 years of service as a United States Army Special Forces “Green Beret,” Chris recognizes that “kindness” was the most effective weapon in his kit bag. The big idea now is to translate the lessons learned from Special Operations in combat into corporate sector leadership acumen. Chris daily conducts face-to-face and cloud-based executive coaching conversations with leaders from Fortune 500 Companies and International Not-for-Profits from his new home in the Seattle area. Additionally, he facilitates leadership development workshops and leads a wilderness-based leadership development traverse. Chris remains connected to the U.S. Special Operations Community through special projects and is passionate about support to the Veteran Community through serving as a Leadership Fellow and Seattle Chapter Captain for Team Red, White, and Blue.

During the past three decades, Chris gained extensive experience commanding, planning and executing special operations missions around the world. Through facilitating the success of Partner Nation leaders, both General Officers and Government Leaders in Afghanistan, the Balkans, Northwest Africa and Canada, his career allowed him to serve as a mentor, trainer, and coach both in combat and uncertain environments at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels.

Chris has earned a Certification for Executive Coaching from Columbia University, a Master of Science in Organizational Development from Central Washington University, and a Bachelor of Science in International Relations from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Chris is currently certified in The Birkman Method and possesses a United States Government Top Secret clearance.This education and extensive leadership background make Chris uniquely qualified to executive coach, conduct cross-cultural mentoring, facilitate self-discovery, and inspire others to attain their personal summits.