Brian Cook

Brian Cook (Colonel, US Army, Retired) is a soldier, strategist, and author who led teams across five combat tours—from Desert Storm to Afghanistan—and spent thirty-three years serving in some of the most consequential environments on Earth. A West Point graduate with advanced degrees from the Naval War College and Carnegie Mellon University, he taught theater strategy at the Army War College, led Army Futures Command's first-ever campaign planning effort, and spoke at SXSW. His national security writing has been published twice in Expeditions with MCUP (Marine Corps University Press). He is also a certified heroic coach.

Married to Dr. Sara Gilliam, Brian has three adult kids (Tiffany, Jorden, and Marco), a teenager (Grace), and two granddaughters (Adalyna & Anastasia). When he’s not helping people set their tables, he loves to spend time with them.