VADM Retired Robert Sharp

Chief Maritime Intelligence Officer

Windward US

Vice Admiral Bob Sharp, USN (Ret.) served as a Naval Intelligence
Officer for 34 years, and as a leader within the Information Warfare
Community since its inception.
His last tour of duty was as the seventh Director of the National
Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) -- an organization of over
14,500 civilian, military and contractor employees working across
more than 100 locations in the U.S. and 20 international locations
delivering world-class geospatial intelligence that provides a
decisive advantage to policy makers, military service members,
intelligence professionals and first responders.
From April 2016 to February 2019, VADM Sharp served as
Commander, Office of Naval Intelligence and Director, National
Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office. During his initial flag assignment, he served as the
Director for Intelligence (J2), U.S. Special Operations Command.
His previous operational tours include deployments with USS Ranger (CV61), Carrier Air Wing 2
embarked on USS Constellation (CV 64), and Carrier Group 2 embarked on USS Harry S. Truman
(CVN 75). Additionally, he conducted multiple deployments to Afghanistan as J2 of a Special
Operations Task Force, leading joint, inter-agency intelligence professionals supporting
Operation Enduring Freedom.
VADM Sharp’s shore tours include assistant intelligence officer for Commander Naval Air
Forces, Pacific; instructor duty at the Fleet Intelligence Center, Pacific; targeting officer on the
Joint Staff; Intelligence Operations officer with U.S. Fleet Forces Command; Director of
Intelligence for Naval Special Warfare Development Group; Director of Intelligence and Deputy
Director for the Maritime Operations Center for Commander U.S. Naval Forces Central
Command, U.S. 5th Fleet; and senior fellow on the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies
Group. He commanded the Joint Intelligence Center, U.S. Central Command from August 2010
to August 2012.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of the Pacific and a Master of Science degree in
National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
In addition to multiple personal, unit, and campaign awards, he has been the recipient of the
Vice Admiral Rufus L. Taylor award for excellence in instruction, the U.S. Army’s Knowlton
Award for Military Intelligence, the Rear Admiral Edwin T. Layton leadership award, and the
Naval Intelligence Foundation award for excellence in operational intelligence support to the
Fleet.
He is currently the CEO of B Sharp – Global Solutions, doing a combination of consulting,
advisory board and fellowship work focused on helping people who are trying to make the
world a better place succeed.

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