Heino Klinck

Heino Klinck is a global strategist, business executive, retired U.S. Army colonel, former diplomat, and international defense policy expert. His experience includes leading global strategy efforts in a Fortune 100 company; senior political-military roles in the Pentagon; analytical and operational responsibilities in the intelligence community; multiple diplomatic postings in Europe and Asia; and providing strategic counsel through his independent consulting company, Klinck Global LLC.

As the deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, Heino devised and implemented U.S. defense policy in more than 20 countries and territories. He advised the secretary of defense, represented the Department of Defense to the National Security Council, and led sensitive negotiations with foreign partners. Colonel Klinck’s military career culminated as the director of Army international affairs, where he was the senior adviser on geopolitical, foreign affairs, and international security cooperation issues to the Army’s top leaders. He spent over seven years in China as one of the longest-serving military attachés at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and Consulate-General in Hong Kong. Heino is also a senior adviser to the National Bureau of Asian Research, a consultant to the Institute for Defense Analyses, and an adviser to the Korea Chapter of the Foreign Area Officer Association.