Lindsey W. Ford has a decade of experience as a leading expert on Asian security and defense issues. Prior to joining the Asia Society Policy Institute in 2015, she served as a presidential appointee in the Pentagon from 2009-2015. During that time, Ms. Ford served in a variety of roles within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, including serving as a Special Assistant to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel for the 2014 U.S.-ASEAN Defense Forum. Most recently, Ms. Ford served as the Senior Adviser to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, where she managed a team of advisers providing leadership on regional strategic planning, maritime security, multilateral security affairs, and force management. Ms. Ford was also a leading architect of the Asia rebalance strategy work for the Department of Defense’s 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance Review as well as the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review and oversaw the development of the Department’s first Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Strategy in August 2015 Prior to her time at the Pentagon, Ms. Ford worked as a researcher for the Center for a New American Security, where she authored reports on U.S.-China relations, the U.S.-Republic of Korea security alliance, and the history of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea nuclear negotiations. She has also served as a consultant to organizations including the United Nations Development Fund for Women and the Congressional Research Service. She is a frequent commentator on Asian security and defense issues, and her analysis has been featured by outlets including NPR, the BBC, CNBC, MSNBC, Bloomberg, Foreign Policy, and the Asia Times. Ms. Ford completed a Master of Public Affairs and a Master of Arts in Asian Studies at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and studied abroad at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.