Dan Rice, Co-President of Thayer Leadership and West Point graduate, co-founded the firm in 2010 to apply U.S. Army and West Point leadership principles globally. Under his guidance, Thayer Leadership has become a leading organization for developing values-driven leaders capable of managing pressure and complexity across industries.
In May 2022, Dan traveled alone to Ukraine, became Special Advisor to the Commander in Chief, and served as the sole American liaison between the US military and Kyiv during the ongoing conflict. He advocated for military support after all US troops withdrew before the invasion. Appointed President of American University Kyiv in March 2023—Ukraine’s first American-style university, affiliated with ASU—Dan now leads the institution through the challenges of wartime, focusing on education, resilience, global security, and leadership.
Dan is a decorated U.S. Army veteran who served two combat tours in the Middle East and was awarded the Purple Heart. He later returned as an Infantry Captain with the New York National Guard in Iraq. After his service, Dan held executive positions across medical devices, investment management, private equity, and renewable energy sectors.
Dan has spent the last four years actively sharing leadership, culture change, and resilience insights from his ongoing work in Ukraine and his strategic advisory experience with senior leaders worldwide.