Paul R. Gebhard
Senior Advisor
Mr. Paul Gebhard is a Senior Advisor at The Cohen Group. He brings four decades of experience as a Senior Executive in Federal US Government and the private sector to support the firm’s clients. Mr. Gebhard has led dozens of successful client engagements for The Cohen Group in the United States and Europe in several sectors, including all aspects of Aerospace and Defense, IT, Financial Services, Advanced Materials, Professional Services, Power Systems, High Performance Textiles, Private Equity, Transportation, and Satellite Systems.
Mr. Gebhard joined The Cohen Group in 2001. Previously, as Special Assistant to Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld from January 2001 - June 2001, Mr. Gebhard was responsible for management and oversight of several key defense strategy reviews to support the Bush Administration's strategic assessment of defense. These included reviews of military pay and housing issues, transformation of US defense capabilities, future development of the conventional force structure, reform of the weapons acquisition process, and reform of the Department's financial management system.
While serving as Assistant Chief of Staff to Secretary of Defense Cohen from June 1998 - January 2001, Mr. Gebhard handled a wide range of sensitive issues including selected acquisition program reviews, reviews of proposed corporate mergers including BAE's purchase of Sanders Associates from Lockheed Martin, and oversight of the investigation of the terrorist attack on the USS COLE in 2000. Mr. Gebhard also developed the initial options for adapting export controls and procedures to industry consolidation, globalization and ongoing proliferation of technology and weapons.
Mr. Gebhard was competitively selected for the Senior Executive Service in 1995. From 1996 - 1998, he served as Director, Office of Defense Plans at the US Mission to NATO in Brussels, Belgium, where he played a central role in preparing Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary for taking on their defense responsibilities as new members of NATO. Mr. Gebhard was selected as a Presidential Management Fellow in 1986 and entered the Federal Civil Service in the Office of the Secretary of Defense in January 1987.
Mr. Gebhard is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brent Scowcroft Center for International Security at the Atlantic Council and a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Mr. Gebhard received his Master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in 1986 and received his BA with Honors from Brown University in 1983. He has been awarded the Department of Defense Medals for Distinguished Civilian Service, Meritorious Service, and for Exceptional Service.