Executive Fellows

Admiral Karl Schultz, USCG (Ret)

Karl Schultz is a retired four-star admiral who last served as the 26th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard from 01 June 2018 to 01 June 2022. His tenure as a flag officer spanned 12 years, and prior to becoming Service Chief, served as the 3-Star Atlantic Area Commander responsible for execution of all Coast Guard missions from the Rocky Mountains east to the Arabian Gulf.

Other flag assignments included Department of Defense (DoD) joint duty as Director of Operations (J-3), U.S. Southern Command; Commander Eleventh Coast Guard District; and Director, Coast Guard Governmental and Public Affairs overseeing Service engagement with Congress, the media, and other external stakeholders.

Over the course of his 39-year career, Schultz held command at 7 paygrades spanning 17 years, including 3 multi-mission cutters, one of the Service’s most dynamic multi-mission Sectors, and as a flag officer at the District, Area, and Service Chief levels.
A hallmark of his tenure as Commandant was his bold vision and purposeful execution of a comprehensive 4-year strategic plan that optimally positioned the Service to protect the Homeland, enhance the Nation’s economic prosperity, and advance America’s maritime interests across the globe, all while championing efforts to forge a
more inclusive Service increasingly reflective of the Nation’s demographics.