Anthony C. "Tony" Zinni is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of BAE Systems, Inc., the company's wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary that employs approximately 55,000 employees in the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Israel, Germany, Mexico, Switzerland and South Africa and generated 2008 annual sales in excess of $20 billion. He has served as a member of the Board since 2002.
Zinni joined the Marine Corps in 1961 and was commissioned an infantry second lieutenant in 1965 upon his graduation from Villanova University with a bachelor's degree in economics. Zinni holds masters degrees in international relations from Salvae Regina College and in management and supervision from Central Michigan University, as well as honorary doctorates from Villanova University, The College of William & Mary and the Maine Maritime Academy.
His distinguished 39-year military career has taken him to more than 70 countries and included numerous command assignments at the platoon, company, battalion, regimental, Marine expeditionary unit, and Marine expeditionary force command levels. General Zinni's joint assignments included command of a joint task force and a unified command. His final tour of duty was from August 1997 to September 2000 as the Commander in Chief, United States Central Command. During his military service career, General Zinni earned 23 personal awards and 37 unit, service and campaign awards.
Since his retirement from the United States Marine Corps in 2000, Zinni has continued to serve his country in numerous diplomatic positions, to include the U.S. Peace Envoy in the Middle East and the Special Envoy to the Henri Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (Indonesian, Philippines, & Sudan peace effort). Zinni is also a "Distinguished Military Fellow" for the Center for Defense Information, a part of the World Security Institute, and he has been an instructor in the Department of International Studies at the Virginia Military Institute.
Zinni serves on the boards of several corporations, universities and other organizations, offering insight gained from his experience as a proven and decorated leader in the U.S. military. In addition to his position on the BAE Systems, Inc. Board of Directors, he was a Board member of Dyncorp International before being appointed executive vice president within that organization. He also served as president of international operations for M.I.C. Industries, Inc.
Zinni has participated in numerous environmental security, defense, diplomacy and leadership studies and authored best sellers entitled Battle Ready and The Battle for Peace. His most recent book, Leading the Charge, was published in August 2009.
