Jeffrey “Skunk” Baxter draws from his expertise in national security and entertainment to illustrate the power of unconventional thinking to creatively and effectively solve problems amid 21st century risks.
You may be asking, how in the world does a rock musician wind up as a national security expert? As it happened, it only took a few issues of Aviation Week magazine to pique Jeffrey Baxter’s interest in military technology and missile defense systems. He became self-taught in this area, as many geniuses do, and then wrote a paper that proposed converting a ship-based anti-aircraft missile system into a rudimentary missile defense system. He passed on this paper to a local congressman, and his career as a defense consultant began. A consultant to the Department of Defense with a high-level security clearance at the Pentagon, he now advises top military and civilian groups on asymmetrical warfare, next-generation technologies and unconventional strategies.
Previously, Jeffrey had a long and successful career in music and entertainment as a founding member of the group Steely Dan, and a Grammy winning guitarist with the Doobie Brothers. In his presentations, Jeffrey highlights creative, unconventional problem-solving and planning techniques by showing audiences how to apply knowledge gained in one area to advance goals in completely different fields. He explains how to approach issues with new “logic templates” and how to leave preconceptions behind. Through humor and lateral thinking, he helps audiences map effective strategies, rediscover the drive to innovate and ignite passion in their careers.
