On May 22, the 2017 Managing Security and Defense (MSD) Senior Executive Seminar opened at the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies. For the next week, the Perry Center will host over 20 senior leaders from the ministries of defense, ministries of national security, interior ministries, armed forces, and national legislatures of 13 partner nations. Seminar fellows will work with Seminar Director Dr. Alejandra Bolaños, Adjunct Professor Guillermo Pacheco, current and former policy officials, and leading scholars to examine strategic governance and high-level management of the security and defense sectors. Fellows will consider a wide array of factors that impact good governance, including the development, organization, and professional competency of governing bodies; economic sustainability; strategizing capabilities; force design; logistics; and accountability and transparency.

MSD seeks to strengthen and build the capacity of senior executives in the security and defense sectors to improve governance through effective policies and integrated decision-making processes. In addition to presenting ministry-level senior executives with tools they can employ in the management of large security and defense organizations, MSD provides a platform for open communication and effective collaboration through a combination of analytical lectures and group synthesis.