Five Questions With: James Stavridis

"Given my long term research and interest in cyber, particularly as it affects the electrical grid, I hope to bring expertise in that area."

Retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis, dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. and former Supreme Allied Commander at NATO from 2009 to 2013, recently was named to the board of directors at Utilidata Inc., a global software company partnering with utilities to modernize the electric grid. Stavridis discusses his background and recent appointment to the board of directors at Utilidata with Providence Business News.

PBN: What interested you in joining the board of directors at Utilidata?
STAVRIDIS:
I joined Utilidata principally because of my security concerns over the vulnerabilities of the electrical grid in the U.S. During my many years of service in the Navy, I watched the rise of cyber threats to the grid, and after I left active duty have continued to focus on cyber, infrastructure vulnerability and solutions to those challenges. That led to my interest in Utilidata.

PBN: What do you hope you can bring to the position?
STAVRIDIS:
Given my long term research and interest in cyber, particularly as it affects the electrical grid, I hope to bring expertise in that area, connections with the government agencies that are defending it, and international linkages as well. I also bring more than three decades of leadership expertise in running complex organizations, from Navy destroyers to the NATO Alliance, which will be helpful as the company grows.

PBN: Your military background is interesting – how do you think you can help Utilitdata minimize cybersecurity risks given your experience/expertise?
STAVRIDIS:
I will be working closely with the tech teams to optimize responses to attacks of any kind on the grid, using the knowledge and experience I have most recently from my military background but also from my ongoing research and work at The Fletcher School at Tufts University.

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PBN: Tell me about your position at Tufts.
STAVRIDIS:
I am the dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, which means the leader of the school. It is an all-graduate school of very bright young people focused on international relations. We have about 600 students at any one time, and just under 100 on the faculty. The Fletcher School is one of the leading schools in the world focused on global affairs, with particular strengths in energy, security, law, business, economics and diplomacy.

PBN: What are some of the challenges facing the energy industry?
STAVRIDIS:
The big challenge that I focus on is delivering safe, secure and efficient electricity to consumers. The concerns were recently highlighted in Washington, D.C., with a major blackout just a few weeks ago, on the same day the White House announced computer hacking into their systems. The two incidents do not appear related technically, but symbolically they certainly show the potential for disruptions.

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