Dairy Forum 2017 promises to offer a powerful political program to help the industry launch the new year and adjust to a new administration. Opening the program on Sunday, Jan. 29, with the Chairman’s Lecture will be General Michael Hayden, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. Hayden will discuss the current tumultuous global environment and share his views on the delicate balance between liberty and security, as well the benefits and dangers of living in a digital world. 

General Michael Hayden

Michael Hayden is a retired four-star general who has been on the frontline of global change, the war on terrorism and the growing cyber challenge. He understands the dangers, risks and potential rewards of the political, economic and security situations facing the nation.

Hayden was the country's first principal deputy director of national intelligence and the highest-ranking military intelligence officer in the country. He served as commander of the Air Intelligence Agency and director of the Joint Command and Control Warfare Center and held senior staff positions at the Pentagon, the U.S. European Command, the National Security Council and the U.S. Embassy in Bulgaria.

He is currently a principal at the Chertoff Group, a global advisory firm focused on security and risk management. He also is a visiting professor at the George Mason University School of Policy, Government and International Affairs.

Hayden has been a frequent expert and commentator on major news outlets and in top publications, valued for his expertise on intelligence matters like cyber security, government surveillance, geopolitics, and more. He was featured in the HBO documentary Manhunt, which looked at espionage through the eyes of the insiders who led the secret war against Osama bin Laden, and in Showtime’s The Spymasters, a detailed look at the directors of the CIA.