Brian Kitching

Brian Kitching is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, combat veteran, and leadership speaker whose career spans more than two decades of service in military units. Kitching served in key roles within Special Operations and Infantry units, including assignments to the 75th Ranger Regiment, 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions, and the 3rd Infantry Division. With over 20 years of experience commanding missions in Special Operations and other combat units, he led hundreds of operations across more than 10 overseas deployments and over 50 months of combat, and was recognized on three occasions for bravery in battle.

Kitching is a recipient of the Silver Star, the nation's third highest military decoration for gallantry, as well as six Bronze Stars, two awarded for valor. The Silver Star citation details an engagement in which, after ordering a medical evacuation for wounded soldiers and directing his men to suppress the enemy, he exposed himself to enemy fire while assessing the evacuation location and sprinted through an open field under fire to provide security for advancing forces. Beyond battlefield honors, Kitching was a Downing Scholar at the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point and a military fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College in London. His assignments also include serving as a White House fellow and advisor in the Domestic Policy Council and Office of Management and Budget, and as an advisor to the chief of staff of the Army at the Pentagon.

Kitching earned a Bachelor of Science in economics from Alabama A&M University, a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a Master of Arts in international affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Following his retirement from the Army, Kitching built a career in the private sector, serving as vice president of military enterprise strategy at SoFi.

Kitching is also a public voice on the importance of mental health for veterans. After a challenging deployment, he sought care at Home Base, a program dedicated to supporting veterans and their families. As a Ranger and ambassador for Home Base, he has encouraged fellow service members to seek care and supported his brother, Sergeant First Class (Retired) Julian Kitching, a U.S. Army Green Beret, in accessing needed services. His openness about the invisible wounds of war has contributed to conversations on resilience and recovery.

Kitching speaks on leadership, building high-performance teams, and achieving outcomes. Drawing on leadership experience in the military and high-risk environments, he explores elements of successful change management, using examples from combat operations and his time in the Pentagon and White House to highlight adaptability, communication, and resilience. Kitching has shared insights on leadership and achievement with businesses, sports teams, nonprofit, and government organizations, offering a perspective shaped by military and executive experience.