James Winnefeld — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Served as the ninth Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from August 2011 to July 2015.
General Partner at Rule 1 Ventures Fund II since 2025.
Co-founder of SAFEProject.US, a national nonprofit dedicated to preventing drug overdose fatalities.
Author of "Sailing Upwind: Leadership and Risk from Topgun to the Situation Room."
Co-host of "The Adrenaline Zone" podcast.
Member of the Board of Directors for Molson Coors Beverage Company since 2020 and RTX since 2017.
Graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in Aerospace Engineering.

Biography

James Alexander "Sandy" Winnefeld Jr. is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as the ninth Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from August 2011 to July 2015. During his 37-year military career, he commanded a fighter squadron, the amphibious ship USS CLEVELAND, and the aircraft carrier USS ENTERPRISE, leading combat operations in Afghanistan after September 11, 2001.