Jeff McLean is the President of ghSMART, a leadership advisory firm whose mission is to help the world’s highest performing CEOs, boards, and investors build valuable companies. With a team of over 150 exceptionally talented individuals, ghSMART uses its expertise in human behavior to solve the most critical business leadership challenges including executive team selection and development, CEO succession, M&A diligence, and organizational change initiatives.

Prior to joining ghSMART, Jeff was Director of Strategic Initiatives and Asset Management for a large privately-held family office with operating businesses in multiple industries. Previously, he served as a Senior Policy Advisor and White House Fellow in the White House Office of American Innovation, where he helped lead nationally impactful initiatives including government technology modernization, prison reform, and future workforce development.

Earlier in his career, Jeff served as a fighter pilot and test pilot in the U.S. Navy, where he completed three deployments aboard aircraft carriers, including 51 combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. As a test pilot, he served as Project Officer of the revolutionary “X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System,” an unmanned jet aircraft that pioneered autonomous aircraft capabilities including successful landings on an aircraft carrier and autonomous aerial refueling.

As a Fulbright Scholar and Truman Scholar, Jeff earned a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics from Oxford University. He also earned an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Naval Academy. He lives near Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his wife and three children.