General Tod D. Wolters, U.S. Air Force (Retired)

Tod Wolters is the Chief Executive Officer of Jones Group Europe, dedicated to strengthening the transatlantic alliance by providing strategic advice to European governments, militaries, and industry leadership on defense and energy transformation.

As a U.S. Air Force four-star general, retiring after a 40-year distinguished career, Tod significantly influenced European security and transatlantic cooperation. Most recently, as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and Commander of U.S. European Command (EUCOM) from 2019 to 2022, Tod played a pivotal role in orchestrating the U.S. and NATO response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, at the forefront of coordinating military strategy, reinforcing NATO’s eastern flank, and facilitating support for Ukraine during the early stages of the conflict. His leadership was instrumental in galvanizing NATO’s member nations, enhancing the Alliance’s deterrence posture in response to Russian aggression, providing guidance to Ukrainian leadership, and advancing the accession of Sweden and Finland into NATO. He successfully aligned military capabilities with operational demands, fostering collaboration among NATO nations and defense industries to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that met both political objectives and operational requirements.

Beyond his NATO and EUCOM tenure, Tod amassed extensive operational and command experience across diverse theaters. He led NATO’s Allied Air Command while simultaneously serving as Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa from 2016 to 2019, overseeing air operations and multinational partnerships with European Air Force commands. A command pilot himself with over 5,000 flying hours in aircraft such as the F-15C and F-22 – the vanguard of air combat, he participated in operations like Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, bringing a warfighter’s perspective to defense strategy. His academic credentials—including from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the U.S. Army War College, and Harvard’s Kennedy School—further underscore his ability to bridge tactical execution with strategic policy, proving him a pivotal figure in shaping modern defense and national security frameworks. Other earlier roles included leading the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force in Afghanistan, serving on the Joint Staff as the Director for Operations, as Director of Legislative Liaison in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force and commanding the Twelfth Air Force at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.