
Lunch Conversation with Vice Admiral Kevin “Kid” Donegan, USN (Ret.)
January 28 @ 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm EST
| Share:
A conversation with Vice Admiral Kevin “Kid” Donegan, USN (ret.), former Commander of USN Fifth Fleet and Commander of the 32nd Nation Combined Maritime Forces in the Middle East.
Vice Admiral Donegan served as Commander of the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet and Commander of the 32 Nation Combined Maritime Forces in the Middle East. In those roles, he led teams that planned and executed joint and combined combat, counter-terrorism and anti-piracy operations at sea and in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and Yemen.
In the Pentagon, he served as Director of the Navy Staff and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Strategy and Planning. Vice Admiral Donegan was responsible for integration of U.S. Naval forces and operations, international relations, and also oversaw the development of $160+billion annual Navy budget. He led initiatives for accelerated learning and innovation across the Navy enterprise with a focus on implementing cyber security, artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, and big data management into Navy programs.
Prior to that Admiral Donegan served as Director of Operations for U.S. Central Command where he managed combat and other operations for all U.S. Joint military forces in the Middle East. During his tenure he implemented the strategic and operational plan to shift joint U.S. and coalition partners’ military operations from Iraq to Afghanistan. Additionally, he introduced innovative National Cyber teams to counter-terrorist messaging and enhanced cyber support for U.S. Central Command operations.
Vice Admiral Donegan has been a National Security lecturer at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, the U.S. Naval War College, and the University of Virginia. He was honored by the governments of Japan, Bahrain, and France for leadership and coalition team-building. A graduate of TOPGUN and the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, he has flown over 3,800 combat and training flight hours in 31 unique classes of aircraft with over 800 arrested landings on 15 Navy aircraft carriers.
Contact Michelle LeBretton for registration details.
Cost: $125
Organizer:
MLeBretton@bens.org
More Events
Manufacturing the Future: Producing Clean, Onshore Critical Minerals in the U.S.
Please join us for a luncheon discussion featuring Nick Myers, CEO and Co-Founder of Phoenix Tailings, one of the most innovative and strategically important advanced manufacturing companies emerging in the United States. Today, China controls the vast majority of the global rare earths supply chain. Nick will share how Phoenix Tailings, a U.S.-based technology company founded by MIT alumni, is redefining how rare earth metals are produced in this country. Their groundbreaking, zero-emission refining process extracts critical minerals from mining waste—transforming an…
Luncheon Discussion on BENS Campaigns with Ian Wallace, Chief Program Officer (Dallas)
Join BENS members and guests for a luncheon discussion on the current BENS portfolio of programs and services with Ian Wallace, BENS Chief Program Officer. Ian will discuss BENS’s three major campaigns: Homeland Resilience and Response, Strengthening Supply Chains, and Mobilizing Private Capital. He will also cover visits, events, production, partnerships, and more that contribute to these campaigns. He will be able to talk about the program process, from how topics are identified, how partners are chosen, the different ways…
Lunch Discussion with Georgia Tech’s Student Model NATO Team
As we continue to build our partnerships throughout the region, our partners at Georgia Tech have asked for BENS members to provide input for the Student Model NATO team as they prepare for their national competition in February 2026. During this event with BENS, the team will: present their proposed NATO arguments as representatives of Poland open a discussion on their arguments with our members seek to gain a better understanding of the business aspects of international policy Come hear…
REFUNDS: Event Registration Fees are fully refundable up to 3 business days before the event. After that time, they are non-refundable as BENS has already incurred the expense of registration. Contact your Regional Director, the event coordinator, or email BENS@bens.org to withdraw from an event and begin the refund process. For additional information on refunds and payment policies, please visit our payment information page.