Erich Vad served for many years as Military Policy Advisor to Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, held the position of Director in the Federal Chancellery, and was Secretary of the Federal Security Council, the highest security authority in the Federal Republic of Germany.
Following his career in the military and politics—most recently within the Federal Chancellery—Erich Vad now owns a consultancy firm and is recognized as an expert on contemporary international security policy issues, maintaining a strong presence in the media.
Erich Vad Lecture topics :
- Current geopolitical trends and possible threats to international security policy
- Ongoing military and security conflicts
- Terrorism and the concept of “New Wars”
- Leadership and strategy across military, political, and economic sectors
- Self-management, decision-making, and negotiation in challenging situations
- Leadership during times of upheaval and crisis
Professionally, Erich Vad operates across three distinct spheres—military, politics, and business. He has extensive experience in senior and influential roles within the military and political arenas. Additionally, he advises companies that value his expertise, extensive political network, and independent strategic insight. Erich Vad is also a highly regarded university lecturer and maintains a significant journalistic and media profile in international security policy.
Erich Vad has lectured at institutions such as the National Defence University and Johns Hopkins University in Washington D.C. and Bologna, and has held academic positions at the universities of Munich, Salzburg, and Glasgow.
His professional and scholarly expertise, publications, and lectures cover topics including current security crises, military and contemporary history and strategy, international relations, foreign and security policy, leadership, policy advising, self-management, and strategic management.
Erich Vad embodies the integration of action and decision-making across the three life domains of military, politics, and business. He comprehends and communicates the differences, commonalities, and synergies among these key areas, along with their distinct thought and action patterns. Connecting these worlds is a fundamental aspect of his work.
This is supported by his many years of academic involvement in teaching and publishing, his studies in history, political science, and philosophy, his doctorate under an Israeli professor on Clausewitz’s relevance, and his role as an author of books, numerous essays, and contributions to national and international journals.
Moreover, Erich Vad has a strong interest and extensive experience in ancient European and Far Eastern philosophies, strategies, methods, and practices, including traditional Japanese Karate, in which he holds a third-degree black belt (3rd Dan).
Erich Vad is highly regarded and sought after for his expertise and independent judgment—often outside mainstream perspectives. For this reason, he is a nationally and internationally recognized lecturer, author, and commentator.
