Academy Securities, a registered broker-dealer, certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE), and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), today announced the addition of Lieutenant General Rick Waddell to its Advisory Board and Geopolitical Intelligence Group.

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Lieutenant General Rick Waddell (Photo: Business Wire)

Lieutenant General Rick Waddell retired from the Army Reserves in 2021 after more than 20 years of active-duty service and 39 years of combined service. His military career culminated as the Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Senior Military Advisor to the Secretary of State, from 2018 to 2021. In 2019, he was the first Army Reservist promoted to Lieutenant General to serve in a normally active-duty position since World War II. Prior to this role, General Waddell served as Commander of the 76th Operational Response Command and Deputy Commander for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs at United States Southern Command. Earlier in his career, he served as the JTF Engineer at Joint Task Force Bravo in Honduras, and in multiple key staff roles in the United States and Iraq, and as the Commander of the Combined Joint Interagency Task Force for Counter-Corruption in Afghanistan. General Waddell has also served as the Deputy National Security Adviser in the Trump Administration and as a Director for European Security Affairs in the Clinton Administration. In addition to his distinguished military career, Waddell has published four books on military history and international relations and spent 17 years successfully launching businesses in Latin America in the retail, energy, and mining sectors.

“Lieutenant General Waddell is a skilled leader, and we are thrilled to have him join our Advisory Board,” stated Academy’s Chairman and CEO Chance Mims. “His broad experience in both the public and private sectors will be immensely beneficial to our clients.”

General Waddell commented on joining the firm: “I am delighted to be joining such a talented team at Academy Securities. I look forward to our work together on behalf of Academy’s clients.”

General Waddell was commissioned as an officer in the Army in 1982 after graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He additionally holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history and Portuguese from Oxford University earned as a Rhodes Scholar, a master’s degree in public administration from Webster University, and a Ph.D. in international relations from Columbia University.

“General Waddell’s unmatched credentials and leadership make him an outstanding addition to our Advisory Board,” stated Academy’s President Phil McConkey. “His vast experience in national security and strategic operations will greatly enhance our advising capabilities.”

About Academy Securities

Academy Securities is a preeminent disabled veteran owned investment bank with strength in capital markets, public finance, fixed income, and equity trading. Leadership and staff have had intensive military training prior to entering and gaining in-depth financial services experience in global capital markets. We are mission driven with a high ethical code, a solid sense of accountability and strive for excellence in the pursuit of our clients’ success. Academy is our nation’s first post-9/11 disabled veteran owned investment bank and is certified as a DVBE, SDVOB, and MBE. The firm has a strong top and middle tier client base served by a national platform with offices in New York, Chicago, San Diego, Los Angeles, Chapel Hill, Louisville, Austin, Dallas, and Sacramento. Information about Academy Securities is available at www.academysecurities.com.

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