Mark Valentine

Mark Valentine is the Global Head of National Security Strategy for Skydio where he delivers autonomous aerial capabilities to national governments around the world to support military and security operations. He was previously the President and GM of Skydio’s Global Government business. Prior to joining Skydio he was the SVP/GM for Scale AI’s Federal business and the GM of Microsoft’s National Security business. In those roles he focused on delivering advanced technologies such as AI/ML, cloud computing and mixed reality to warfighters and analysts across the US Government. Prior to his time in industry, he served in the US Air Force for over two decades as a combat veteran fighter pilot, commander, and staff officer at Headquarters US Air Force and the Joint Staff. Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy and a Master of Arts in International Security Policy from Georgetown University. Additionally, he attended the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business as a Secretary of Defense Fellow. He is also a graduate of the US Air Force Weapons School, NATO Tactical Leadership Program, the National Emergency Management Executive Academy (joint program of the Emergency Management Institute and Harvard University) and the Foreign Service Institute’s National Security Executive Leadership Seminar. Mark served as a commissioner on the Atlantic Council’s Commission on Software Defined Warfare and is an adjunct faculty member at the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell College of Business. Mark was born in Birmingham, Alabama and after serving around the world recently returned to his home state to live in Fairhope. He is active in the American Legion Boys State program, Rotary International, and several non-profit boards. He and his wife, Moira, have two adult children and are enjoying their transition to empty nesters.