GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany -- After a week of focused dialogue, strategic analysis, and multilateral collaboration, the Marshall Center concluded its 2025 Senior Executive Seminar, which brought together senior civilian and military leaders from across Europe, North America, and strategic partner nations.

“This seminar exists to strengthen Europe’s collective deterrence and defense and our transatlantic partnership,” said Barre Seguin, Marshall Center director. “My hope is that this has been a truly transformational, collaborative experience – one that equips you to go forward and develop actionable solutions in this era of strategic competition.” 

The seminar theme, “Transitioning to European-Led Defense: Challenges and Opportunities,” set the tone for a seminar focused not only on identifying shared security challenges but also on producing practical, scalable solutions to meet them. 

Participants explored the structural, political, and operational shifts required to realize a more credible and capable European defense posture. Topics included the future of warfare, threats from Russia and China, NATO’s evolving role, EU defense initiatives, and the urgent need to rebuild Europe’s defense industrial base.  

“SES is designed to equip senior leaders with the strategic insight and trusted relationships needed to navigate a rapidly evolving security environment. The value of this course lies not just in what is taught, but in the shared understanding built across institutions, nations, and regions,” said Bernard Finel, Ph.D., Marshall Center Dean of College of International Security Studies. 

Through a structured mix of plenaries and seminar sessions, the seminar challenged participants to assess institutional gaps, debate new burden-sharing models, and identify how security frameworks can complement, rather than duplicate, one another. The seminar placed a special focus on defense investment that delivers operational outcomes and the need for agile institutions that can turn spending into combat power. 

The Marshall Center’s role as a platform for transatlantic dialogue was on full display throughout the week, reinforcing the Center’s unique value in fostering shared understanding, driving continued institutional innovation, and cultivating long-term partnerships. For many participants, the diversity of backgrounds and experiences around the table was a defining strength of the seminar. 

"As a military officer, some of the most valued portions are having the opportunity to spend time with others outside of the military,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James Ring, Virginia National Guard adjutant general. “Those are important, civilians that work within their governments, within the Department of Defense, and to hear their viewpoints … on the important part of building military capacity through the industrial base or through policy. 

“The dialogue has been very valuable to help broaden understanding of the challenges that not only we face within the United States and within Europe, but also around the globe," Ring added. 

With the conclusion of SES, participants join the Marshall Center’s global community of more than 16,000 professionals dedicated to advancing shared security goals. The Marshall Center remains committed to supporting defense leaders across Europe and beyond in navigating strategic, institutional, and industrial challenges following a week that laid the foundation for long-term collaboration and meaningful progress for Euro-Atlantic security.