General Paul Kern, US Army (Ret) is a Senior Counselor with The Cohen Group. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer of AM General from August 2008 through January 2010 and currently serves on a number of business boards and chairs the Defense Industrial Board for Functional Fabrics. Since retiring from the Army in 2005, he has held the Class of 1950 Chair for Advanced Technology at West Point and was a Vice President for Battelle.

General Kern retired after almost 38 years with the US Army as the Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command. The command of more than 50,000 personnel has worldwide responsibility for supply and maintenance support to the Department of Defense, manages the Army depot system, and conducts research for all the ground and rotary wing equipment. In June 2004, the Secretary of Defense tapped General Kern to lead the military’s internal investigation into the abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, a compelling assignment that he handled with integrity and resolve. Previously he served four years as the Department of the Army Military Deputy for Research, Development, and Acquisition. In 1996-97, he was the Commanding General of the 4^th Infantry Division, Mechanized, where they developed the organization, tactics, techniques, and equipment implemented in today’s networked force. From 1993 to 1996, he was the Senior Military Assistant for Secretary of Defense Bill Perry and played a key role in International deliberations in South America, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, and the Balkans. In 1991, he led the 2nd Brigade of the 24^th Infantry Division in the attack on Iraq. He began his career commanding operational units as a platoon leader and troop commander in the Blackhorse Regiment in Vietnam and was the lead troop commander for the Cambodian Operation.

General Kern graduated from West Point in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He holds Master Degrees in Civil and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2006. He was a National Security Fellow at the J.F. Kennedy School, Harvard University, and was a member of the Defense Science Board for 15 years.

He has a unique career that blends technical expertise, combat operations, program management, policy development, and advisor to senior political leaders.