Omer Rafiq

Omer Rafiq is a strategy professional working at the nexus of geopolitics, national security, and emerging technology. He currently serves as Senior Director at C3 AI, where he partners with U.S. and allied government leaders to apply artificial intelligence for operational innovation, accelerated decision-making, and enhanced mission resilience across defense, intelligence, and critical infrastructure sectors. He is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs.

A former U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer, Omer served across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa in conventional, special operations, and interagency assignments. His portfolios spanned security cooperation, crisis response, and counterterrorism. After leaving active duty, he joined Onebrief - an early-stage startup building next-generation decision support tools to transform how military leaders plan, collaborate, and brief in real time. He later served in the Biden-Harris Administration as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, shaping policy at the intersection of technology, irregular warfare, and global competition.

Omer holds a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, where he was both a Center for Public Leadership Fellow and a Pat Tillman Scholar. He also earned a Master of Science in International Relations from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Science from Worcester State University.