Around the Table with Preston Marquis

Around the Table is a three-question interview series from the Make Room email newsletter as a part of the CNAS Make Room initiative. Each edition features a conversation with a peer in the national security community to learn about their expertise and experience in the sector.

Preston Marquis is a 2026 CNAS NextGen National Security fellow and an attorney at the law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (“WilmerHale”). As an associate in WilmerHale’s Defense and National Security Practice, Marquis counsels clients on complex legal issues pertaining to cybersecurity, government contracts, and sanctions and export control compliance. Previously, Marquis was an intelligence officer with the Central Intelligence Agency for over five years.

You have gone from Georgetown to the CIA and now into law. Tell us your story—what has shaped your life and career?

I find the most fulfillment from mission-based work or institutions. Georgetown University appealed to me because of values instilled by the School of Foreign Service, where “service” is literally in the name. You can’t separate this commitment from the university’s Jesuit identity, which encourages folks to be “men and women for others.” I thought the CIA also embodied this ethos well. It takes deep dedication to serve from the shadows. Intelligence work requires accepting that your accomplishments and your sacrifices will not draw the same degree of publicity or credit as in other professions. But the trade-off is that work can be immensely rewarding and your colleagues are incredible people.

Ultimately, what drew me—and what continues to drive me—are opportunities to impact the greater good. We only have one life; we might as well spend it in a meaningful way.

Given your comprehensive experience in this field, how have you gone about acquiring and applying different skillsets? What aptitudes have gotten you the furthest? What skills have you found most valuable?

I think it’s easy to undervalue soft skills. At the end of the day, national security is a team sport. So, strong emotional intelligence, leadership, and self-awareness can get you very far. I’d certainly prefer to work with people who are professional, responsive, and committed over those who are brilliant but aloof or rude. As a result, I like to seek out roles that sharpen my own interpersonal skills.

Communication skills are a close second in terms of value. Intelligence, law, and policy rest heavily on the written and spoken word. As a result, the strongest contributors in these fields tend to be strong writers and/or speakers. Here, I think the key to growing is repetition and humility. You have to accept that there’s always room for improvement, but you can’t let that fact stand in the way of getting good work out the door.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell your younger self? In a parallel universe, what career path might your alter ego have taken?

I would tell myself to be patient. As a college graduate in 2016, I would not believe how someone would describe the world of 2026 or the interesting adventures that would occupy me in this decade. So, I would remind myself to take the long view of a career and of relationships and to avoid trying to plan too far ahead.

Granted, patience doesn’t mean complacency. I’m a firm believer that you’ve got to put in the work. I think those of us coming from underrepresented communities know that opportunities don’t arise out of thin air—we have to take control of our own destinies. So, as much as I would tell myself to be patient, I would also tell myself to keep hustling!