Heino Klinck is the Founder and Principal of Klinck Global LLC which provides strategic advisory services to private sector clients. He is a global strategist and national security policy expert focused on the nexus of government and business interests in the United States, Asia, and Europe. His extensive experience includes 2+ decades abroad; leading global strategy efforts in a Fortune 100 company; serving as the senior East Asian policy official in the Trump Administration’s Pentagon; analytical and operational responsibilities in the intelligence community; and multiple diplomatic postings in Asia and Europe.

Through Klinck Global LLC, Heino’s unique blend of policy, diplomatic, military, think tank, and private sector expertise provides strategic insights and solutions focused on market access, strategic positioning and relationship building, navigating government bureaucracies (foreign and U.S.), and identifying strategic growth opportunities. Concurrently, he is also a Senior Advisor to the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR); a Senior Associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); a Consultant with the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA); an Adjunct International Defense Researcher at the RAND Corporation; and a member of the Reagan Institute Strategy Group (RISG).

His views on national security and other global issues are frequently sought after by university and think tank audiences worldwide as well as being cited in U.S. and international media outlets. Heino authored the chapter entitled “America’s Alliances and the China Challenge” in Confronting China: U.S. Defense Policy in an Era of Great Power Competition. He is also a regular commentator offering a U.S. perspective on various television networks in the Global South.

As the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia during the first Trump Administration, Heino devised and implemented U.S. defense policy in 20+ countries and territories; advised the Secretary of Defense; represented the Department of Defense to the National Security Council; and led sensitive negotiations with foreign partners resulting in significant successes in policy adjustments, budget prioritizations, and collaborative actions. Major deliverables included the U.S. Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific, U.S.-Australian Statement of Principles on Alliance Defense Cooperation and Force Posture Priorities in the Indo-Pacific, Guidance for U.S. Defense Cooperation with Taiwan, and numerous Quad (U.S., Australia, Japan, and India) and Five Eyes (U.S., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and UK) initiatives as well as $10+ billion in Congressional arms sales notifications.

Previously, Heino was responsible for international strategy and business development in a top 5 U.S. aerospace company. He was at the forefront of the first-ever foreign acquisition of a new C4I capability valued at ~$1 billion by a key European ally.

Colonel Klinck’s military career culminated as the Director of Army International Affairs where he was the senior advisor on geo-political, foreign affairs, and international security cooperation issues to the Army’s top leaders. Heino’s multiple diplomatic assignments in China and Europe provide a privileged view on drivers for policy priorities in the U.S., regionally, and globally. He has deep expertise in foreign military sales, building partner capacity, crisis response, operational planning, as well as strategic communications and negotiations through repetitive assignments in and deployments to Asia, Europe, and the Middle East including during combat operations and crises.

Heino holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees in International Relations from Boston University; an MBA in International Management from the University of London; Master of Science degrees from the University of Rome and the University of Milan; was awarded a Fellowship by Stanford University’s Asia-Pacific Research Center; and attended Beijing Capital Normal University.

Heino has varying levels of proficiency in Mandarin Chinese, German, Italian, and Spanish.