Christopher P. Costa

Col. Christopher P. Costa (Ret.) is a Senior Strategic Advisor to The Soufan Group.

Drawing on over three decades of experience in intelligence, counterterrorism, and national security leadership within the U.S. government and military.

He is the Executive Director of the International Spy Museum, and a 34-year veteran of the Department of Defense. From 2017-2018, he served as the Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, where he was responsible for coordinating counterterrorism policy and strategy as well as U.S. hostage recovery activities.

Previously, he served 25 years in the United States Army working in counterintelligence, human intelligence and with special operations forces (SOF) in Central America, Europe, and throughout the Middle East. He ran a wide range of intelligence and special operations in Panama, Bosnia, the first and second Iraq wars, and Afghanistan. Costa earned two Bronze stars for sensitive human intelligence work in Afghanistan. Later assigned to the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, he served as the first civilian squadron Deputy Director. In 2013, Costa was inducted into the United States Special Operation’s Commando Hall of Honor for lifetime service to US Special Operations.