William F. Wechsler is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counternarcotics and Global Threats. Mr. Wechsler leads the department’s counternarcotics and threat finance policies and operations around the world, among other global issues, overseeing a budget of over $1 billion. He reports to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict.

In prior government service, Mr. Wechsler has served as Special Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury and on the staff of the National Security Council as Director for Transnational Threats and as Director for Global Issues and Multilateral Affairs. His prior service in the Department of Defense includes positions as Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for International Security Affairs. Before rejoining the Department of Defense, Mr. Wechsler was Managing Director of Greenwich Associates, a management consultancy to the financial services industry.

Mr. Wechsler received a bachelor’s degree in government and economics from Cornell University and a master’s degree in public administration from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.