Sean is nationally recognized as a leading expert in corporate Military Affairs, recruiting, and transition programs. Sean architected Military Affairs strategies for both Microsoft and Amazon, firsts for each company and establishing both as leaders for the industry globally. At Microsoft, he led the creation of the company’s flagship veteran program, the Microsoft Software & Systems Academy, creating a model for future career skills bridge programs across the industry. Sean’s leadership propelled Amazon in far exceeding the company’s 2016 Joining Forces pledge to hire 25,000 veterans and military spouses by 2021, more than doubling that outcome. He was awarded the US Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Heroes 2018 Colonel Michael Endres Leadership Award recognizing Individual Excellence in Veteran Employment (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/honoring-colonel-michael-endres-legacy-sean-kelley/)

Sean is currently an Executive-in-Residence at Duke University Fuqua School of Business. There he leads all programs as Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Veteran Transitions Research Lab.

I detailed many of my core beliefs and personal story in Testimony Before U.S. House of Representatives: https://docs.house.gov/meetings/vr/vr00/20140128/101652/hhrg-113-vr00-wstate-kellys-20140128.pdf

Services:

• I can help you by evaluating and guiding all aspects of your Military Affairs and military recruiting strategy.

• I am open to coaching new leaders in this space, either VP/Director Military Affairs, or new leaders of military recruiting teams.

• I can help broaden thinking and see creative possibilities due to my deep relationships across the network and builder experience in all aspects of these programs.

• I’m particularly passionate about opening doors to technology careers for military veterans and spouses.  

“Sean Kelley is the force behind the most successful veteran employment programs in America. He first set the standard through conceiving and building the ground-breaking (and ever growing) Systems and Software Academy at Microsoft.  Today, it is the ideal path for bringing thousands of transitioning service members into high quality civilian technical careers and ensuring them a successful transition into our economy.  Sean then created at Amazon what is widely considered the top veteran recruiting and on-boarding program in the world.  It is the envy of every company that is serious about hiring veterans, and it wouldn’t have happened without Sean’s vision, commitment and grit.  There is no one in the world I rely upon more for smart counsel in the veteran employment space.”

- Dan Goldenberg

Executive Director | Call of Duty Endowment