Nadja West

Lieutenant General (ret) Nadja West is the 44th Army Surgeon General and the former Commanding General of the US Army Medical Command. She is the first African American woman 3-star General in Army history and the highest-ranking woman to graduate from West Point. West led an organization of more than 130,000 healthcare professionals and managed an $11 billion budget, impacting over 4 million lives globally through a network of medical centers, community hospitals, and clinics; alongside dental, veterinary, and public health facilities.

With more than 20 years of experience in executive leadership, crisis management, and disaster response, West has significantly contributed to military and public health sectors. She played a pivotal role in developing the Department of Defense medical response to the Ebola crisis and has held various clinical, operational, and leadership positions throughout her extensive career. West's talks are often centered around leadership, offering insights into effective team management during times of uncertainty, emphasizing empathy, strong communication, and respect as foundational elements of successful leadership.

West has been recognized with several awards and honors. She was the first woman to receive the West Point Association of Graduates Distinguished Graduate Award and was inducted into the US Army Women’s Foundation Hall of Fame in 2022. She has been named one of Washington’s Most Powerful Women by Washingtonian Magazine, and received the Daughters of the American Revolution Margaret Cochran Corbin Award, as well as the Armed Forces Medical Advocate Award by Essence Magazine. West holds honorary degrees from George Washington University and Methodist University. Currently, she is a Distinguished Fellow of the Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics and serves on the boards of directors for Johnson & Johnson, Nucor, Tempus Labs, Tenet Healthcare, and Tempest AI. She also contributes as a trustee of the National Recreation Foundation and Mount St. Mary’s University, and is a member of the NCAA Board of Governors.