Xeriant, Inc., has announced the appointment of Air Force Brigadier General (ret.) Blaine “Blaino” Holt to the Company’s Board of Advisors. Over his brilliant military career, General Holt has been an innovative leader and future-focused strategist, inspiring excellence and fostering disruptive thinking to leverage capabilities and deliver exceptional results. In his advisory role, he will provide strategic vision and assist in assessing future technologies and revolutionary aircraft concepts for potential acquisition. As U.S. Deputy Military Representative to NATO, he was the second highest ranking military official in the U.S. delegation to the alliance, supporting the execution of U.S. foreign and defense policy and providing guidance and advocacy on behalf of the Military Representative and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“We are privileged to have Blaine on our advisory team. Throughout his impressive military service as a general officer in the Air Force and as a business leader, he has demonstrated a commitment to excellence and innovation. His aerospace industry background, access to emerging technologies, and network of relationships around the globe will be a major asset to our company,” stated Keith Duffy, CEO of Xeriant.
As Director of Logistics for the U.S. European Command (EUCOM), General Holt was charged with implementing U.S. political-military strategy, directing logistical operations within the European Theater for the Department of Defense, which included coordinating the movement of U.S. forces, equipment and supplies throughout the region. He was unanimously voted as Chairman of the NATO Multinational Logistics Coordination Center (MLCC) for NATO members and all partnership nations, the first U.S. General to hold the two-year post in the history of NATO and was designated by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe as his “#1 strategist,” becoming one of the top ten logistics leaders in the Department of Defense. At the Pentagon, he was Director of the Commander’s Action Group (CAG) to the Air Force Secretary and Air Force Chief of Staff, leading a senior executive team across multiple disciplines to develop, plan and coordinate events and communications. His command experience includes the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, stationed in Kyrgyz Republic, and the 16th Airlift and 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadrons. As a command pilot, he logged over 3,900 flight hours, more than 300 in combat, on the Boeing C-17A, the Lockheed C-141B Starlifter, the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker, the Northrop T-38A Talon and the Cessna T-37, receiving two air medals.
“Xeriant is an enterprise that has no interest in simply ‘making the trains run on time.’ To lead in aerospace, visionary leadership and breakthrough technologies are indispensable elements in the formula. Xeriant is building an ecosystem of aerospace technologies that naturally cross-pollenate across the enterprise and move the goal post on the competition. I look forward to working with Xeriant’s team as they evaluate opportunities and execute their business strategy,” commented General Holt.
Blaine applies his strategic acumen, analytical abilities and proven leadership principles from his military experience to his business endeavors, whether as a principal, executive management or an advisor. After retiring from the Air Force, he became President of Million Air and American Jet International, a privately held aerospace organization with 30 locations across the globe, where he crafted and implemented an action plan to stabilize the company and drive future growth, raising $150M. Within a year after taking control, Million Air was ranked the “#1 Large FBO chain for 2016” by Professional Pilot Magazine. Currently, he is CEO of Alchemai, a leading-edge software company that uses AI technology and predictive analytics to manage supply chain risk in the defense, commercial and non-profit sectors. He is also CEO and Founder of Irascible Strategic Advisors, where he provides consulting for seed stage startup companies focused on bringing emerging and disruptive technologies to market. His expertise in international business, foreign affairs, national security and military strategy is sought after by high level civilian and government officials throughout the world. A Military Fellow and life member on the Council on Foreign Relations, he has published numerous articles on foreign policy and defense issues. He has been a keynote speaker at various conferences, events and international committees, and is a contributor and writer for Newsmax, where he regularly appears.
His major awards and decorations include the Air Force Distinguished Superior Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award with Gold Border, the Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device and seven oak leaf clusters. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems from the University of Georgia, Athens, a Master of Education in Education Technology from Georgetown University, and a Master of Science in Strategic Studies from the Air War College.
