RADM William E. Leigher ’80, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral (retired) William E. Leigher, a native of Appleton, Maine, is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine, Class of 1980. After graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, Admiral Leigher was commissioned as an ensign at Officer Candidate School, kicking off a storied 33-year career in the US Navy in intelligence and cryptologic warfare.
His first assignment was aboard USS Thorn as a communications officer. In 1984, he reported to the Surface Warfare Officers School in Newport, R.I., as the fleet communications instructor. In 1987, he changed career fields and was designated a naval cryptologic officer.
Admiral Leigher’s subsequent career was distinguished by a steady climb through the ranks of the US Navy, and into the highest echelons of military operations, strategy and intelligence. His duty stations are a map of critical hotspots and historical moments spanning the Cold War, Desert Storm and the Global War on Terrorism: two deployments embarked in USS America, including combat action during Operations Desert Storm, Desert Shield and Southern Watch; a war gaming specialist at the Naval War College; cryptologic operations officer assigned to U.S. Naval Forces Europe; deputy director for IT and communications at Naval Security Group Command; Senior Operations Officer at the National Security Agency; deputy director for Information Operations at Naval Network Warfare Command; and commanding officer at Naval Information Operations Command, Norfolk, Va where he was selected to admiral in 2009.
As a flag officer, he served as the director of Information Operations on the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations where he led the creation of the Navy’s information and cyber warfare corps, leading to an assignment as the first deputy commander for U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet. In 2011, Leigher returned to the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations as Director of Warfare Integration for Information Dominance where he oversaw a portfolio of 210 programs valued at over $17 billion.
Following his retirement from the Navy in 2014, Admiral Leigher served as Director, Department of Defense Cyber Programs at Raytheon, supporting the firm’s cyber warfare practice across the Department of Defense. Currently, he runs his own consulting firm, Wm Leigher Consulting, LLC.
Admiral Leigher was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, as well as multiple Legion of Merit Medals, Meritorious Service Medals, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and various unit and campaign awards.
Admiral Leigher is also a 1994 graduate of the Naval War College, where he earned his Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies.