As Director of Corporate Intelligence, Dr. Eric Silla empowers Straife’s clients to identify and achieve strategic goals through rigorous analysis of cross-cutting economic, political, security, and technological trends.

Eric brings 27 years of experience crafting strategic insights, risk assessments, and policy analysis for executives who value his deep multidisciplinary expertise and clarity of thought. He excels at engaging a wide spectrum of stakeholders in governments, the private sector, international development, and academia to identify convergent and divergent interests and perspectives. He is sought-after for expertise on global energy, geopolitical analysis, Africa, and the Middle East. Eric also brings exceptional cross-cultural acumen, derived from prior academic fieldwork, extensive international research, work, and travel, as well as competency in multiple languages, including French and Arabic.

Prior to joining Straife, Eric served in a variety of interagency government assignments, including multiple tours as Senior Analyst at the CIA’s renowned energy program. Other positions include Senior Analyst for CIA’s Africa Mission Center, CIA Representative and Assistant Professor at the National War College, PDB Briefer for the Secretary of Commerce, Special Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for African Affairs at the Department of State, DIA Chief of the Futures Branch in the J2 Intelligence Branch at the United States Africa Command, and Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Africa on the National Intelligence Council. Eric has also taught as an Adjunct Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies since 2014.

Before his government service, Eric taught at Georgetown and Northwestern Universities and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali. He holds a PhD in History from Northwestern University, an Honorary Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College, a BA in History and Engineering Sciences from Yale College, and an Executive Certificate in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. He has published articles and studies for the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs and the Council on Foreign Relations. His book, "People Are Not the Same: Leprosy and Identity in Twentieth-Century Mali," was awarded the Amaury Talbot Prize for African Anthropology by the Royal Anthropological Institute in 1998.