About
Mike Hayes is the Chief Digital Transformation Officer at VMware. He joined VMware in October 2020 and leads the company’s worldwide business operations and the acceleration of the Company’s SaaS transition. Prior to joining VMware, Hayes served as senior vice president and head of Strategic Operations for Cognizant Technologies where he ran a $2B P&L for Cognizant’s largest financial services clients. Mike previously spent four years at Bridgewater Associates, an investment management firm, where he served in Chief of Staff to CEO and COO roles. Hayes previously spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy SEALs, serving throughout South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia, including the conflicts in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. His last job in the Navy was the Commanding Officer of SEAL Team TWO, which included ten months as the Commander of a 2,000-person Special Operations Task Force in southeastern Afghanistan. Before that, Hayes was selected as a White House Fellow and served two years as Director, Defense Policy and Strategy at the National Security Council, and served as the Deputy Commander for all Special Operations in Anbar Province, Iraq. His military decorations include the Bronze Star for valor in combat in Iraq, a Bronze Star for Afghanistan, and the Defense Superior Service Medal from the White House. In February 2021, Hayes published the book “Never Enough: A Navy SEAL Commander on Living a Life of Excellence, Agility, and Meaning.” Hayes holds a master’s degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School and a bachelor’s degree from Holy Cross College. He is on the boards of Immuta, a data governance company, and the National Medal of Honor Museum. He is also a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
