Richard P. Lawless
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
Asian & Pacific Affairs
Mr. Richard P. Lawless is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs, a position he assumed in October 2002. From 1972 to 1987, he was an employee at the Central Intelligence Agency, serving in Washington, D.C. and various postings in the Far East and Europe.
Mr. Lawless entered the private sector in 1987 serving as co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of U.S. Asia Commercial Development Corporation. U.S. Asia and its affiliated companies specialize in telecommunications and investment technology and market entry strategies in East Asia. He is also a co-founder and former Chairman of Online Environs, Inc., an internet technology development company. Mr. Lawless received his B.S. in International Relations from Bradley University’s School of International Studies, and studied Korean at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California.