Paul Quaglia

Special Advisor (Thailand & Indochina)

Based in Bangkok, Paul Quaglia has been a Special Advisor to Martin Yupangco and Optima Strategies since 2000. He is a 20-year veteran of the US Central Intelligence Agency. He retired from the CIA in July 2000, after completing a 3-year assignment in Thailand where he worked in close cooperation with Thai military, police, intelligence and other senior government officials on a variety of issues.

Optima Strategies has developed a wide variety of senior contacts in most Thai ministries, including Public Health, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Transportation, Education, Finance and Commerce. This array of relationships includes political appointees at the ministerial level, as well as the all-important senior civil servant – Permanent Secretary – level.

Mr. Quaglia served the majority of his CIA career in overseas postings, initially in the Middle East, but later in South and East Asia. He has served as Chief of Station and Base in three countries. Mr. Quaglia has extensive counter terrorist experience gleaned from his postings to hostile environments during his Agency career.

Mr. Quaglia, through counterintelligence assignments, maintained close contact with intelligence and security officials in virtually every country in Asia. He also worked closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in developing and prosecuting two high profile espionage cases that involved CIA personnel.

Mr. Quaglia is a recipient of the East Asia Division award for excellent service.

Prior to joining the CIA, Mr. Quaglia was a trial attorney in the Chicago law firm of McKenna, Storer, Rowe, White and Farrug. He was responsible for civil litigation in both state and federal courts and has extensive discovery, pre-trial and trial experience. Mr. Quaglia is a member of the Federal, Illinois and District of Columbia Bars. Given his unique combination of legal and field operational experience, Mr. Quaglia served one year as Assistant General Counsel in the CIA's Office of General Counsel.

Mr. Quaglia was a Detroit police officer from 1971 to 1979. He held a variety of assignments including street patrol, criminal investigation and undercover narcotics work directed at prosecution of major narcotics traffickers in southeast Michigan.

Mr. Quaglia is a graduate of Wayne State University and honors graduate of Michigan State University College of Law.

He speaks Thai, French and basic Arabic.