Mr. Schute has a great deal of experience in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. He entered Kurdistan in April 2003 as the commander of a US Army Reserve Civil Affairs battalion and within two months was the senior US Army commander responsible for the three governorates of the Kurdistan Region.

He later served with the Army as the Chief of Staff for the Coalition Provisional Authority Northern Region Office in Erbil. In these capacities, he travelled to all parts of Kurdistan getting to know people at all levels of society, from the most senior leaders, to the man in the street.

After his Army tour, Mr. Schute returned to Iraqi Kurdistan, spending five months as the Regional Security Coordinator with a Kurdistan based international private security company. He later established Point 62 Consulting, with its base in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. He also serves as Senior Advisor to the local private security company – VSC Security Solutions; and, he serves on the board of the NGO, the America Kurdistan Friendship Association (AKFA). Mr. Schute is among the leading foreign experts on matters related to Iraqi Kurdistan, and the region.

Colonel (Ret) Schute’s military experience was gained over 23 years of active and reserve service as an Armor officer and later as a Civil Affairs officer, where he retired with the rank of Colonel. He also has law enforcement experience having served 10 years as a trooper and detective with the New Jersey State Police.

Mr. Schute has a B.S. from the US Military Academy at West Point, where he was a History major; and, has a law enforcement certificate from the NJ State Police Academy. He speaks Sorani Kurdish and is conversant in German.