Interim Chief Operating Officer

Manny Piñeiro is currently serving as Interim Chief Operating Officer of the USO, bringing decades of leadership experience, operational expertise and a deep commitment to supporting service members and their families.

A 32-year veteran of the United States Air Force, Manny is a certified executive coach and professional speaker skilled in leadership and character development at all levels of management. He is known for helping organizations pursue performance goals with humility, behavioral change and team-building strategies rooted in a positive and enthusiastic approach.

Manny is the President and Founder of MAKING TIME COUNT, LLC, which focuses on helping C-suite executives and their teams make the most of their humanity through meaningful engagement and lasting change. He is a strong advocate for transitioning military members as they seek their highest potential in and out of uniform, while identifying and addressing common challenges veterans face after active duty.

He remains committed to elevating human performance and helping people become the best version of themselves. He has delivered leadership development for a multitude of premier organizations, led teams to master their moments and established himself as a thought leader in diversity, resilience and personal accountability.

During his Air Force career, Piñeiro served in the highest enlisted position as the First Sergeant Special Duty Manager, where he was responsible for establishing guidance, policy and management for more than 2,700 Regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve first sergeants.

He also served as the primary advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force, CSAF, CMSAF and First Sergeant Academy for training curriculum, helping establish wartime mission roles, responsibilities and utilization that impacted nearly 600,000 airmen and their families around the world. Manny is a proven leader with a warrior ethos who deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield/Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. As a dynamic and energetic speaker, Piñeiro has delivered more than 300 keynote addresses to audiences of all sizes around the world. Manny is no stranger to international partner nations. As the first enlisted senior non-commissioned officer selected to work for the Undersecretary of International Affairs, he established policy and strategy to promote professional military education with host nations, helping them develop leadership philosophies connected to shared objectives.

Piñeiro earned a Bachelor of Science in Workforce Education and Development from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He is also responsible for the inception of the Joint Service Professional Military Education Experience at the Department of Defense National Defense University.