Max Bone
Meet Max
Max Bone is an Associate on McChrystal Group’s Implementation Team, bringing deep experience in international governance, organizational effectiveness, and complex operations across Africa. His work has focused on strengthening democratic institutions, advising senior officials, and supporting organizations navigating rapidly evolving political and operational landscapes.
What did you do before joining McChrystal Group?
Before joining McChrystal Group, I worked in political and commercial development across Africa. Most recently, I served as an Advisor at Busara Advisors, a start-up supporting international firms looking to enter African markets and African companies seeking to expand globally.
Previously, I worked at the International Republican Institute (IRI), where I oversaw program implementation across West and Southern Africa. In this role, I organized International Election Observation Missions (IEOMs) in Nigeria (2023) and Mozambique (2024), and led assessments on electoral violence in Ghana, disinformation in Zimbabwe, and voter participation in The Gambia.
Earlier in my career, I supported the election management bodies of Zambia, Senegal, and Ethiopia ahead of critical national elections, and worked with local civil society organizations in Cameroon and Morocco.
Why did you join McChrystal Group?
Throughout my previous work, I spent significant time understanding what motivates people and organizations to change their behavior and on building strong relationships with partners. After transitioning to a strategic advisory firm, I increasingly recognized how applicable these same skills are in the private sector. That realization ultimately led me to McChrystal Group.
What are your favorite books (besides Team of Teams!)?
One of my favorite books I have read, and one that has really stayed with me, is The Yoruba from Prehistory to the Present by Aribidesi Adisa Usman and Toyin Falola. It traces the history of one of the largest population groups in Nigeria from around 500 CE to the present. The book goes into depth on how Yoruba society, culture, and politics have evolved in response to massive shifts, including the introduction of iron, the transatlantic slave trade, and contemporary Nigerian politics. I found the documentation of both change and continuity incredibly intriguing, and the framework feels applicable far beyond Yoruba or Nigerian studies.
I have also been a longtime fan of almost anything written by the South African author Jonny Steinberg. His work focuses on individual human experiences in order to explain broader societal trends. One of my favorite books of his is Midlands, which examines the centuries of history behind a 1999 murder and what the event reveals about South Africa. I particularly appreciate how his writing reminds me that most political or historical developments ultimately come down to people and their motivations, fears, and choices.
Some other, more niche books I have enjoyed include A History of the Guyanese Working People, 1881–1905 by Walter Rodney, Silence on the Mountain: Stories of Terror, Betrayal, and Forgetting in Guatemala by Daniel Wilkinson, and Blood of Brothers by Stephen Kinzer, which explores the Nicaraguan civil war.
I am a massive history and politics nerd, if you cannot already tell.
BA in International Affairs, The George Washington University
MPhil African Studies, University of Cambridge, Jesus College
