Former Defense Department Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy has taken on a new position at Boeing, where he will serve as the Chief Information Digital Officer and Senior Vice President for Information Technology and Data Analytics. This appointment was announced by the company on January 3.
Deasy's tenure as the Pentagon CIO spanned from May 2018 to 2021 during the first Trump administration, a period marked by significant technological initiatives and adaptations triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, he was instrumental in establishing the COVID-19 Telework Readiness Task Force, which coordinated efforts among various defence agencies to enhance network capacity amid the unprecedented demand for new equipment such as tablets and secure devices. His leadership facilitated the implementation of tools like the Commercial Virtual Remote Environment, enabling the department to transition to large-scale teleworking effectively.
One of Deasy’s key contributions was the establishment of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), aimed at accelerating AI adoption within the Defence Department. The JAIC was eventually integrated into the Pentagon’s Chief Digital and AI Office (CDAO) during the Biden administration. While at the Pentagon, Deasy also advocated for a set of AI ethical principles that prioritised the responsible and equitable use of technology, stating, “Any one of these is absolutely applicable to the private industry as well,” during a February 2020 press briefing. His perspective suggested the relevance of these principles beyond military applications, inviting consideration from the corporate sector.
Moreover, during his leadership, Deasy championed enterprise cloud initiatives, although the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) project faced challenges and was later replaced with the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) programme. Following his departure from the Pentagon in 2021, Deasy launched his own advisory firm, took on corporate board positions, and served as an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University.
Deasy's successor at the Pentagon was John Sherman, who served as CIO for the majority of the Biden presidency before transitioning to become dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. The current acting CIO is Leslie Beavers.
In his role at Boeing, Deasy will oversee all facets of information technology, including information security, data management, and analytics, and will be a member of the executive council. Boeing, a prominent aerospace and defence contractor, supports various major Department of Defense programmes.
Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s president and CEO, welcomed Deasy to the team, noting his “track record of delivering on innovative technologies across large and complex organizations.” Ortberg highlighted the increasing importance of safeguarding against cyber threats and the burgeoning role of artificial intelligence across industries, emphasising the critical function of the IT team in advancing Boeing’s objectives related to safety, quality, and future readiness.
Source: Noah Wire Services