Senate committee advances Davies nomination for Pentagon CIO
Kirsten Davies moved one step closer to becoming the Defense Department’s chief information officer after the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday favorably reported her nomination.
The nominee has been placed on the Senate executive calendar for consideration by all members of that legislative body, according to a notice posted on Congress.gov.
President Donald Trump tapped Davies for the role back in May, but the SASC waited until September to hold her confirmation hearing.
The DOD CIO plays a critical role in the Pentagon, serving as the principal staff assistant and senior advisor to the secretary of defense and deputy secretary of defense for IT matters, with a broad portfolio that includes responsibility for cybersecurity, communications and information systems.
Last month, more than 100 cybersecurity experts wrote a letter to members of the Senate Armed Services Committee urging them to move swiftly to confirm Davies.
“Many of us have collaborated with her, witnessed her steady hand in high-stakes situations, and observed her ability to lead with both conviction and humility. She has built a reputation as a world-class cybersecurity executive who can earn trust, build teams, and navigate complexity,” they wrote.
“She also understands that defending large, complex organizations requires partnership across government, industry, and society. Her founding of the Institute for Cyber Civics and her continued leadership in public-private initiatives illustrate a deep commitment to collective defense and civic responsibility. As the DoD navigates IT modernization, AI integration, and an increasingly hostile cyber terrain, Ms. Davies will bring the operational realism and strategic foresight only a battle-tested CISO can offer,” they told senators.
Davies’ previous roles in the private sector included chief information security officer for Unilever, senior vice president and chief information security officer at the Estee Lauder Companies, managing director and group chief security officer at Barclays Africa (now known as Absa), vice president of enterprise security strategy and transformation solution at Hewlett-Packard, global deputy CISO at Siemens, and senior associate at Booz Allen Hamilton.
During her confirmation hearing with the SASC, Davies said it’s time for “great change” at the Defense Department, which the Trump administration recently rebranded as the Department of War.
“America’s warfighter readiness and lethality depend upon secure, resilient, modernized systems and innovative technical and cyber capabilities. The department has challenges to overcome. It is weighed down with legacy systems and un-optimized data. There are great people, but at today’s speed of change, skills must be constantly refreshed and future fit. New entrants with innovative tech solutions struggle with red tape and lack of access. Cyberattacks are pervasive, and America’s adversaries are motivated and capable to inflict massive impact, and there is little deterrence. Great change is needed in this time and in this hour,” she told lawmakers.
In her written responses to advance policy questions from senators ahead of her confirmation hearing, Davies laid out what some of her top priorities will be, if confirmed.
Among those, she told lawmakers that commercial solutions should be “the presumptive first choice” when it comes to acquisition and adoption of capabilities for cybersecurity, IT and business systems — suggesting that government-unique solutions should only be developed and retained if commercial offerings can’t satisfy the department’s unique mission needs.
A full Senate vote on her confirmation hasn’t been scheduled yet.
Katie Arrington, who was appointed Pentagon CISO earlier this year by the Trump administration, is currently performing the duties of DOD CIO.
