Pentagon CIO gets new strategic technical advisor
Jon Steinbach has been tapped to serve as strategic technical advisor to Pentagon Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies as the CIO continues to add new members to her team and shake up the roster.
The appointment, announced Friday, comes amid a push by Davies to modernize the Defense Department’s IT and software, streamline procurement, and figure out the way ahead for the controversial Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program.
In his new role, Steinbach “will provide critical counsel on emerging, next generation technologies and the complex issues at the nexus of national security, technology, and business,” officials wrote in a press release.
Steinbach’s government experience includes service with the CIA, the military’s Special Operations Command, and the Marine Corps. In the private sector, he held senior executive positions and advised technology companies and investors, according to the announcement.
In a statement, Steinbach said he aims to help accelerate the department’s digital modernization, expand its enterprise capabilities, and bolster collaboration with the defense industrial base.
“Jon’s experience and the unique perspective he gained over more than three decades of work at the intersection of national security, special operations, intelligence, and private sector innovation will be a tremendous asset to the team and to our warfighters,” Davies said in a statement.
The Pentagon has made a slew of other appointments to the CIO’s office in recent months.
In a social media post Friday, officials announced that Kenneth Nienhuser, who previously played a key role in the CIO’s industry outreach, will serve as deputy chief of staff.
In August, Sonu Shankar started a new role as principal deputy CIO
A few months prior, Davies announced Ryan McArthur as special advisor to the CIO for capability development and operational excellence, David Vaughn as technical advisor for data infrastructure, Kayla Huthoefer Nelson as chief of staff, and Vishal Aswani as special advisor for transformation.
Aaron Bishop was tapped earlier this year to serve as the Pentagon’s chief information security officer.
