Leslie Beavers
Defense Leadership
After beginning her career as an intelligence officer in the United States Air Force and serving in various roles before retiring as a reserve brigadier general with the Joint Staff J2, Leslie Beavers was named in May 2023 as the principal deputy CIO for the Department of Defense, working to support the priorities of CIO John Sherman. In this role as the Pentagon’s No. 2 IT official, Beavers leads engagement with the defense agencies and field activities CIOs and drives strategic resource planning across the IT and cybersecurity domains. She’s also been instrumental in leading the DOD’s work to improve user experience of digital tools for warfighters. Beavers has over 15 years of experience in the private sector working in the entertainment, healthcare, and oil and gas industries.
