The Defense Department’s (DoD) Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) announced four new hires that will lead efforts to accelerate the Pentagon’s adoption and use of data, analytics, and AI technologies.
Three of the new hires are transferring from other IT sectors of the Federal government and will serve as deputy chief digital and AI officers (DCDAO). The fourth new hire comes from industry and will serve as the executive director of the DoD CDAO.
“After less than two years, the CDAO has established critical foundations in enterprise data infrastructure, analytics and AI enablement. To build on that foundation it is critical to have the right leaders so we can hit the ground running and begin working together to collaborate and innovate for the DoD,” Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer Radha Plumb said on May 22. “I am excited to announce these additions to our tremendous leadership team.”
Garrett Berntsen is the CDAO’s new DCDAO for mission analytics. Berntsen announced on his LinkedIn that he began his new post at CDAO on May 28 where he will help build and expand CDAO analytics efforts to support both warfighting and business functions.
Previously, Berntsen served as the State Department’s first deputy chief data and AI officer where he was responsible for standing up the State Department’s Center for Analytics. Additionally, he served as a director for technology and national security on the White House National Security Council, where he supported the development of President Biden’s AI executive order.
Eugene Kuznetsov was named the CDAO’s new DCDAO for enterprise platforms and services. Kuznetsov will work to ensure the DoD’s data infrastructure, AI enablement, and autonomy support delivery on urgent warfighter requirements.
Kuznetsov joined the CDAO from Naval Special Warfare where he served as the Command Technology Officer for the last three years.
Jock Padgett will serve as the DCDAO for advanced command and control (C2) acceleration. The CDAO said Padgett “will be critical in accelerating progress in Advance C2 capabilities along with key mission needs.”
Padgett comes from the U.S. Army XVIII Airborne Corps where he served as the chief technology officer since January 2023.
Finally, the CDAO announced that Christopher Skaluba will serve as the office’s executive director. Skaluba joined the CDAO from the Atlantic Council where he served as the director of the Transatlantic Security Initiative.
“As CDAO’s senior leadership team, we will collaborate to lead the development and oversight of policies and tools to enable the responsible adoption of data, analytics, and AI capabilities across the force, at scale and speed, to meet the warfighters emergent requirements,” Plumb said. “I look forward to this opportunity and to working with this talented group of experts.”
