DIU team members include active duty military, reservists, civilians, and contractors who bring extensive military and private sector experience to accelerate commercial technology for national security.
Leadership
Director's Office
Strategy, Policy, and National Security Partnerships
Aditi Kumar
Deputy Director, Strategy, Policy, and National Security Partnerships
Katherine Koleski
Director, Congressional Affairs
Bryan Wilson
Director, Global Partnerships
Sunmin Kim
Director, Policy
Trevor Burns
Director, Replicator Initiative
People, Finance and Management
Kirstin Riesbeck
Deputy Director, People, Finance and Management
Cherissa Tamayori
Director of Acquisition
Joe Cosentino
Director of Resource Management
Pete Prabhakar
Director of Human Resources
John Chen
Chief Information Officer
Military Directorate
Maj Gen Steve "Bucky" Butow
Military Deputy
Scott Williams
Acting Director and Deputy Director, Joint Reserve Detachment (JRD)
Alex Garcias
Embed, U.S. INDOPACOM
Glen McCartan
Embed, U.S. European Command
Commercial Operations
Liz Young McNally
Deputy Director, Commercial Operations
Ray Gobberg
Commercial Operations (CTR)
NSIN and NSIC
Liz also serves as director for the NSIN and NSIC teams.
Technology Platforms and Developer Ecosystem
Cheryl Ingstad
Deputy Director, Digital Platforms and Developer Ecosystem
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Portfolio
Justin Norman
Acting Portfolio Director and Technical Director, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Portfolio
Autonomy Portfolio
David Michelson
Director, Autonomy Portfolio
Derek McBride
Deputy Director
Trent Emeneker
Blue UAS lead (CTR)
Will Ryan
Portfolio Manager
Travis DeMeester
Portfolio Manager (CTR)
Cyber and Telecommunications Portfolio
Pat Gould
Director, Cyber and Telecommunications portfolio
Andrew Hong
Deputy Director
Lynne Guey
Strategic Lead (CTR)
Emerging Technology Portfolio
Dr. Nick Estep
Director, Emerging Technology portfolio
Energy Portfolio
Dr. Andrew Higier
Director, Energy portfolio
Sarah Cuellar
Deputy Portfolio Director
Charles "Newt" McKissick
Senior Military Advisor
Human Systems Portfolio
Dr. Christian Whitchurch
Director, Human Systems portfolio
Niels Olson
Chief Medical Officer
Space Portfolio
Maj Gen Steve "Bucky" Butow
Director, Space portfolio
Allen Varghese
Deputy Director
Ric Mommer
Commercial Engagement Executive (CTR)
Cherissa Tamayori
DIU Director of Acquisitions
DIU is a relatively young organization, and I have really enjoyed being a part of its growth story. I’m extremely proud of my team for championing the use of the Other Transaction Authority across the DoD and helping to drive DIU’s impact through the prototypes we’ve been able to contract over the last five years!
DIU: Powered by Talent
At the DIU, our team is the fuel to our fire. Our technical, acquisition, and industry experts work tirelessly to bring cutting-edge commercial technology to the DoD. Read more by following our Powered by Talent series.
Joshua Zike, USCG
Joshua Zike is an active duty U.S. Coast Guard officer who serves as the senior service lead to DIU and is a program manager within the autonomy portfolio. Prior to joining DIU in the summer of 2023, he was the Commanding Officer of the USCG Cutter ELM (WLB 204), which is homeported in Astoria, Oregon, from 2020-2023.
He spoke to DIU to share more about his role, what project he's most exited about, and more. Read the interview.
Join Us.
Be Part Of Our Team.
We Break Down Silos DIU is a proven catalyst for reinvigorating how the government and business work together. We’re not bound by traditional DoD silos, enabling us to work across Services, at the seams of our portfolios, and the overlap among technology areas -- the intersection of space and cyber, health and AI, and more -- where the real innovation takes place and where new thriving businesses can be created.
We’re Trailblazers Our team embodies the same entrepreneurial spirit that drives the startups and companies at the leading edge of technology. We were founded because traditional approaches to defense acquisition were failing to capture innovative applications available to global consumers but out of reach for the U.S. military. DIU is intrinsically invested in getting to yes, whether it’s finding a new solution to a national security challenge or navigating simpler paths to success within the largest bureaucracy in the world.
We’re Passionate About the Mission Technological innovation is central to our future economic prosperity and national security. DIU is building the technology pipeline to ensure our global leadership alongside our allies and partners by forging new partnerships and growing the innovation ecosystem at the intersection of industry, academia, and government. A thriving public-private ecosystem is essential to maintaining American competitiveness and developing foundational discoveries that will sustain us for the next generation.
We Respect Ingenuity Good ideas can come from anywhere and, sometimes, the solution you think you want at the start doesn’t turn out to be the best option available. This principle permeates our culture, daily operations, and project execution. To find the best solutions and continuously improve, we regularly seek ideas and feedback from those, at every level, who feel the impact of a challenge or solution in their daily work. We champion the ideas that deliver optimal results.