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.

Our Team

Leadership

Director's Office


Doug Beck

Director, DIU

Tom Merritt

General Counsel

Kevin Lyster

Deputy General Counsel

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


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. 

Powered by Talent Joshua Zike

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.

Interested in joining our team? Learn more about opportunities at DIU.