Honorable Dana Deasy Former Department of Defense Chief Information Officer (DoD CIO)

Building the Base

"The DOD is designed to give responsibility down to the lowest level, and that is the complexity that must be solved for. But we are never going to move with speed if we keep it down at the lowest common denominator." - Dana Deasy

In this episode of "Building the Base," hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts welcome special guest Dana Deasy, former DOD Chief Information Officer with extensive experience in both the private and public service sectors. Dana's distinguished career includes roles as the Global CIO of JP Morgan Chase, CIO at BP, Tyco International, Siemens America, and Rockwell Space Systems. The conversation delves into Dana's journey, from his early career to becoming a global CIO, and his unexpected shift to government service as the DOD CIO.

Key Takeaways:

1. Diverse Career Trajectory: Dana's career path highlights the evolution of technology from the mainframe era to the current digital age. His willingness to take on roles with increasing scale and complexity led him to diverse sectors, including finance, energy, and defense.

2. Patriotism and Public Service: Dana's unexpected entry into government service revealed a latent patriotic streak. His experience at the DOD ignited a passion for serving the country, emphasizing the rewards and challenges of working in the public sector.

3. Challenges in Government Transformation: The discussion outlines the challenges of digital transformation in government, focusing on the protracted budgeting process and the complexities of the acquisition process. Dana highlights the need for a more agile approach and draws parallels with the private sector.

4. COVID-19 and Government Agility: The COVID-19 pandemic served as a litmus test for the government's ability to adapt quickly. Dana shares the remarkable achievement of transitioning over a million DOD personnel to remote work in a short timeframe, showcasing the government's agility in crisis situations.

5. Legacy Systems and Modernization Challenges: Legacy systems remain a significant hurdle in the modernization journey. Dana emphasizes the need to balance the autonomy given to individual units with the imperative to move swiftly, calling attention to the ongoing complexity of legacy issues.