Pentagon CTO to oversee Defense Innovation Unit following Beck’s exit

Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael will lead the Defense Innovation Unit in an acting capacity following former director Doug Beck’s resignation Monday.

The Pentagon confirmed the personnel change in a statement to Defense News, adding that Michael Dodd, the incoming assistant secretary of defense for critical technologies, will be the acting deputy director of the commercial innovation hub.

“Together, both are laser-focused on driving innovation and enhancing the department’s ability to deliver groundbreaking commercial technologies to empower the American warfighter,” the spokesperson said.

Beck’s resignation follows more than two years in the DIU director role, where he oversaw the organization’s transition from a small, largely experimental office to one focused on helping the Defense Department scale commercial technology for operators in the field.

DIU and Beck have played a key role in major Pentagon programs like Replicator, an effort to change the way the DOD prioritizes, tests and buys high-need technology.

In recent years, DIU took on a more prominent role in the defense technology ecosystem, triggered largely by a nearly $1 billion funding increase from Congress and a decision by then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to have the office report directly to him. DIU previously fell under the oversight of the undersecretary for research and engineering.

Defense Innovation Unit head Doug Beck resigns

The office’s new, if temporary, leadership could signal a shift back to the former organizational structure, though the Pentagon has not confirmed whether the reporting chain has been altered.

Michael, who took over the undersecretary role in May, is a former senior executive at Uber, as well as a startup investor. As the Pentagon’s chief technology officer, he is the department’s main advisor on technology development, experimentation and testing.

Dodd currently oversees energy programs within the National Security Innovation Capital office, an arm of DIU focused on accelerating technology adoption within DOD. If confirmed by the Senate for the assistant secretary role, he would lead the acceleration of critical defense and dual-use technologies like 5G, hypersonics, microelectronics and autonomy.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story misstated Michael Dodd’s current job title.

Pentagon CTO to oversee Defense Innovation Unit following Beck’s exit

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