New Nominees to Oversee Pentagon’s Tech, Cyber Strategy

President Donald Trump nominated Defense Innovation Unit’s Michael Dodd and U.S. Cyber Command’s Katherine Sutton for assistant secretary of defense positions last week to oversee the Defense Department’s technology and cybersecurity priorities, respectively.

Dodd currently serves as the principal for the energy portfolio at the National Security Innovation Capital (NSIC) component of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). Trump tapped Dodd as the assistant secretary of defense for critical technologies, a role established in 2023 as part of the Pentagon’s research and engineering directorate, which oversees the development of next-generation military capabilities.

NSIC accelerates the development of dual-use hardware technologies critical to American “national security and economic competitiveness,” according to its site. NSIC bridges the gap between DOD and early-stage tech innovators in areas like autonomy, power systems and space, according to DIU. Dodd also writes The DoddFather Diaries newsletter, where he analyzes defense, technology and national security news. His newsletter has covered things like the great power competition, Greenland as “America’s Arctic Advantage” and other topics.

In a Facebook post noting the nomination, Senator Todd Young called Dodd “an innovative thinker and experienced professional who is perfect for this role.”

Before his NSIC position, Dodd was the university program director at DIU’s National Security Innovation Network and served in the Marine Corps.

If confirmed, Dodd will be responsible for shaping the technical direction of the Defense Department, aligning industry and academic efforts with the Pentagon leadership’s vision. Dodd’s office also focuses development of technologies like artificial intelligence, hypersonics, microelectronics and renewable energy. The role also involves establishing roadmaps to guide the Pentagon’s technological priorities and fostering collaboration between government, industry and academia.

Trump also nominated Katherine Sutton to serve as the assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy. She currently serves as chief technology advisor to the Commander and director of Pentagon Operations of U.S. Cyber Command, where she focuses on cybersecurity, engineering policies and strategies for acquisition, workforce management and budget control.

If confirmed, she will oversee the Department of Defense’s cyber operations policy and act as the principal cybersecurity adviser to the Secretary of Defense. According to LinkedIn, Sutton previously worked at Sandia National Laboratories and as a staff member on the Senate and House Armed Services Committees. Sutton holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

The administration sent the nominations to Congress on March 24, where they were referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee.