10 heads of data in Defense technology
BAE Systems supplies four of these defense technology data heads, two chief data officers plus data leads in its Air and Digital Intelligence businesses; Leidos has two, and Lockheed Martin, Thales, Naval Systems, Inc. (NSI) and Arcfield one each. Several of their titles pair data with analytics, AI, modelling or digital transformation, which makes them useful when organizing a data team around programs and engineering, or putting AI into use on defense work.
Professionals to explore
Alan Sim, Ph.D.
LinkedInExperience: Chief Data and Analytics Officer (CDAO) · Leidos
Federal, defense and healthcare settings frame the work of Alan Sim, Ph.D., Chief Data and Analytics Officer (CDAO) at Leidos since July 2025, leading data, analytics, AI and digital transformation initiatives and executing enterprise-wide data, analytics and AI strategies. Alan was Chief Data Officer (CDO) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020-2025) and Chief, Data Innovation Branch and Chief Data Scientist at Vista Defense Technologies, LLC (2017-2020). Alan suits questions on enterprise data and AI strategy across federal and defense work.
Is this you? Claim your profile and get paid for calls.
Chris Sanders
LinkedInExperience: Chief Data Officer · BAE Systems
Chris Sanders has been Chief Data Officer at BAE Systems since June 2024, the chief data officer for Naval Ships, part of the Maritime and Land Sector. Chris was Head of Data and Analytics (2021-2024) and Engineering Manager - systems and data integration (2015-2021) at BAE Systems, Engineering Manager @ Contract at BAE Naval ships (2014-2015), and Engineering configuration and data analyst at Thales Defense & Security, Inc. (2008-2014). Chris fits questions on building a data function out of engineering and systems integration roles.
Is this you? Claim your profile and get paid for calls.
Christopher Blood
LinkedInExperience: Under the Group Chief Data Officer · BAE Systems, Christopher Blood has been Head of Data Exploitation; Former Head of Data and Digital · BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
Under the Group Chief Data Officer at BAE Systems, Christopher Blood has been Head of Data Exploitation since January 2026, leading a team focused on increasing the value the business realises from its use of data. Christopher was Head of Data and Digital (2019-2023), Data Strategist (2016-2025) and Data Architect (2013-2015) at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence, and CDO Lead for Advanced Data Exploitation (Secondment) at BAE Systems (2024-2025). Christopher is the pick for questions on getting value from existing data across a defense group.
Is this you? Claim your profile and get paid for calls.
Christopher Klubertanz
LinkedInExperience: Chief Data and AI Officer · Naval Systems, Inc. (NSI)
Chief Data and AI Officer at Naval Systems, Inc. (NSI) since February 2024, Christopher Klubertanz held Director, Technology and Analytics Division (2021-2024), Deputy Director, Technology and Analytics (2020-2021) and Chief Data Scientist (2019-2020) there. Christopher was a Senior Data Analyst at Lockheed Martin (2017-2019), describes a history as a data scientist in the military aerospace industry and lists Tableau, R, SQL and avionics among skills. Christopher fits questions on growing a data science team into a data and AI office.
Is this you? Claim your profile and get paid for calls.
Johanna Hutchinson
LinkedInExperience: Chief Data Officer · BAE Systems
Embedding AI through a chief data office is the topic for Johanna Hutchinson, Chief Data Officer at BAE Systems since August 2023, with work in the role focused on leveraging technology transformation to develop and embed AI; Johanna was ranked No1 on the DataIQ 100 for 2025. Johanna has chaired the advisory board of the CXO Chief Data Officer Summit at CXO Group Ltd since 2023, joined the DataIQ advisory board and became a strategic advisor to Pendle in 2025, and was on the Non Executive Board Of Trustees of The Royal Statistics Society (2019-2025).
Is this you? Claim your profile and get paid for calls.
Matt C
LinkedInExperience: Head of Data · BAE Systems Air
Working as Head of Data - FCAS, Matt C has been Head of Data at BAE Systems Air since November 2025. Matt was Head of Collaborative Environment at BAE Systems Air (2023-2025), and at Microsoft held Senior Partner Cloud Solution Architect (2021-2023) and Application Development Manager (2015-2021). With cloud architecture behind a defense data role, Matt suits questions on data platforms and collaborative environments on FCAS.
Is this you? Claim your profile and get paid for calls.
Michael Owen
LinkedInExperience: Former Director, MFC Chief Data & Analytics Officer · Lockheed Martin
Michael Owen was Director, MFC Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Lockheed Martin (2022-2024), at Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control, and has been Director, MFC Digital Transformation Officer (DTO) there since March 2024. Michael's other Lockheed Martin titles include Senior Manager, Data Strategy (2019-2024), Senior Manager, IT Strategy (2017-2019) and Information Technology Project Manager (2005-2017). Michael fits questions on how a business-unit data office connects to digital transformation.
Is this you? Claim your profile and get paid for calls.
Mitch Robinson
LinkedInExperience: Head of Data, Analytics, and Modelling · Leidos
Based in the Australian Capital Territory, Mitch Robinson has been Head of Data, Analytics, and Modelling at Leidos since June 2025, at a company addressing challenges in national security and health. Mitch's earlier Leidos titles were Senior Data Scientist (2021-2025), Data Scientist (2017-2021), Senior Financial Analyst (2017) and Financial Analyst (2016-2017). Mitch fits questions on analytics and modelling teams and on moving from data scientist to head of data inside one company.
Is this you? Claim your profile and get paid for calls.
Sarah Dickens
LinkedInExperience: Chief Data Officer · Arcfield
Arcfield, a company specializing in missile defense and hypersonic defense, named Sarah Dickens Chief Data Officer in June 2026. Sarah worked in Workforce Compliance at Systems Planning & Analysis (2025-2026) and at Deloitte held Strategic Communications (2024-2025), Human Capital Senior Consultant, Career Field Development (2024) and Senior Consultant, Human Capital Analyst Organizational Transformation (2021-2024) titles. Sarah fits questions on starting a chief data officer role at a defense company with a workforce and organizational analytics background.
Is this you? Claim your profile and get paid for calls.
Vincent Gicquel
LinkedInExperience: Former R&T and Innovation Director Chief Data Officer DMS Global Business Unit · Thales
Vincent Gicquel was R&T and Innovation Director Chief Data Officer DMS Global Business Unit at Thales (2022-2025), shaping the global business unit's technology strategy and defining and implementing its technology roadmap. Vincent has been Chief AI Officer Thales Emarat Technologies since September 2025 and was Chief Digital Officer Value & Bid Marketing DMS Global Business Unit (2019-2022) and Bids & Programs Manager (2014-2017) at Thales. Vincent fits questions on tying data and AI to technology roadmaps and bids.
Is this you? Claim your profile and get paid for calls.
Choose the right perspective
For data strategy across a large business, Johanna Hutchinson, Alan Sim, Ph.D., and Christopher Blood (working under a group chief data officer) are the closest fits. Chris Sanders, Michael Owen and Vincent Gicquel hold or held data roles for one sector or business unit, and Matt C and Mitch Robinson head data inside a single business. Christopher Klubertanz and Vincent Gicquel suit AI-specific questions, and Sarah Dickens is the newest in a chief data officer seat.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How do you give engineers and program teams access to the data they need when it sits under different security classifications?
- 02Where should a defense company's data team report, to engineering, IT or a digital transformation office, and what changed when you moved it?
- 03Which AI use case did you take from pilot into real use first on a defense program, and what data work did it require?
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.