CIA appoints Indian-American Nand Mulchandani as first-ever Chief Technology Officer

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Washington: Indian-American Nand Mulchandani, who has more than 25 years of experience in Silicon Valley as well as with the Department of Defense (DoD), has been appointed by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as the first-ever Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

The CIA Director William J. Burns made the announcement of Mulchandani’s appointment on April 29. “Glad about Mulchandani’s appointment to the top post,” said CIA Director Burns, adding, “Since my confirmation, I have prioritized focusing on technology and the new CTO position is a very important part of that effort.”

Burns went on to say, “I am delighted Nand has joined our team and will bring his extensive experience to this crucial new role.”

Mulchandani brings substantial private sector, startup, and government expertise to the Agency, the CIA said in a media statement.

“I am honored to join CIA in this role and look forward to working with the Agency’s incredible team of technologists and domain experts who already deliver world-class intelligence and capabilities to help build a comprehensive technology strategy that delivers exciting capabilities working closely with industry and partners,” Mulchandani said.

In his new role, Mulchandani will ensure the Agency is leveraging cutting-edge innovations and scanning the horizon for tomorrow’s innovations to further the CIA’s mission, the agency said in its announcement.

Prior to joining the CIA, Mulchandani most recently served as the CTO and Acting Director of DoD’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC). He also co-founded and was CEO of several successful startups such as Oblix (acquired by Oracle), Determina (acquired by VMWare), OpenDNS (acquired by Cisco), and ScaleXtreme (acquired by Citrix).

Mulchandani holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Cornell University, a Master’s in Science and Management from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, and a Master of Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.