The Defense Department’s (DoD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has appointed Mike Madsen to serve as acting director starting Sept. 2, when current DIU Director Mike Brown departs, a DIU spokesperson told MeriTalk. Madsen will remain as acting director until a permanent director is selected.
Madsen currently serves as DIU’s deputy director and director of strategic engagement where he collaborates with venture capital and technology company CEOs, senior officials from the Pentagon, and members of Congress and staff to leverage technology innovation and entrepreneurship for national security applications.
The step up to the acting director position, however, is temporary. Madsen “is not putting his name in to be considered for director of DIU permanently,” the spokesperson said.
Brown has been the director at DIU for the last four years, leading the agency in its mission to accelerate the adoption of advanced commercial technology in the military. Earlier this year Brown announced his plans to step down permanently at the end of his term despite the opportunity to stay on.
The review process for a new director is still ongoing and will likely take at least a month, the spokesperson said.
