The Senate confirmed William LaPlante to be under secretary for acquisition and sustainment at the Department of Defense (DoD) on April 7 by voice vote.
President Biden first nominated LaPlante for the job in November 2021, noting that his decades of experience in acquisition, technology, sustainment, and in the defense industrial base (DIB) would aid him in the role.
Most recently, LaPlante served as the president and CEO of Draper Laboratory. Before that, he worked as the senior vice president for the MITRE Corporation’s National Sector, overseeing Federally-funded research and development centers for DoD and the Department of Commerce.
Before holding positions in the DIB, LaPlante served in the Obama administration as the Senate-confirmed assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology, and logistics from 2014 to 2017.
LaPlante is also a past and present member of various scientific boards and commissions focused on acquisition.
