Pentagon CMO reorg to take effect

Under a congressionally ordered reorganization, the Department of Defense is elevating its deputy chief management officer to be CMO. The White House has elected to promote John Gibson, the current DCMO, into the new role, which is set to take effect in February.

Before becoming the DOD's DCMO in November 2017, Gibson was the CEO for XCOR Aerospace, which develops rocket engine and space launch components and systems. He’s also held senior leadership positions at Beechcraft and is an advisory committee chair for Looking Glass Investments.

Gibson was previously the Air Force’s assistant secretary for financial management, comptroller and chief financial officer, where he oversaw a $140 billion budget. During the George W. Bush administration, he was also the defense undersecretary for management reform.

The CMO is expected to improve business operations and productivity, reducing costs and improving performance. According to an August 2017 Pentagon report on the restructuring, the role of the new office is evolving. Under the plan, the restructured CMO will, among other things, lead efforts to reduce redundancy in business systems, overseeing supply chain and logistics, managing the Pentagon's sprawling real estate footprint and taking a lead role in human resources management.

Beth McGrath, formerly the Pentagon's DCMO and currently a managing director in Deloitte’s federal consulting practice, worked with Gibson during his time in the DOD comptroller office during the George W. Bush administration and said his experience in government and industry will help the DOD with cost-cutting and prioritization. 

"The Defense Department has always focused on efficiency and effectiveness as a means to maximize resources for warfighting capabilities,” McGrath said. "I think the jobs that [Gibson] has had, both in and out of government, have been similarly focused on enabling program performance while optimizing value."

She also said, as CMO, Gibson would be positioned to help DOD with prioritization and organizational reform as point person for Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.