An Indian-American Silicon Valley IT expert named has been appointed as the first ever Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The announcement regarding the same was made by Director William J Burns on Twitter.
"CIA Director William J. Burns appoints Nand Mulchandani as CIA's first Chief Technology Officer (CTO). With more than 25 years of experience, Mr. Mulchandani will ensure the Agency is leveraging cutting-edge innovations to further CIA's mission," the CIA said in a tweet.
Commenting on the appointment, Mulchandani said, “I am honoured 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.”
He completed his schooling in Delhi, after which he got a degree in Computer Science and Math from Cornell University.
He then pursued a Master of Science degree in Management from Stanford as well as a Master in Public Administration degree from Harvard University.
Before he was appointed as CTO at the CIA, Mulchandani served as the CTO and Acting Director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center in the US Department of Defense.
He has also co-founded and has been the CEO of several successful startups like Oblix, Determina, OpenDNS, and ScaleXtreme.
Director Burn, while talking about Mulchandani and the new role, said, “Since my confirmation, I have prioritized focusing on technology and the new CTO position is a very important part of that effort. I am delighted Nand has joined our team and will bring his extensive experience to this crucial new role.”
(With inputs from The Hindu and NDTV)
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