Cara Abercrombie earlier this month officially began her tenure at the Pentagon as assistant secretary of Defense for acquisition, her office announced via LinkedIn.
She was nominated by President Biden to the assistant secretary position at the Department of Defense (DoD) in April 2023. Her nomination was confirmed by the Senate on Feb. 27 – filling a Pentagon post that has lacked a permanent leader since 2021.
Abercrombie took over the office from Tanya Skeen, who was serving in an acting capacity.
In her new role, Abercrombie will oversee DoD acquisition program management responsibilities such as the development of space, intelligence, and business systems. She will be the principal advisor to the under-secretary of Defense for acquisition and sustainment, deputy secretary of Defense, and the secretary of Defense on issues related to DoD acquisition.
“Ms. Abercrombie is an exceptionally talented and respected leader. Her breadth of experience across the Department and the National Security space is unique and is the right mix for today’s changing strategic environment,” said Gary Ashworth, principal deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Acquisition,
Before taking on her new role, Abercrombie served as deputy assistant to the president and coordinator for defense policy and arms control on the White House National Security Council. She also served as the acting deputy director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency and the first president of the Defense Security Cooperation University.
