The Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) will undergo a change in leadership later this year, as DIU Director Michael Brown plans to retire when his current term ends September 2, a DoD spokesperson confirmed to MeriTalk.
The pending retirement, first reported by Politico, is a planned departure at the end of his four-year term. Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman, spokesperson for DoD Research and Engineering, said Brown had the opportunity to re-up for another year but declined and will instead leave in September.
Brown came to the DIU in 2018 after a two-year stint as a Presidential Innovation Fellow. His time with the Presidential Innovation Fellows program also served as his introduction to the then-nascent DIU. During the fellowship, Brown worked with DIU’s Experimental Unit, according to his LinkedIn.
Prior to his time in government, Brown served as CEO of cybersecurity firm Symantec from March 2014 to August 2016, and served on Symantec’s board from 2003 until his departure. Prior to joining Symantec’s board, Brown had spent nearly the prior eight years as CEO and Chairman of the board at Quantum Corporation.
While Gorman could not confirm that the search for his eventual replacement has begun, he added that the department plans to make an announcement on the search and eventual replacement at a later date.
