Michael D. Griffin
Michael “Mike” D. Griffin served as the first undersecretary of defense for research and engineering at the Department of Defense. The position was created in 2018 after Congress split the duties of the undersecretary of acquisition, technology, and logistics. According to Space News, Griffin “became the Pentagon’s “space guy” and spoke out against the slow and “process driven” way the military develops and procures satellites and other systems while adversaries like China are moving at a rapid pace.” Griffin advocated for the creation of the Space Development Agency, which would allow faster acquisition. In an op-ed in Space News, Griffin argued that the agency should not be folded into the Space Force because it would be under normal contracting rules.
On June 23, Defense One reported that Griffin would leave for the private sector, effective July 10. A month later, Griffin lined up a position as a member of the board of directors of Rocket Lab, a New Zealand-based rocket launch company founded in 2006 by Peter Beck. As of November 2020, Rocket Lab has received $9.59 million and $325,149 from NASA and the Department of Defense, respectively, in fiscal year 2020. Even though the fiscal year 2020 contract data isn’t complete, the company has done more government business this year than any in its history.
According to Mike Griffin’s LinkedIn profile, he is also the co-president and co-founder of LogiQ, Inc. a company “providing high-end management, scientific, and technical consulting services.” He, along with his former deputy at the Department of Defense, Lisa Porter, are the two directors according to a June 17, 2020 filing with the Commonwealth of Virginia.
According to Space News, Griffin “became the Pentagon’s “space guy” and spoke out against the slow and “process driven” way the military develops and procures satellites and other systems while adversaries like China are moving at a rapid pace.”
Employment History
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End date:
Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering,
Department of Defense
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Start date:
Board Member,
Rocket Lab USA