ASP’s Cole on Future Defense Industry Executives
American Security Project Adjunct Fellow, August Cole, was recently quoted in a story by Washington Post.
August discusses the importance of experience and political traits in executives of the defense industry. The industry is currently facing a critical time that will determine its success in oncoming years. A critical aspect of this determination will be the efficacy of individual firms in responding to current and upcoming budgetary cuts. In order to remain relevant, August argues that new executives must be capable of responding to such changes.
“Running a defense company is as much about being able to relate to the senior military leadership and the political leadership as it is about understanding how you make a supersonic fighter. . . The worst thing the defense industry could do is keep doing the same things again and again,” he said. “Technology’s moving much faster than it has before. . . To be relevant in the national security environment, you have to move much faster.”
Read the rest of the story at Washington Post and be sure to join us at our event regarding the defense budget on January 30th.
