On November 7, the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security welcomed André Gudger, acting deputy assistant secretary for manufacturing and industrial base policy and Mary Margaret Evans, principal director of manufacturing and industrial base policy at the Pentagon for a meeting of the Corporate Strategy Forum. The focus of this event was on “What’s Next in DoD Defense-Industrial Policy?”

The morning’s discussion led by Gudger and Evans and moderated by the Atlantic Council’s Steven Grundman, the M.A. and George Lund fellow in the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security. The conversation focused on the relationship between the Department of Defense and the defense industry following September’s Better Buying Power 3.0. Beginning in 2010, the focus of Better Buying Power has been to heighten cost consciousness and deepen professional practices in the acquisition workforce. Better Buying Power 3.0 is the third iteration of this program, and its agenda has been to establish initiatives that encourage innovation and promote technical excellence. These priorities will overlay the range of Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy’s enduring responsibilities, which include industrial base assessments, mergers and foreign investment reviews, and the manufacturing technology program.

Gudger and Evans have recently been hired to their current positions and both have entered the job with years of experience in the industry. Prior to his government service, Gudger was the chairman and CEO of Solvern Innovations, a provider of comprehensive communications products and solutions, training, and technology services for the Department of Defense and the intelligence agencies. Prior to her current role, Evans held a variety of executive positions at Insitu, a Boeing company based in Bingen, Washington, which designs, manufactures, and services unmanned aerial vehicles for both commercial and military applications.