Cynthia J. Mendoza, PhD

Dr. Cynthia J. Mendoza is an accomplished technology transformational executive and former Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service (DISES) leader with extensive experience leading some of the nation's most complex technology, intelligence, and national security organizations. She is recognized for driving enterprise modernization, cybersecurity transformation, artificial intelligence adoption, cloud modernization, governance, and organizational growth across government, industry, academia, and international partnerships.

Dr. Mendoza currently serves as IT & Cyber Chief Engineer for BAE Systems' Intelligence & Security sector, where she provides executive oversight of engineering excellence, technology strategy, cybersecurity governance, and innovation initiatives supporting a portfolio exceeding $1 billion in mission-critical solutions for the U.S. Intelligence Community. She advises executive leadership on emerging technologies, AI adoption, cybersecurity risk management, and strategic investment priorities while helping shape engineering strategy and workforce development initiatives.

Previously, Dr. Mendoza served as Special Access Programs (SAP) Chief Information Officer and Deputy CIO for the Department of Defense; Chief Technology Officer for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the U.S. Department of State; Acting Deputy Intelligence Community CIO and Intelligence Community Chief Architect at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and Chief Engineer and Director of Architecture and Engineering at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Throughout her career, she has directed technology portfolios exceeding $1 billion, secured more than $500 million in Future Years Defense Program funding, led modernization initiatives spanning all 17 Intelligence Community agencies, established the Intelligence Community's first enterprise-level Reference Architecture Framework, and helped establish the first Five Eyes Enterprise governance framework.

In addition to her executive leadership responsibilities, Dr. Mendoza serves on the Board of Directors of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA), the Advisory Board for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Professional Engineering Programs, and as an Adjunct Professor in Georgetown University's Information Technology and Applied Business Intelligence
graduate programs.

Dr. Mendoza holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University and both an M.S. and Ph.D. in Systems Engineering and Engineering Management from George Washington University. She is a Project Management Professional (PMP), holds four DAWIA Level III certifications, and maintains an active TS/SCI security clearance.