Speakers

Dr. Christine Michienzi is the founder of MMR Defense Solutions, LLC, a consulting firm supporting industry partners on defense supply chain and technology issues, leveraging decades of high-level experience in the Department of Defense. Most recently, she served as the Chief Technology Officer and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, advising senior DoD leaders on strategy and investment to strengthen industrial capabilities across critical sectors, including munitions, hypersonics, microelectronics, and space systems. Her work played a key role in accelerating defense production to replenish weapons donated to Ukraine and in integrating national security priorities into the CHIPS Act.

Previously, she served as Senior Technology Advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, leading efforts to transition cutting-edge technologies to the warfighter and applying the Defense Production Act to support national security priorities in areas ranging from COVID-19 to Taiwan. Earlier in her career, Dr. Michienzi served in Navy acquisition and laboratory roles, including nearly two decades conducting energetics R&D for Navy weapons systems, for which she holds five patents. She later led a 140-person technical department supporting Navy systems and received both the Naval Sea Systems Command and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Scientist of the Year awards. She holds a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry and a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Maryland, College Park.