Lauren Knausenberger

Now nearly two years into serving as the CIO of the Department of the Air Force, Lauren Knausenberger has set a strategic vision for the military branch’s IT based on four pillars: developing a rock-solid digital foundation for JADC2; user experience for the warfighter; recruiting digital talent; and “ruthlessly” attacking manual and redundant processes and policies in what she calls the “Tradespace.” Having served in her role mostly during the COVID-19 pandemic, Knausenberger knows how important it is to be an empathetic leader. In 2021, she told FedScoop: “The things that never change are taking care of people, setting a clear vision, building coalitions — those things are always going to be in the recipe for success, especially during times of crisis. People are looking for strong leadership…they want that constant drumbeat that things are going to be OK, a safe place to vent their frustrations and to really be human.”