Acting Navy secretary names M. Barry Tanner chief information officer

The Department of the Navy has named M. Barry Tanner as its permanent chief information officer, elevating him to serve as principal adviser to the secretary on digital and cyber matters and to lead the service’s multibillion-dollar technology enterprise, the department announced from Washington.

The appointment was made by Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao. As CIO, Tanner will oversee more than $12 billion in information technology investments across the Navy and Marine Corps, a portfolio that underpins enterprise networks, cybersecurity, data management, cloud services and other capabilities intended to keep U.S. maritime forces a step ahead of global competitors.

The DON CIO sets policy and standards for the department’s IT architecture and exercises oversight of major acquisitions, working to harden systems against cyber threats while modernizing software, accelerating cloud adoption and improving identity and access management. The role is central to aligning Navy and Marine Corps digital modernization with Defense Department priorities such as data-centric operations, zero-trust cybersecurity and joint all-domain command and control.

The position has grown in strategic importance as the Pentagon pushes faster integration of artificial intelligence, resilient communications and secure data-sharing across dispersed forces. Stable leadership in the CIO office is seen as key to streamlining complex procurement, reducing technical debt and improving user experience for sailors, Marines and civilian personnel.

The department did not immediately release additional details about Tanner’s background or his near-term priorities.