Unleashing Federal Innovation: Giving CTOs the Power to Say No

Colonel Mac McHenry, US Marine Corps Reserve (Ret.) and senior advisor at the Defense Innovation Unit, joins the show to discuss why Chief Technology Officers in government are struggling to drive innovation—despite being tasked as strategic visionaries. Drawing from his recent RealClearDefense article, “The Toothless Technologist,” Mac explains how the government imported the CTO model from the private sector but failed to give it the operational influence needed to be effective. You’ll hear a candid breakdown of how federal acquisition and organizational silos are holding back tech progress—and how a simple two-step solution could change everything. Subscribe and listen to the Fed Gov Today Podcast anytime on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at FedGovToday.com.