RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery

Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery serves as senior director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI) and as an FDD senior fellow. Mark served for more than three decades in the U.S. Navy, held senior leadership roles in Congress, and is a recognized expert on cyber and technology policy. He is co-author of the book Axis of Aggressors: Countering the Cooperation of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

At CCTI, Mark leads efforts to advance U.S. national and economic security through technology innovation, counter cyber threats against the United States and its allies, and combat adversary cyber-enabled economic warfare (CEEW) campaigns. He also directs CSC 2.0, an initiative focused on implementing the recommendations of the congressionally mandated Cyberspace Solarium Commission, where he previously served as executive director. Additionally, Mark co-leads FDD’s Air and Missile Defense Program.

Prior to joining FDD, Mark was policy director for the Senate Armed Services Committee under Sen. John S. McCain, where he coordinated efforts on national security strategy, force posture, capabilities, and cyber policy.

Mark served 32 years in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear-trained surface warfare officer, retiring as a rear admiral in 2017. His flag officer assignments included director of operations (J3) at U.S. Pacific Command; commander of Carrier Strike Group 5 aboard the USS George Washington in Japan; and deputy director for plans, policy, and strategy (J5) at U.S. European Command. From 1998 to 2000, he served at the National Security Council as director for transnational threats.

Mark frequently testifies before Congress and regularly appears on major media outlets including Fox, CNN, and the BBC. His writing and analysis have been published in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, and Foreign Affairs, among others. He regularly travels to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel to engage in strategic policy discussions, lead tabletop exercises, and support military planning and training. Mark holds graduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Oxford and completed the U.S. Navy’s nuclear power training program. He is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.