Brandi C. Vann, Ph.D., Named Chief Strategy Officer at Draper
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Draper today named Brandi C. Vann, Ph.D., its new Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, effective March 7th. In this role, Vann will lead Draper's annual strategy and business planning process, oversee the company's business intelligence functions, coordinate legislative engagements, support the Draper SPARXTM program, and lead Draper's New Business Council.
Vann reports to Draper's President and Chief Executive Officer Jerry M. Wohletz, Ph.D., and serves on the company's executive leadership team.
"Brandi has a broad understanding of Draper's national security customers and the technical and programmatic challenges they face," said Wohletz. "Her insights and experience will help shape our business and technical strategy to better meet the needs of these customers."
Vann joined Draper's Strategy Office in 2025 as Principal Director of Strategic Implementation and Planning. In this role she worked closely with the company's four business units and engineering teams to ensure their alignment with Draper's vision and strategy.
Prior to joining Draper, Vann was the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Deterrence and Chemical and Biological Defense Policy and Programs (ASD(ND-CBD)) and the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs (PDASD(NCB)). In this capacity, she supported Department of Defense activities to ensure a safe, secure, effective, and modernized U.S. nuclear deterrent against weapons of mass destruction threats while also providing defense capabilities against weapons of mass destruction and ensuring compliance with international NCB treaties and agreements.
In 2023, Vann was awarded the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award for her tremendous career in the Defense Department including her support and transformation of the biodefense national security mission.
Vann also has served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense, where she led the Department’s efforts to develop capabilities to prepare for and defend against chemical and biological threat agents. Previously, she held positions at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), as a Visiting Scientist at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and as Director of Laboratories at Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
Vann holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of South Carolina where she studied analytical chemistry and applied statistics.
About Draper
Draper is a non-profit research, development, and manufacturing company that solves some of the nation’s most important challenges. With more than 2,500 employees working in collaboration across 12 locations, Draper delivers transformative, mission-driven solutions that successfully meet our customers’ requirements. These efforts focus on four critical mission areas: Strategic Systems, Space Systems, Electronic Systems, and Biotechnology Systems. To extend our legacy into the future, the Draper Scholars program engages with the next generation of innovators while DraperSPARX™ seeks to partner with startups and small businesses that can further our mission. To learn more about Draper, visit www.draper.com. Follow Draper on Linked In and Instagram.
Released February 26, 2026
