Draper Names Jennifer Santos as New Principal Director for Strategic Initiatives in NS&S
CAMBRIDGE, MA—Draper today named Jennifer Santos as the company’s new principal director for strategic initiatives in its National Security and Space (NS&S) business. Santos will lead teams to address critical national challenges in defense and aerospace.
Neil Adams, Draper’s vice president of NS&S, said, “Jen has a stellar reputation in the national security community and a keen understanding of the policy, finance, regulatory, technology and business aspects of military department acquisition, research and engineering organizations gained from her leadership positions in the Department of Defense. With her 23 years of national security leadership, she will be an excellent addition to Draper.”
Santos will lead teams to address national challenges at the intersection of technology, business, finance and policy, identifying risks and creating solutions with broad applicability across defense and aerospace markets. “Jen’s mission is to work in collaboration with the defense and aerospace industrial base and the commercial sector to solve problems on behalf of, and in concert with, the U.S. government,” added Adams.
Draper’s mission is to provide innovative research, development and engineering to produce capabilities that address critical national challenges, such as competition from nation states. Draper’s leading capabilities in national security contribute to ensuring U.S. space superiority, designing trusted defense microelectronics and advancing resilient positioning, navigation and timing capabilities to ensure performance of the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Santos served as a naval research and development investment executive for the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, and as deputy assistant secretary of defense for industrial policy. Santos played an important role in the Pentagon’s efforts in its COVID-19 response to expand and protect the industrial base.
Prior to her recent Pentagon positions, Santos served as vice president for Air Force and DoD innovation at consulting firm Cypress International; as a professional staff member on the Senate Appropriations Committee for Defense; and in a finance and acquisitions role in the Department of the Air Force.
Santos said, “It is an honor and privilege to join Draper. I’m professionally passionate about the defense of our nation and I look forward to tackling complex problems and offering innovative solutions.”