Former Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment

Dr. William (Bill) A. LaPlante is one of the most respected acquisition and defense industrial base leaders of the modern era.

He served as the Senate-confirmed undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, effectively the Pentagon’s top acquisition official and chief weapons buyer, where he oversaw the Department of Defense’s vast procurement, logistics, sustainment and industrial base portfolio during a period defined by great power competition, munitions shortages, supply chain fragility and the acceleration of dual-use technology adoption. In that role, he was responsible for acquisition policy, contract administration, logistics and materiel readiness, operational energy, nuclear and chemical defense, the acquisition workforce and the broader defense industrial base.

Prior to serving as undersecretary, Bill was president and CEO of one of the country’s premier advanced technology and national security research institutions. He also previously served as senior vice president and general manager for national security at a US nonprofit focused on national security, where he oversaw major federally funded research and development centers supporting the Department of Defense, intelligence community and cybersecurity missions.

Earlier in his career, Bill served as the Senate-confirmed assistant secretary of the air force for acquisition, technology and logistics under the Obama administration, where he managed the Air Force’s acquisition enterprise and played a central role in advancing critical next-generation programs, including the B-21 bomber. During that period, he also became known for driving acquisition reform and cost discipline across major defense programs.