Sharothi Pikar
USCYBERCOM, Command Acquisition Executive, Director, Acquisition and Technology, J9
Ms. Pikar currently serves as the Command Acquisition Executive (CAE) for USCYBERCOM, and the Director of the J9. In this role, she is responsible for planning, synchronizing, and executing joint capability development and associated services to defend and advance national interests in collaboration with domestic and international partners. Prior to her arrival to the command in May 2019, she served as the Acting Assistant Director for Cyber Portfolio under OUSD(R&E). She also served as the Co-Chair of the Special Cyber Operations Research and Engineering (SCORE) Subcommittee, under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). Ms. Pikar has served in several key, enterprise level positions including as a Senior Civilian Fellow and Strategic Planner in the Chief of Staff of the Army’s (CSA) Strategic Studies Group (SSG), where she authored several key recommendations relevant to the Army’s future strategic and operational environments and was responsible for creation of the Army Civilian Fellowship positions.
She has served as a Senior Systems Engineer in the Army’s Chief Systems Engineer Office under the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)), where she established and led the platform integration cell to address Size, Weight, and Power-Cooling challenges for all major Ground Combat and Combat Support Platforms. Ms. Pikar has been a DoD Civilian for almost two decades and served in several key Acquisition and S&T positions during her tenure, including Chief of the Tactical Radio Branch, Chief Engineer for the Tactical Networks Division, and Project Leader for the Army’s Stryker Brigade Combat (SBCT) Unit Support Team, overseeing multi-million resource portfolios.
Ms. Pikar received a B.S. in Computer Engineering from NYU Tandon School of Engineering. She is a graduate of the Department of Defense Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) and is the recipient of the Department of the Army’s Superior Civilian Service Award. She is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps and is Defense Acquisition Workforce Level III certified in two functional specialties: Program Management and Engineering.
Career Chronology
— May 2019 – Present: Command Acquisition Executive and Acting Director for USCYBERCOM J9
— Oct 2018 – Apr 2018: Acting Assistant Director for Cyber, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)), Arlington, VA
— January 2018 – Sep 2018: Co-Chair, Special Cyber Operations Research and Engineering (SCORE) Subcommittee
— 2016-Present: Associate Director for Cyber Strategies, USD(R&E), Arlington, VA
— 2015-2016: Senior Cyber Advisor, US Army RDECOM, Arlington, VA
— 2012-2015: Senior Civilian Fellow and Strategic Planner, Strategic Studies Group, Office of the Chief of Staff, United States Army, Arlington, VA
— 2010-2012: Senior Systems Engineer, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology
(ASA(ALT)), Arlington, VA
— 2009-2010: Chief, Tactical Radio Branch, US Army RDECOM, Fort Monmouth, NJ
— 2008-2009: Chief Engineer, Tactical Communications Division, US Army RDECOM, Fort Monmouth, NJ
— 2001-2008: Project Leader/Acting Program Manager (Multiple positions), US Army RDECOM, Fort Monmouth, NJ
Education
— B.S., Computer Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Significant Training
— Army Senior Leader’s Orientation Course (SLOC)Grand Strategy and Military Operations Course
— DoD Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP)
— Executive Refresher Course for Acquisition
Certifications
— Program Management (Level III), Engineering (Level III)
Awards and Honors
— Department of the Army Award for Superior Civilian Service
— Army Staff Identification Badge
— Army Superior Unit Award
— Certificate of Achievement and Special Act Award x2
— CERDEC Employee of the Year (Junior Management)
— Special Act and Service Award for outstanding leadership in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom