Potomac Officers Club has the privilege of announcing that Cameron Stanley, chief digital and artificial intelligence officer at the Department of War, will be a keynote speaker at its 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 18.
At the event, which is regularly one of POC’s most popular and most-buzzed-about GovCon conferences, representatives from government and industry will get to hear from the freshly appointed DOW CDAO about how the United States’ vast warfighting enterprise will infuse AI into its programs and systems over the next decade.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity—register for the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit now!
Who Is Cameron Stanley?
Cameron Stanley is an emerging technologies specialist with a deep bench of military, private sector and acquisition community experience. He has worked for notable companies like Booz Allen Hamilton and Concurrent Technologies and spent years at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, U.S. Southern Command and, most recently, the office of the under secretary of defense for intelligence and security.
Here are his most significant career achievements:
- After attending the U.S. Air Force Academy, served two and a half years in the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant
- Supported the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency at Booz Allen Hamilton; worked with emerging tech like counter IED, sensor miniaturization, data processing and microsystem materials development.
- At Concurrent Technologies, Stanley was chosen by the Air Force to lead the Energy Horizons study, which provided a 15-to-20-year energy tech outlook for the service branch.
- For four years, he was the sole principal liaison to the United Kingdom at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- Stewarded the Project Maven initiative, which he deems “the largest AI algorithm development and deployment program” for the Pentagon
Where Was Stanley Before CDAO and What Is the History of the Role?
Stanley returns to the Department of War after nearly two years at Amazon Web Services as national security digital transformation lead. While at AWS, he was a member of the 4×24 Leadership Program, Executive Mosaic’s exclusive networking offering for senior-level leaders in GovCon. He recently shared a message for industry at a 4×24 dinner, as well as some thoughts on the importance of the 4×24 program.
Learn more about the 4×24 Leadership Program to see if it’s a fit for you and register to attend Stanley’s AI Summit keynote today!
History of DOW CDAO Role
Prior to Stanley’s appointment, Anthony Mapes was serving as acting CDAO. Before him, Douglas Matty was the first CDAO appointee in the second Trump administration, until Matty was transitioned in December to work on the Golden Dome missile defense project.
Craig Martell, a former Lyft executive, was appointed as the first CDAO in spring 2022, following the office’s creation a couple of months prior by merging the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, Advana, the Office of the Chief Data Officer and Defense Digital Services.
Martell held the position for nearly two years, after which point Radha Plumb was appointed to the role for over nine months, before departing in Jan. 2025.
What Will Stanley Discuss at the 2026 AI Summit?
As the opening keynote speaker at the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit, Stanley will likely tackle the following topics:
- How DOW is integrating AI and building new systems
- Spending priorities for the CDAO and the DOW’s $13.4 billion AI budget
- What he’s doing differently as the new CDAO
- Opportunities for industry-government partnership on AI
- How he’s carrying out the Trump administration’s goal to make AI a priority in the military
- The Pentagon’s efforts to remove barriers to AI acceleration
- And much more!
Stanley’s remarks will provide actionable insights for GovCons on the intersection of AI, defense and tech innovation. Secure your seat now.
What Else Is on the Agenda at the AI Summit?
The 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit will include panel sessions featuring high-profile government speakers on topics such as:
- Building Mission-Ready AI Infrastructure: Designing a Data and Security Foundation for the Future
- Effective, Excellent Enterprise AI Through Partnerships
- Operationalizing Decision-Ready AI for Maximum Mission Impact
- Operationalizing AI at Scale—Bridging the Gap from Prototype to Mission Impact
The full lineup is still forming, but so far, we have confirmed speakers such as:
- Sunil Madhugiri, chief technology officer of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Dr. Delester Brown, chief data officer for Army National Guard Bureau
- Peter LaMontagne, CEO of SMX and Wash100 Award winner
- Kyle Fox, CTO at SOSi
More speakers, including additional keynotes, will be announced soon. Get your ticket now before they’re sold out!
What Is Potomac Officers Club?
Potomac Officers Club is the leading GovCon events and networking organization in the U.S. Through its popular monthly summits, POC invites the public and private sectors to gather for in-depth discussions on the hottest topics in the GovCon industry, including defense technology, DOW service branch priorities, digital transformation, cybersecurity and much more. POC is an arm of Executive Mosaic.
