- Anthropic has tapped Teresa Carlson to lead global public sector work
- Carlson highlighted AI’s role in government missions
- The 2026 FedCiv Summit will explore AI, cloud, cybersecurity and more
Anthropic has appointed Teresa Carlson, a federal IT industry veteran, as global head of public sector, where she will lead the company’s engagement with government customers and partners to advance artificial intelligence transformation efforts.
As agencies continue expanding partnerships with technology providers to accelerate AI adoption, government and industry leaders are examining the capabilities, infrastructure and workforce needed to support that transformation. The Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 FedCiv Summit on Oct. 29 will explore powering and scaling AI across the government; data, cloud and compute infrastructure; cybersecurity and compliance-driven initiatives; workforce enablement; and cross-agency programs. Register now to join the conversation.
Carlson, a six-time Wash100 awardee, announced the appointment in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday, saying the role builds on a career spent at the intersection of government, technology and policy.
What Did Teresa Carlson Say About Her New Role?
According to Carlson, providing government organizations with access to advanced technology has been one of the most rewarding aspects of her career.
“I’ve spent most of my career working at the intersection of government, policy, and technology, and I’ve found few things more fulfilling than putting the best technology available into the hands of those who serve the public,” she wrote.
Carlson said government access to advanced technology strengthens agency missions and public services, adding that AI is a capability that can influence analysis and decision-making beyond serving as a productivity tool.
“I believe this moment carries real stakes. AI isn’t just a faster tool; it’s a new kind of capability that can influence our judgment, analysis, and decisions. Something this powerful and this different requires us to move with both urgency and deliberation. And AI leadership by the United States, exercised alongside our allies and democratic partners, will shape the future of how work is done and how government serves its people,” she wrote.
Carlson also said she looks forward to working with government leaders, customers, partners and Anthropic colleagues to support their AI transformation efforts.
Who Is Teresa Carlson?
Carlson has held senior leadership roles focused on government technology and public-sector partnerships throughout her career.
Before joining Anthropic, she was president of the General Catalyst Institute, which she founded to connect government leaders with venture capital firms and startups to help shape policies across AI, defense, healthcare, manufacturing and energy.
Carlson served as president and chief commercial officer at Flexport. She previously spent more than a decade at Amazon Web Services, where she led the worldwide public sector business. She also held executive positions at Microsoft, Splunk and other technology companies serving government customers.
How Does the Appointment Align With Anthropic’s Government AI Efforts?
Carlson’s appointment follows Anthropic’s recent restoration of access to its Claude Fable 5 and Claude Mythos 5 AI models after the Department of Commerce lifted a U.S. export control directive imposed following concerns over potential jailbreak techniques. The move allowed the models to return across the company’s platforms and cloud services.
Anthropic has also outlined ongoing commitments to deepen collaboration with U.S. government partners on AI security.
The commitments include expanding pre-release model access for government evaluation; rapidly sharing information on significant jailbreaks and misuse patterns; supporting government-led AI security research; and collaborating with government and industry partners to develop shared frontier AI security standards.
