Robert Zitz is leading SAIC’s efforts to identify the long-term, enduring needs in the Intelligence, surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Intelligence markets, and driving development of technical concepts, technology plans, and business approaches to maintain and expand SAIC’s role as a world-class innovator and solution provider. Zitz is a former deputy under secretary at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and a 32-year Intelligence Community veteran.

Promoted to SES-6 in 2003, his senior executive experience spans Army Intelligence, CIA, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), DHS, Secret Service, and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).

From 2009-2011, Zitz served as deputy director of Mission Support for the NRO where he led several hundred technical personnel deployed worldwide. He oversaw a very large technology program designed to rapidly deliver technology solutions to users. At NRO, Zitz also served as the director’s senior advisor for Geospatial Intelligence, and he directed the efforts of all NGA engineers and scientists embedded within NRO. From 2007 – 2009, Zitz served as deputy associate director of the United States Secret Service. In this role, he guided transformation efforts needed to modernize the 146 year-old law enforcement agency. He established and led agency-wide investment governance processes and defined and successfully delivered technical proposals which led to a several hundred million dollar budget increase for the agency. His leadership set the foundation for improvements that will occur within the Secret Service over the next several years.

From 2006 – 2007, Zitz was deputy under secretary of Preparedness at DHS. He managed 1,800 employees and oversaw $3-billion in programs. He guided the department’s preparedness work including Infrastructure Protection, National Communications, Cyber Security, State and Local Grants, Exercises and Assessments, Fire Administration, Ready. Gov, and the efforts of the Chief Medical Officer.

Zitz served concurrent roles as deputy under secretary, principal deputy manager of the National ommunications System (NCS), and director of the National Cyber Security Division during his tenure at DHS. He provided the leadership required to closely link DHS cyber activities. He was also the driving force in DHS behind the establishment of a Secret Service-led, National Computer Forensics Institute in Hoover, Ala., which is a showcase for collaborative training of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. Zitz co-chaired the DHS Geospatial, Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Executive Committee (GPEC) and established the foundation for geospatial-intelligence capabilities across the department.

Zitz was one of only a few career nonpolitical appointee members of Secretary Chertoff’s senior leadership team, and he was the first person ever appointed as a deputy under secretary at DHS. He participated in the department’s rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; he supported the thwarting of a planned major terrorist attack on the United States; he oversaw the planning for global pandemics; and he was instrumental in the formation of the National Cyber Security Initiative.

From 2001– 2005, Zitz led Research and Development at NGA and was a member of the agency’s Executive Committee. He guided all the agency’s transformation activities. He was the Intelligence Community’s leading architect of a multiintelligence (a.k.a. “multi-int”) fusion approach to tasking, collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination of intelligence. His work on multi-int was ground breaking, and the results continue to reverberate throughout the community today.

Zitz’s work has unquestionably led to eliminating terrorists who threatened our nation. Prior to 2001, Zitz served in a variety of analytical, policy, budget, and technology roles, including counterterrorism support to The Army’s Delta Force.