Frank Kendall

Frank Kendall is an independent consultant to defense industry firms and non-profit research organizations. Mr. Kendall has over 50 years of experience in engineering, management, defense acquisition, and national security affairs in private industry, government, and the military. From 2021 to 2025 he served as the Secretary of the Air Force. In this role he was responsible for the management of the Department of the Air Force which includes the US Air Force and US Space Force. He supervised over 600,000 Airmen and Guardians and civilian employees and a budget of over $ 200 billion annually. During his tenure as Secretary he advanced modernization, reoptimized the Department for an era of great power competition, and secured tens of billions of increased funding. Mr. Kendall is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council and a Senior Fellow at the Center For American Progress. He is a member of the board of The Air and Space Forces Association, a member of the Advisory Board of the Truman National Security Project, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Prior to assuming his Department of the Air Force role, Mr. Kendall served on the boards of Leidos Inc. and Leonardo Electronics USA Inc. and as a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. From 2012 to 2017, Mr. Kendall served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L). Earlier in his career Mr. Kendall was the Vice President of Engineering for Raytheon Company, and the Deputy Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Tactical Warfare Programs. In addition, Mr. Kendall is an attorney and has been active in the field of human rights, working primarily on a pro bono basis. He has served as the Chairman of the Board of the Tahirih Justice Center, a Member of the Boards of Amnesty International USA and the Center for Victims of Torture, and as an observer for Human Rights First at Guantanamo. Among his awards are four Defense Distinguished Public Service Awards, the highest Secretary of Defense award for civilian service, and the Presidential Rank Award for Senior Executives. In 2016 Mr. Kendall was named “Aviation Week and Space Technology” Person of the Year (together with Secretary Ash Carter and Deputy Secretary Robert Work). He is the author of “Getting Defense Acquisition Right” (Defense Acquisition University Press 2017). Mr. Kendall retired from the US Army Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel and is a graduate of the Army War College. Mr. Kendall holds degrees from West Point (BS), the California Institute of Technology (MS and AE), the C W Post Center of Long Island University (MBA), and Georgetown University Law Center (JD). Mr. Kendall is an avid sailor and ocean racer and resides in Falls Church, VA with his wife Beth and youngest son, James.