Sean Cairncross, a former official of the Republican National Committee, has been revealed as President Donald Trump’s nominee for the position of national cyber director.
The former RNC chief operating officer is set to succeed Harry Coker as head of the Office of the National Cyber Director, according to a document obtained by NextGov/FCW late Tuesday night and reported Wednesday. The document containing the names of nominees will be sent to the Senate for confirmation.
Who Is Sean Cairncross?
Despite his supposed lack of formal cybersecurity and intelligence background, Cairncross will become the first cybersecurity official to be formally nominated by the Trump administration. He will be responsible for leading the ONCD as it serves as the administration’s main communicator or facilitator of cyber policies. In addition, the office will oversee efforts to maintain relationships between Capitol Hill and federal agencies.
Cairncross served as CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corp., or MCC, for two years during Trump’s first term. The humanitarian agency was established in 2004 to promote long-term economic growth in developing nations.
The ONCD nominee served as Trump’s deputy assistant before he was appointed head of the MCC. He was also COO of the RNC from 2015 to 2016. Most recently, Cairncross was involved with the RNC budget for the election cycle last year.
Should the Senate approve his nomination, Cairncross will be the third ONCD director to be confirmed. The office was established four years ago with Chris Inglis, a former Wash100 Award winner, as the first confirmed director. He was followed by Kemba Walden who served in an acting capacity before Coker took over in December 2023.
