Billionaire financier Stephen Feinberg was sworn in as the 36th deputy secretary of defense on Friday hours after the Senate confirmed his nomination for the Department of Defense position in a 59-40 vote, DOD News reported.

In this capacity, Feinberg will oversee the implementation of the DOD secretary’s priorities and management of the Pentagon’s budget.

“Congratulations to Stephen Feinberg, our new deputy secretary of defense. His appointment is well-deserved, and he’s the right man for the job, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Let’s get to work,” Pete Hegseth, secretary of DOD and a 2025 Wash100 awardee, said in a social media post.

Stephen Feinberg’s Career Highlights

Feinberg is the co-founder and CEO of Cerberus Capital Management. With his confirmation as deputy DOD secretary, Frank Bruno, a 27-year Cerberus veteran and co-CEO since 2018, will lead the alternative investment firm as chief executive.

During President Trump’s first term, the newly appointed deputy defense secretary chaired the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.

He has a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University.

Senate Confirmation Hearing

In February, Feinberg appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing and testified on issues related to DOD’s financial management and the defense industrial base.

In response to a question about strengthening the industrial base, the New York native cited the need for workforce improvement. He noted that people who know how companies in the private sector work should be involved in the military’s materiel procurement efforts.

“A big piece of improving our supply chain is working more closely with our private sector. We need people inside of government [who] understand their issues, understand what drives their boards, [and understand] what drives the pressure they get from shareholders,” he said at the hearing.

Antoine McCord has been selected as the next chief information officer at the Department of Homeland Security, Nextgov/FCW reported Thursday.

The new CIO was appointed by President Donald Trump and assumed duties on Monday. He replaced Eric Haysen, who served under the Biden administration.

Driving DHS’ IT Efforts

In his latest capacity, McCord is responsible for an IT budget of around $11 billion that can be utilized for directing DHS’ enterprise-wide IT strategy, cybersecurity operations and digital modernization initiatives. He is also tasked with overseeing efforts to address threats against the department and has expressed excitement about the potential of artificial intelligence.

With nearly two decades of experience in intelligence, cyber operations and national security, McCord brings a proven track record in threat detection and technology integration.

The DHS executive previously served in the U.S. intelligence community, where he was responsible for conducting cyber operations to counter advanced threats. McCord also held an advisory role on national security. Before that, he served in the Marine Corps.

McCord also joined the private sector, particularly in the field of cybersecurity and defense technology. In his previous work, he was mainly involved in safeguarding critical assets and empowering the public and private sectors to collaborate in driving infrastructure security.

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Jeffrey Kessler, a partner at international law firm WilmerHale, as under secretary of commerce for industry and security in a 54-45 vote.

In this capacity, he will lead the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, which advances national security, economic objectives and foreign policy by fostering U.S. strategic technology leadership and ensuring an export control and treaty compliance system.

Return to Commerce Department

Kessler’s Senate confirmation for the under secretary role marks his return to the department.

During President Trump’s first term, he served as assistant secretary of commerce for enforcement and compliance for two years. In this role, he oversaw efforts to ensure foreign compliance with trade agreements, enforce U.S. anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws and support the implementation and negotiation of international trade agreements to open foreign markets, among other responsibilities.

Kessler’s Career Highlights

Kessler most recently served as a partner within WilmerHale’s international trade practice.

At the firm, he represented U.S. manufacturers in trade remedy cases, including those associated with chemicals and plastics products, softwood lumber and fertilizer products. He also advised clients on sanctions and export controls, Section 301 tariffs and exclusions and other trade issues.

The Yale University graduate first joined WilmerHale in 2011 as a counsel.

“We congratulate Jeff on his confirmation to this critical role in US trade policy at a time when the complexities and challenges in international trade have rarely been greater,” said Anjan Sahni, WilmerHale’s managing partner. “Our clients and our firm greatly benefited from Jeff’s wisdom and deeply informed insights. We wish him great success in his new role as he serves the nation.”

Kessler holds a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Chicago and a juris doctor and master’s degree in economics from Stanford University.

President Donald Trump has nominated Eric Ueland, who had served as the White House legislative affairs director during the first Trump administration, as deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget. With the Senate yet to confirm the nomination, Ueland’s LinkedIn profile indicates he is now acting OMB chief of staff.

Ueland’s Government Service Credentials

Ueland is among the 50 nominees that the White House sent to the Senate Tuesday. He had previously served for over four years as the Republican Party’s staff director in the Senate’s budget committee.

His work in the first Trump administration also included serving as undersecretary of state civilian security, democracy and human rights and as director of the Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance. He also had a stint as senior strategy officer in the U.S. foreign aid agency Millennium Challenge Corporation.

Ueland’s career in government service is built upon working in various capacities in the Senate for 18 years starting in 1989. His professional experience also includes working for over six years as the vice president of the lobbying private firm, The Duberstein Group.

If Senate confirms his nomination, Ueland will replace Jason Miller, who served as OMB deputy director for management for four years under the Biden administration.