White House Names Michael Kratsios as Next Chief Technology Officer

President Trump recently nominated Michael Kratsios as the next Chief Technology Officer of the U.S. Kratsios currently serves as the Deputy Chief Technology Officer, a role he has held since the start of the Trump administration. Prior to the induction of Kelvin Droegemeier as Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), Kratsios was the highest ranking White House political appointee, but this new role will be the first time he will be required to undergo a confirmation hearing

The Office of the Chief Technology Officer falls under the OSTP, and was established under the Obama administration. The office has three primary areas of focus: catalyzing effective public policy; building government capacity through policy; and building national capacity through policy. In his new role, Kratsios specifically will be responsible for serving as a vital link between government and industry, as well as advising the president on technology issues and shaping the nation’s technology policies. There have been three previous individuals to hold the title of CTO prior to Kratsios: Aneesh Chopra, Todd Park, and Megan Smith. All of whom served under President Obama.