Chris Inglis, former deputy director of the NSA, joins Paladin Capital Group as venture partner

Paladin Capital Group announced on July 1 that the former deputy director of the NSA, Chris Inglis, has joined Paladin as a venture partner.

“Having worked at the highest levels of the NSA, Chris has incredible insight and a great sense of the current and ever evolving cyber threat,” said Lt. General (Ret.) Kenneth Minihan, managing director at Paladin Capital Group. “We are delighted to have Chris join as a venture partner; Chris will play a key role in further developing our cyber knowledge base.”

As the deputy director and senior civilian leader of the National Security Agency, Inglis acted as the Agency’s chief operating officer, responsible for guiding and directing strategies, operations and policy.

Inglis began his career at NSA as a computer scientist within the National Computer Security Center.

His NSA assignments included service across information assurance, policy, time-sensitive operations, and signals intelligence organizations. Promoted to NSA’s Senior Executive Service in 1997, he subsequently served in a variety of senior leadership assignments culminating in his selection as the NSA deputy director. He has twice served away from NSA headquarters; first as a visiting professor of computer science at the U.S. Military Academy (1991-1992) and later as the U.S. Special Liaison to the United Kingdom (2003-2006).

A 1976 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Inglis holds advanced degrees in engineering and computer science from Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University and the George Washington University. He is also a graduate of the Kellogg Business School executive development program, the USAF Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, and Squadron Officers’ School.

Inglis’ military career included nine years active service with the US Air Force and 21 years with the Air National Guard from which he retired as a Brigadier General in 2006. He holds the rating of Command Pilot and has commanded units at the squadron, group, and joint force headquarters levels.

Inglis’ significant awards include the Clements award as the U.S. Naval Academy’s Outstanding Military Faculty member (1984), three Presidential Rank Awards (2000, 2004, 2009), and the Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (2009).

He currently serves as a board member of the Baltimore Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

“Chris brings almost 40 years of experience in the government to the Paladin team” said Mike Steed, founder and managing partner at Paladin. “His broad experience in government and with cyber products and services will be a valuable asset to the company.”