Justin Fanelli serves as the Acting Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and the Technical Director (TD) for PEO Digital at the Department of the Navy. As CTO, he is dedicated to driving measurable improvements in technology-driven mission outcomes. In his role as TD, he leads the transformation of the enterprise information technology infrastructure, ensuring it is both high-performing and secure. A key aspect of his leadership is the strategic integration of private-public partnerships, which accelerates innovation and delivers unprecedented value on investment outcomes. Additionally, Mr. Fanelli serves as an Advisor for the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Health (ARPA-H), the NIST AI Safety Institute, and various science and technology advisory boards.
Under Mr. Fanelli’s leadership, his teams have been recognized for their transformative contributions, including receiving the Etter Award for revolutionizing modern service delivery, resulting in multi-billion-dollar savings and significant advancements. In Defense Healthcare, his initiatives have delivered groundbreaking data enterprises that revolutionize healthcare and research outcomes. His extensive experience includes roles such as Chief Data Architect for Defense Health, Technical Director for Navy Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education (MPTE), Executive Lead for the Navy’s Digital Transformation in 5G and DevSecOps, Service Chiefs Fellow at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Principal Engineer for Navy Enterprise Business Systems, and Chief Systems Engineer for Command and Control (C2).
Beyond his official duties, Mr. Fanelli imparts his expertise as a graduate course instructor at Georgetown University and has lectured at prestigious institutions including Harvard, Dartmouth, and Penn. A sought-after advisor on innovation, he recently delivered a TED talk on innovation adoption, highlighting the capabilities of his Innovation Adoption Kit. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, a Master’s degree in Electrical and Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a Senior Executive Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. He holds certifications in Lean Six Sigma, Agile Development, GIAC Security Leadership, and Defense Acquisition University Engineering and Program Management.
Mr. Fanelli’s leadership extends to various roles including serving as a Board Member for the Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on Technology (MCOT), President of the North Catholic High School Alumni Association, and advisor to National Science Foundation startups. He is a partner at NextGen Ventures, a volunteer and speaker at TechImpact and AFCEA, and a member of the Cosmos Club. His numerous accolades include the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation, Civilian Exemplary Achievement Award, Secretary of the Navy’s Innovation Award, Project Management Institute’s Project of the Year, Federal Health IT Innovation Award, and he is a two-time honoree of both the Defense50 and FedHealth 100.