Lieutenant General Joseph Yakovac, USA (Retired)

LTG Yakovac is a retired US Army infantry officer and senior leader, with significant experience and expertise in weapons systems acquisition. He serves as a senior counselor to the Cohen Group (www.cohengroup.net), and he previously served as a director of HDT Global (www.hdtglobal.com) and Airborne Systems (www.airborne-sys.com).

During his last US Army assignment, LTG Yakovac served as Director of Army Acquisition Corps and Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology. In these roles, LTG Yakovac managed a team of military and civilian acquisition experts to ensure that U.S. soldiers received state-of- the-art critical systems and support across a full spectrum of Army operations. He also provided critical military insight to the Department of Defense senior civilian leadership on acquisition management, technological infrastructure development, and systems management.

Earlier in his career, LTG Yakovac served in roles including (i) Deputy for Systems Acquisition, US Army Tank-Automotive Command (TACOM), (ii) Deputy for Systems Management and Horizontal Technology Integration for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, (iii) Program Manager Bradley Fighting Vehicles, (iv) Battalion Commander 1-12 Inf. (M) Fort Carson Colorado and (v) brigade operations officer and battalion executive officer, 3rd Infantry Division, US Army Europe.

LTG Yakovac graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point and earned a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is also a graduate of the Armor Officer Advanced Course, the Army Command and General Staff College, the Defense Systems Management College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. Through his service, LTG Yakovac has earned the Expert Infantry Badge, the Ranger Tab, the Parachutist Badge, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit three times, and the Army Meritorious Service Medal seven times.