Mr. Doug Beck is the Director of the Defense Innovation Unit.  In this role, he oversees efforts to accelerate the Department's adoption of commercial technology throughout the military and also serves as a senior advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense on technology innovation, competition, and strategic impact.  In his previous experience with DIU, he founded and led its joint reserve component from the inception in 2015 through 2019.

Prior to joining DIU, Mr. Beck was a Vice President at Apple as a direct report to its CEO, Tim Cook.  From 2009-2023, he co-led global business development and sales functions, led business across Northeast Asia and the Americas, and, most recently, led several of Apple’s purpose-driven businesses worldwide, including in health, education, and other institutions of public impact.

Mr. Beck also previously served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Charles Schwab Corporation.  Prior to Schwab, he was a partner at McKinsey & Company, co-leader of McKinsey's global strategy practice, and a leader of other industry and functional practices in the United States and Asia.  In 2000, he was elected as one of the youngest partners in McKinsey history.

Currently a Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Mr. Beck served in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2006-2007 with a joint special operations task force.  He has also served extensively throughout the Asia Pacific region during his nearly 26 years of service, including command of a large joint reserve unit supporting U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  His personal and unit awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal (two awards), the Bronze Star Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, and the Presidential Unit Citation.

Mr. Beck holds a bachelor's degree summa cum laude from Yale and an M.Phil in International Relations from Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.