Washington’s defense and aerospace ecosystem depends on cybersecurity leaders who can operate in environments where resilience, technical complexity, and mission continuity all matter. The executives and security leaders in this feature reflect that reality across aerospace manufacturing, space systems, and aviation innovation. Their backgrounds span enterprise security leadership, governance and compliance, infrastructure modernization, IT and security integration, and the work of protecting organizations operating at the intersection of advanced engineering and national-scale strategic importance.
Terry Rice — Chief Security Officer & Vice President of Cybersecurity, Boeing
Terry Rice serves as chief security officer and vice president of cybersecurity at Boeing, bringing a career that spans defense, healthcare, enterprise security, and military service. Before joining Boeing in 2025, he spent nearly 18 years at Merck in successive chief information security officer roles, rising from senior director to vice president of IT risk management and CISO. Earlier roles at Johnson & Johnson, CACI, and Raytheon Systems Company added experience across global information security, engineering, and defense-related environments, while his years as a U.S. Army officer provide an additional foundation in national security and leadership. That mix makes Rice one of the most prominent cybersecurity leaders in Washington’s aerospace and defense landscape.
Christopher Nara — Cybersecurity GRC, ISMS Development and ISO 27001 Compliance, Blue Origin
Christopher Nara works in cybersecurity governance, risk, and compliance at Blue Origin, where his focus includes ISMS development and ISO 27001 compliance in one of Washington’s most closely watched private space companies. His background reflects deep experience in controls, audit, and risk-oriented security work, including earlier positions at Costco covering security, compliance, and information security risk analysis, along with consulting and audit roles at Nike-related engagements, KPMG, Ernst & Young, PwC, and Protiviti. That progression gave him a strong foundation in risk methodology, control design, regulatory alignment, and process discipline, which translates well into a complex aerospace setting where formal security governance and operational rigor both matter.
Anthony Davis — Director of Information Technology and Security, Stoke Space
Anthony Davis is director of information technology and security at Stoke Space, where he brings a long track record of technology leadership across software, manufacturing, and systems-heavy organizations. Before joining Stoke Space in 2022, he served as director of software engineering and technology at Hypertherm Associates and spent nearly nine years as director of technology at OMAX Corporation. Earlier roles at McKesson Provider Technologies, Physician Micro Systems, and Eastern Washington University added experience across systems administration, enterprise technology operations, and infrastructure support. His background stands out for combining broad IT leadership with direct responsibility for security in a fast-moving aerospace company building advanced launch capabilities.
John Troup — Director of IT, magniX
John Troup is director of IT at magniX, where he has helped guide the company’s technology function through earlier roles as head of IT and IT manager, with his skill profile also reflecting experience tied to cybersecurity incident response. His background combines enterprise technology leadership with operational and project experience across aerospace, media, international development, and public-sector environments. Before joining magniX, he held IT project and systems roles at National Geographic Partners and the International Executive Service Corps, where he worked on SaaS transitions, corporate systems modernization, and support for geographically distributed teams. That experience gives Troup a practical profile for a growing aerospace company, particularly in environments where technology maturity, security response, and cross-functional coordination are critical.
Technology security in mission-driven industries
What stands out across this group is how closely cybersecurity in Washington’s defense and aerospace sector is tied to operational trust. These leaders are not just securing information systems. They are helping protect the digital foundations behind aircraft, manufacturing, space systems, and the broader organizations that support some of the region’s most strategically important industries.
Explore more profiles of the leaders shaping cybersecurity across numerous industries in our CISOs to Watch collection.