Bain hires defense and government expert Deborah Lee James
Bain & Company has hired military and civil services expert Deborah Lee James as a Special Advisor. She brings more than 30 years of industry and public services experience to the firm, and is tasked with supporting the firm to grow as well as advisory to its aerospace, defence and government services clients.
Formerly the 23rd Secretary of the Air Force for the US Department of Defence, Deborah Lee James has joined Bain & Company as a Special Advisor in the firm’s Washington, DC office. Her new role will focus particularly on providing advisory services to the firm’s aerospace, defence and government services clients. The position sees her work closely with Bain’s leadership as a bridge between the firm and high-potential individuals and companies in her areas of expertise.
Before her time with the US Department of Defence, a role she held from 2013, James held a number of senior positions, including President of the Technical and Engineering Sector at SAIC, which required her to oversee 8,700 employees and $2 billion in revenue, along with Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer as part of the Executives for National Security Programme for almost two years. Earlier in her career, Bain’s new recruit also worked as a Professional Staff Member at the US House of Representatives for more than a decade.
James is a Master of International Affairs, a qualification she gamed from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She also holds a Bachelors degree in Comparative Area Studies from Duke University, and is a board member of the Atlantic Council along with the advisory board of the technological institute MIT Lincoln Laboratory.
Commenting on the appointment, Phil Kleweno, who leads Bain’s DC office, said, “Deborah brings to our team deep technical expertise in defense and government services, as well as extensive leadership experience, both of which will be critical in helping our clients address some of their toughest business challenges. We look forward to working with her as we guide these organizations through transformations that will measurably improve their performance.”
James said about her new role, “I look forward to working with some of the world’s most trusted business advisors at Bain to help leading organizations manage and win through these turbulent times.”
