Ep. 74: Michael Cadenazzi, Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy

Summary

In this episode of the GovDiscovery AI podcast, host Mike Shanley interviews Michael Catanasi, the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial-Based Policy. Catanasi discusses his recent experiences at the Honolulu Defense Forum, where he engaged with various military and international partners to address the challenges and opportunities in maintaining and growing the U.S. Defense Industrial Base, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. He emphasizes the importance of developing skilled labor and advanced manufacturing capabilities in Hawaii, which are crucial for supporting U.S. military operations in the Pacific.

Guest Bio: The Honorable Michael Cadenazzi was sworn in as the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy (ASD(IBP)) on September 23, 2025. In this role, he is the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment on industrial base policies and leads the Department of War's efforts to develop and maintain the U.S. defense industrial base to ensure a secure supply of materials critical to national security.  

Over the past two decades, Mr. Cadenazzi has served as a serial entrepreneur and consultant with experience in managing and addressing challenging issues across the aerospace & defense sector. He has launched multiple defense industry services and technology start-ups across the signals intelligence, program analysis, data analytics, and market assessment and strategy sectors, and executed two successful transfers of business ownership. His extensive sector experience includes work from the space to undersea domains and from aircraft and munitions to armor, weapons, ships, and services. His clients have included domestic and international firms from large prime contractors to all levels in the supply chain. His direct experience spans strategy, mergers & acquisitions, operations, supply chain and organizational transformation.

Prior to his civilian career, Mr. Cadenazzi served for ten years as an active-duty U.S. Navy cryptologic warfare officer. He completed the Cryptologic Division Office Course at Corry Station in Pensacola Florida before his first tour at Naval Communications & Telecommunications Area Master Station (NCTAMS) WESTPAC in Agana, Guam. Following graduate education, he was assigned to the staff of Commander, U.S. Navy SIXTH Fleet in Gaeta Italy. He completed his military service on the staff of U.S. Naval Forces Europe in London, the United Kingdom.

Mr. Cadenazzi holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from Tulane University and a master's degree in electrical engineering with an emphasis on RF communications and signals intelligence from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. He was commissioned an ensign in 1995 through the Tulane Naval Reserve Officer Corps (NROTC) program.

Learn more at BusinessDefense.gov

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