Doug Beck

Doug Beck served from 2023 until August 2025 as director of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), reporting directly to the Secretary of Defense across two administrations. In this role, he oversaw the acceleration of commercial technology adoption throughout the military. Beck is a recipient of the Defense Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest civilian award conferred by the Secretary of Defense. He was also instrumental in the origin of DIU, and founded and led its joint reserve component from 2015-2019.

Prior to joining DIU, Beck was vice president at Apple, reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook for 13 years, from 2009-2023. At Apple, he led the company’s businesses across Northeast Asia and the Americas, as well as leading Apple’s purpose-driven businesses worldwide, including in health, education, and the public sector.

Before joining Apple, Beck served as senior vice president and chief strategy officer at Charles Schwab. Prior to Schwab, he was a partner at McKinsey & Company. In 2000, he was elected as one of the youngest partners in McKinsey history while residing in Shanghai. He has lived and worked for many years in Asia, including in Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and across China.

A captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve, 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. 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.

As a civilian, Beck has served as a member of the Secretary of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board, and an executive advisor to three Chiefs of Naval Operations and Special Operations Community leadership.

Beck serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for a New American Security and a Senior Fellow at the University of Tokyo. He is a trustee of the Rhodes Trust, which oversees the Rhodes Scholarships worldwide, and has been a member of Jackson’s Advisory Board since 2013. 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.