Dr. Stacey Dixon, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Vice Admiral Bob Sharp, U.S. Navy (Ret), take the stage for a fireside chat at Quantum World Congress 2023 on "The Importance of Frontier Technologies to Intelligence and National Security" moderated by Lawrence Pace, NRO Chair and Chief Diversity Officer at the National Intelligence University.

Dr. Stacey A. Dixon was sworn in as the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence on Aug. 4, 2021. She currently serves as the sixth Senate-confirmed PDDNI. Possessing over 20 years of intelligence experience, Dr. Dixon has led the Intelligence Community at the highest ranks. She joined ODNI after serving as the eighth Deputy Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency from 2019-2021. From 2018 to 2019, she was the fourth Director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity), after serving as its Deputy Director from 2016 to 2018. Before joining IARPA, Dr. Dixon served as the Deputy Director of NGA’s research directorate, where she oversaw geospatial intelligence research and development. Prior to serving at NGA, Dr. Dixon was a staff member for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She first started her intelligence career at the CIA in 2003, where she was assigned to the National Reconnaissance Office’s advanced systems and technology directorate. Dr. Dixon holds both a doctorate and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.

Vice Admiral Bob Sharp, USN (Ret.) served as the Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, one of our nation’s premier intelligence agencies, from February 2019 until June 2022. As Director, he and his team were responsible for delivering world-class geospatial intelligence to provide a decisive advantage to policy makers, military service members, intelligence professionals, first responders, and international partners. He was accountable for over 14,000 civilian, military and contractor employees working around the clock and globe in over 120 locations world-wide. Bob served as a Naval Intelligence Officer for over 34 years, and as a leader within the Navy’s Information Warfare Community since its inception. He has decades of leadership experience in the Intelligence, Defense, and National Security arenas. He is currently the CEO of B Sharp – Global Solutions, doing a combination of consulting, advisory and fellowship work focused on helping people who are trying to make the world a better place, succeed.