Paladin Capital Group honors Chris Inglis‘ lifetime of vision, leadership, and service to our nation’s security.
View the Chris Inglis tribute video.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chris Inglis, former U.S. National Cyber Director and Senior Strategic Advisor to Paladin Capital Group, received the Intelligence and National Security Alliance’s (INSA) esteemed 2026 William Oliver Baker Award. This distinction, considered a highly prestigious honor in U.S. national security and intelligence communities, recognizes an extraordinary individual with a sustained commitment and excellence in intelligence and national security affairs.
Inglis has dedicated more than four decades to a career in public service. From 2021 to 2023, Inglis served in the White House as the first Senate-confirmed U.S. National Cyber Director, where he oversaw the development of national security and cyber workforce education strategies, and strengthened public-private collaboration to improve accountability in cyberspace. This role followed his time as a Commissioner on the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission (2019-2020) where he crafted policy recommendations to guide U.S. cybersecurity strategy.
He also served as a Paladin Managing Director for seven years prior to his nomination by the President as the nation’s first National Cyber Director. Before that, he served as the Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of the National Security Agency (NSA) from 2006-2014.
“The nation and Paladin Capital Group have been so lucky to have Chris as a public servant,” said Michael Steed, Founder and Managing Partner of Paladin Capital Group. “One of Chris’ talents is understanding where the government and private sector should be engaging. He set the standard for how cybersecurity and AI will be approached for generations — if not centuries — into the future.”
Inglis was previously a Looker Distinguished Visiting Professor of Cyber Studies at the U.S. Naval Academy. He has served as a member of several private and public Board of Directors. Inglis also served for more than 30 years in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, from which he retired as a command pilot at the rank of Brigadier General.
As Chris Inglis shared in his remarks at the recent INSA reception, “The willingness to use power for the benefit of something outside of oneself – whatever the cost of that might be, that’s what defines public service…That’s what the framers of our Constitution wrote between the lines of a blueprint that endures in our actions, not our critiques.”
About Paladin Capital Group
Paladin Capital Group was founded in 2001 and has offices in Washington DC, New York, London, Luxembourg, and Silicon Valley. As a multi-stage, dual-use investor, Paladin’s core strength is identifying, supporting, and investing in innovative companies that develop promising, early-stage technologies to address the critical cyber, AI, defense and advanced technology needs of both commercial and government customers.
Combining proven investment experience with deep expertise in global security, cyber technology, and cutting-edge research, Paladin has invested in more than 88 companies since 2008 and has been a trusted partner to investors, entrepreneurs, and governments for over two decades.
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