Former Defense Undersecretary Heidi Shyu Joins Arete Board

Heidi Shyu, former Department of Defense undersecretary for research and engineering, has been appointed to the board of directors of Arete Associates. A four-time Wash100 awardee, Shyu had, in her capacity as defense undersecretary, also served as DOD chief technology officer, Arete said.

She brings to the company decades of leadership experience in defense innovation, advanced technology development and public service, the company added. In her lead role in DOD R&D and prototyping activities, Shyu also provided management support to programs under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Missile Defense Agency.

Shyu’s Army & Private Industry Experience

She held the DOD undersecretary and CTO position for over three years, according to her LinkedIn profile. Her past DOD record also includes a stint of more than three years as assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology.

Before her work in the government sector, Shyu was a Raytheon executive for over six years, serving last as technology strategy vice president at the company’s space and airborne systems unit.

Shyu’s Educational Background

She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Brunswick in Canada, a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Toronto, and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of California in Los Angeles. Shyu is also a graduate of the UCLA’s Executive Management Course Program. University of New Brunswick has awarded Shyu an honorary doctorate of science.