The Honorable Katharina (Katrina) McFarland is a leading subject-matter expert on government Acquisition, Program Management and procurement. She is currently serving on the board of directors of Engility, is the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Board of Army Research and Development (National Academies of Science), is a Director on the Procurement Round Table board of directors, and is on the Board of Advisors for Endeavor Robotics, TransUnion, and Sehlke.She is president of Blue Oryx LLC.

Mrs. McFarland recently retired as the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Acquisition ASD(A), and  Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics & Technology (ASAALT).  In this role, she was the principal adviser to the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics on all matters related to acquisition programs, the acquisition workforce, and acquisition policy for the Department of Defense. Mrs. McFarland oversaw the execution of the Army's acquisition function, including life-cycle management and sustainment of Army weapons systems and research and development programs, managing the Army Acquisition Corps, and served as the science advisor to the secretary of the Army and as the Army's senior research and development official and senior procurement executive.

She previously served as the President of the Defense Acquisition University (DAU), the Director for Acquisition for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), and as Product Group Director for Battle Management and Air Defense Systems (over $3B) for the United States Marine Corps.