From Pentagon to Platform: How a Top Admiral Is Steering AI for National Security

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – February 05, 2026 – In a move that underscores the deepening integration of Silicon Valley innovation and U.S. defense strategy, enterprise AI platform provider Domino Data Lab has appointed Admiral Christopher Grady, U.S. Navy (ret.), to its board of directors. Grady, who recently retired as the 12th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, brings decades of top-tier military and strategic experience to a company rapidly becoming a critical player in the Pentagon's push to operationalize artificial intelligence.

The appointment comes as Domino reports a landmark year, having more than doubled its public sector revenue. This growth is fueled by successful deployments within key defense initiatives. Alongside Grady's appointment, the company promoted Chris Elsins, the architect of some of its most significant government wins, to Global Vice President of Public Sector. Together, these moves signal a concerted effort by Domino to solidify its position as a go-to partner for defense and intelligence agencies racing to achieve a decisive technological edge.

A Strategic Mind for a New Battlefield

Admiral Grady is not just a decorated officer; he was a central figure in shaping the future capabilities of the U.S. military. As Vice Chairman, he was the nation's second-highest-ranking military officer and chaired the influential Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC), the body responsible for validating and prioritizing major defense acquisition programs. His career, which includes commanding the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, has given him a profound understanding of the gap between strategic objectives and operational realities—a gap that companies like Domino aim to close with technology.

His transition to Domino's board is more than a symbolic hire. It reflects a career-long advocacy for modernizing the military by embracing software and data. Grady has publicly emphasized the need to move from a hardware-centric development model to a more agile, "app-based approach" where new technologies can be integrated rapidly. This philosophy directly aligns with the core value proposition of AI and Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) platforms.

"Decision advantage depends on a healthy platform foundation that can rapidly scale data and AI capability into real-world operations," Admiral Grady said in a statement accompanying the announcement. "Domino's track record of delivering AI capabilities that are in the hands of warfighters today, and built to scale, reflects exactly the kind of partnership our national security environment now demands." His presence on the board provides Domino with unparalleled strategic insight into the Pentagon's most pressing needs and a powerful advocate for the role of public-private partnerships.

MLOps on the Front Lines

The strategic vision of leaders like Grady is being put into practice through tangible technological advancements. Domino's surging growth is built not on promises, but on proven performance in high-stakes environments. A prime example is the company's work as a prime vendor on a $16.5 million contract for the U.S. Navy's Project Overmatch.

Project Overmatch is the Navy's contribution to the Pentagon's ambitious Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) initiative, which aims to create a unified network connecting sensors from every military branch. Within this secretive and highly strategic project, Domino's platform provides the critical MLOps backbone for improving intelligence derived from imagery and sonar.

The impact has been dramatic. By implementing Domino’s MLOps toolset, the Navy has slashed the time required to update and redeploy machine learning models from a sluggish six months down to just a few days—a staggering 97% reduction. This agility is transformative. In modern warfare, the ability to rapidly retrain an AI model to recognize a new threat or adapt to a changing environment is not a technical nicety; it is a fundamental requirement for mission success and survival.

This success story is a testament to the leadership of Chris Elsins, now Domino's GVP of Public Sector. His team's work on Project Overmatch demonstrated that a commercial MLOps platform could deliver a durable, scalable capability that allows warfighters to evolve their tools at the speed of tactical relevance. It is this ability to move AI "beyond PowerPoints and... deliver real outcomes at operational speed," as Domino COO Thomas Robinson stated, that sets the company apart.

Navigating a Competitive AI Arms Race

Domino Data Lab is making its strategic push in a fiercely competitive market. The race to equip governments with superior AI is on, with established defense contractors like Booz Allen Hamilton, specialized AI powerhouses like Palantir and C3.ai, and cloud giants like AWS and Microsoft all vying for a piece of the burgeoning government AI budget. The DoD's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) is actively working to streamline AI adoption, creating a fertile ground for companies that can navigate the complex security and procurement landscape.

In this crowded field, Domino is carving out its niche by focusing on the operationalization of AI. While many platforms help build models, Domino's enterprise solution is engineered for the entire AI lifecycle—from collaborative development to deployment, monitoring, and governance. This dual-use technology, proven in demanding commercial sectors, offers government agencies a mature, scalable platform that integrates with their existing data infrastructure.

The government's increasing emphasis on open architectures and interoperability, a core tenet of JADC2, also plays to Domino's strengths. Rather than offering a closed, proprietary system, its platform is designed to be the connective tissue that helps manage and deploy a wide array of AI tools and models, fostering an ecosystem of innovation. This approach, combined with its proven impact on projects like Overmatch, is what has enabled Domino to more than double its public sector footprint in a single year.

The strategic addition of Admiral Grady and the elevation of Chris Elsins are clear indicators that Domino Data Lab is not just participating in the government AI market but is actively shaping it. By bridging the gap between the highest levels of military strategy and the granular reality of deploying code, the company is positioning itself as an indispensable partner in the nation's quest to maintain its technological supremacy and secure its future.