FBI CIO Announces Return to Private Sector

Executive Assistant Director (EAD) and Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Information and Technology Branch (ITB) Chad L. Fulgham will leave the FBI on April 13, 2012 to return to the private sector after more than three years of service.

During his tenure, EAD Fulgham reorganized the Bureau’s IT Branch to better support the men and women of the FBI. He secured a strategic data center to consolidate facilities and initiated server virtualization efforts to improve performance, reduce costs, and support the government’s green initiatives. He brought unified communication and collaboration tools such as rich presence, instant messaging, voice-over Internet protocol, desktop video teleconferencing, desktop sharing, and web meetings. He also oversaw numerous mission critical application development efforts.

Mr. Fulgham was also the driving force behind the Sentinel program, the FBI’s new case management system. Sentinel replaces the outdated Automated Case Support system, transforming the way the FBI does business by moving it from a primarily paper-based case management system to an electronic work flow-based management system of record with enhanced data sharing capabilities.

“When I was hired as the CIO, it was understood Sentinel was going to be one of my top priorities. Today, I can tell you the software coding is done, the new hardware is in place, and it has been quite impressive during initial performance testing. We have trained hundreds of FBI special agents and employees, and it will have a lasting impact on this organization,” said Mr. Fulgham.

Using a progressive agile software development methodology, partnering with industry, and employing an aggressive deployment schedule, Sentinel is scheduled to be implemented in summer of 2012.

Director Robert S. Mueller stated, “Chad and the efforts of the ITB have made tremendous contributions to the FBI and its mission. His strong leadership, corporate-style management, forward-thinking mindset, and drive have brought innovative technology solutions that have helped the FBI accomplish its important mission for the nation.”

Mr. Fulgham also noted, “Serving in this role has been the highlight of my professional career. I have had the benefit of Director Mueller’s, former Deputy Director Tim Murphy’s, and current Deputy Director Sean Joyce’s support as we embarked on an aggressive set of initiatives to better leverage technology as a force multiplier and competitive advantage. I simply cannot explain how honored I have been to work for the men and women of the FBI who are the epitome of dedication, hard work, and professionalism.”

Over the past three years, the FBI and EAD Fulgham have received numerous industry recognitions, including Information Week’s “500 2010 Innovators” award for the Bureau’s Next Generation Network and Next Generation Workspace initiatives.