Jerry McGinn

Director, Center for the Industrial Base and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Jerry McGinn

Dr. Jerry McGinn is the director of the Center for the Industrial Base and a senior fellow with the Defense and Security Department. He is one of the nation’s leading experts on industrial base, acquisition, government contracting, and security policy issues. Prior to joining CSIS, Jerry served as executive director of the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University, publishing over 70 influential reports, white papers, and commentaries. Prior to GMU, Jerry served as the senior career official in the Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy in the Department of Defense (DoD), leading efforts to analyze the capabilities of the defense industrial base. He also directed hundreds of reviews of high-profile mergers and acquisitions as well as transactions before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Before his service in DoD, Dr. McGinn spent a decade in senior defense industry roles at Northrop Grumman, Deloitte Consulting LLP, and QinetiQ North America. Prior to industry, Dr. McGinn served as special assistant to the principal deputy undersecretary for policy in DoD and as a political scientist at RAND. Dr. McGinn is also a widely acclaimed thought leader and has testified numerous times before the U.S. Congress and the UK House of Commons. Dr. McGinn served with distinction as an infantry officer and is a graduate of Ranger and Airborne Schools. He earned a PhD, MS, and MA from Georgetown University as well as a BS from the United States Military Academy.

Programs & Projects

Areas of Expertise

In the News 8 of 20 results

Show More

All Jerry McGinn Content

Filter by

1 - 10 of 17 results
Executive Education

Mapping the U.S. DOD Acquisition Ecosystem

Dive deep into the defense acquisition process and the defense industrial base with exclusive insights from CSIS experts in this dynamic one-day course.

Course Date: May 6, 2026
Registration Closes: April 27, 2026

Status of the Force with VADM Brendan McLane

Join CSIS for a Maritime Security Dialogue event featuring Vice Admiral Brendan McLane, Commander, Naval Surface Forces Commander, Naval Surface Force, Pacific Fleet, for a discussion on the future of the Navy’s surface warfare efforts.

Event — January 16, 2026

Actualizing the "Arsenal of Freedom" | All About the Base

The CSIS Center for the Industrial Base is proud to launch the first episode of All About the Base, a video series examining key industrial base issues. The first episode explores Secretary Hegseth's plans for defense acquisition reform.

Event — December 15, 2025

International Industrial Cooperation: Perspectives from Poland

CSIS will host Mr. Konrad Golota, Polish Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of State Assets, for a fireside chat on the Polish defense industry's rapid expansion and adaptation to regional threats and opportunities for industrial cooperation with transatlantic partners.

 

Event — December 5, 2025

Putting the Industrial Base on a Wartime Footing

Putting the industrial base on a wartime footing will require strong leadership and consistent funding, with an investment in readiness for day one of any conflict, and the ability to maintain, repair, and replace the capabilities needed to prevail in any future fight. 

Commentary by Jerry McGinn and Cynthia R. Cook — December 5, 2025

Audio Briefs

Who Controls the Wrench: The Debate Over the “Right to Repair”

An audio version of “⁠Who Controls the Wrench: The Debate Over the “Right to Repair⁠”” a new Critical Questions by CSIS’s Jerry McGinn and Audrey Aldisert. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Jerry McGinn and Audrey Aldisert — November 6, 2025

Audio Briefs

Who Controls the Wrench: The Debate Over the “Right to Repair”

It is often a challenge for the government to repair its own equipment because it lacks access to the intellectual property necessary for sustainment. But there are pros and cons to the government having the right to repair.

Critical Questions by Jerry McGinn, Audrey Aldisert, and Kurt MacAloney — November 6, 2025