FCC picks FDA, Army alum to lead its IT shop

The Federal Communications Commission has tapped the Food and Drug Administration’s former chief digital officer as its new IT chief, the independent agency announced Monday.

Farhan Khan, who left the FDA for a private-sector role in August 2025, takes over as the FCC’s chief information officer following the retirement of Allen Hill last October. Deputy CIO Don Tweedie had been serving in the role in an acting capacity since then.

“The FCC’s robust agenda requires a diligent information technology team led by someone with knowledge of all aspects of today’s technology landscape, but also an eye to the future needs of this industry and the Commission as a whole,” FCC Managing Director Dan Daly said in a statement. 

“Farhan has extensive experience in the federal space and in managing large, complex teams,” Daly added. “We look forward to his leadership as he applies this same expertise to his responsibilities at the Commission.”

At the FDA, Khan oversaw digital transformation projects for the agency, managing a $200 million budget and team of more than 400 staffers, according to the FCC’s press release. 

Khan began his federal career as a team lead with the Department of Justice in 2009, per his LinkedIn profile. He later served as the Department of Transportation’s director of infrastructure, the FDA’s CTO, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s IT infrastructure operations chief, and the U.S. Army’s director of architecture and integration for the senior executive service.

As the FCC’s CIO, Khan — who holds a master’s degree from George Washington in information systems — will be charged with overseeing the agency’s overarching technical priorities, leading modernization efforts and securing data. 

Khan’s position also puts him at the center of the FCC’s remit to support systems that are critical to various sectors, “from broadband providers to first responders, from small public libraries to space launch operators, from spectrum auction participants to local broadcasters,” the press release said.

In a December 2023 interview with Scoop News Group, Khan spoke about his work with the FDA and the “critically important” need for agencies to collect disparate datasets and leverage technologies like artificial intelligence and high-speed networks to make informed choices.

“We need to connect all the dots,” Khan said, “and we need to be able to then see how it is going to help us with the decision-making process.”