Two top tech officials are out at Treasury; New Pentagon program to speed up software acquisition is launching

The Treasury Department is losing two of its top technology officials, according to agency sources. Brian Peretti, Treasury’s chief technology officer, is leaving the position and taking the federal government’s early retirement option, two people within the agency said. Peretti helped organize the department’s planning process for information technology and also served in the role of chief artificial intelligence officer. Rick Therrien, Treasury’s chief information security officer, is also retiring, the two agency sources said. Therrien had served in the position since July 2024, and, before then, held a series of roles at the Internal Revenue Service. The moves come amid tensions in the Treasury Department over the influence of the Department of Government Efficiency and the departures of IT officials across the federal government.

The Defense Department’s chief information officer said this week she’s kicking off a new program that aims to overhaul cumbersome bureaucratic mechanisms and streamline its ability to rapidly approve new software capabilities for warfighters. Under the Software Fast Track (SWIFT) program, the Pentagon will use artificial intelligence to replace legacy authority to operate (ATO) and Risk Management Framework (RMF) processes when buying new software. Acting DOD CIO Katie Arrington signed a memo authorizing the new effort said and it would officially launch May 1.

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