David M. Van Buren is CEO of Crossroads Management, a new Business Strategy and Program Development firm with operations in the Washington, D.C. metro and Charleston, SC. Mr. Van Buren sits on multiple Boards of Directors and consults for high technology as well as internationally owned firms.
Prior to Crossroads, he served as the L3 Technologies Senior Vice President for Program Development. His responsibilities included Corporate Business Strategy, Corporate International Operations, Classified Program Development and Security Infrastructure, and Corporate Quality and Continuous Program Improvement. Before the company merged with Harris, the L3 stock price increased by nearly 400% during his 7-year tenure.
From April 2009 to March 2012, Mr. Van Buren was the Air Force Service Acquisition Executive (SAE), and was the acting United States Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition). He was responsible for all Air Force research, development and acquisition activities and directed approximately $70 billion of annual investments. This included major programs like the B-21, F-35, KC-46A and all Space and Weapons Programs, as well as information technology, cyber, command and control and ISR systems. He was also responsible for initiating the classified Family of Systems in 2010.
Among Mr. Van Buren’s CEO experience in high technology firms, he successfully transitioned TECSTAR, a small business, to being named one of the top 50 space manufacturers in the world by Space News. He has more than 40 years of business experience in the Air Force, large defense corporations, and private equity owned small and medium aerospace and commercial high-technology firms. These technology areas included hyperspectral imaging; laser communications; alternative power sources; avionics; high-speed processing; compound semi-conductors; and satellite power systems.
Mr. Van Buren was Vice President and Deputy Program Manager for the B-2 bomber at Northrop Corporation, and Project Manager on several classified airborne platforms, including the F-117A at Lockheed. Prior to his tenure at Lockheed, he served on active duty in Fighter Operations and Program Management in the Air Force for nine years, including two operational tours in Southeast Asia.
In 2012, Mr. Van Buren was presented the highest civilian honors in both the Department of Defense (Medal for Distinguished Public Service) and Air Force (Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service). In 2013, Mr. Van Buren was appointed to the Defense Science Board by the Secretary of Defense.
Mr. Van Buren received his B.A. in Physical Sciences from the University of Illinois and M.A. in Industrial Management from Central Michigan University. He graduated from the Program Management/Education with Industry at the Air Force Institute of Technology, and in the Executive Management Program at Stanford University.