People in the news

W. Scott Gould

Deputy Secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs (since April 2009)

(VA)

Why He Matters

If the Obama administration was designing their ideal deputy secretary of Veterans Affairs from scratch, the result might well look a lot like Gould.

The Navy reservist served aboard a guided missile destroyer for eight years before earning his doctorate in administration and finance. He has since developed an expertise in making governments, non-profits and companies more efficient and innovative, focusing particularly on building a better workforce. He has even co-authored a book called The People Factor on ways to better utilize the civil service.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: IBM (2004 to 2009); CEO, The O'Gara Company (2002 to 2004)Deputy to the Director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Navy (2001 to 2002)
Hometown: Topsfield, Mass.
Alma Mater: Cornell University, B.A. (philosophy); University of Rochester, MBA and Ed.D