James E. Thomsen

James E. Thomsen is President of Seaborne Defense, LLC, a firm that provides advisory and assistance services to clients in the defense M&A market. Services include defense contract and pricing strategies, program win strategies, defense budget analysis, and market penetration strategies. Mr. Thomsen is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. He retired from the U.S. Defense Department in 2015 as the highest ranking civilian senior executive service member in Naval R&D and Acquisition. Mr. Thomsen has over 40 years as a senior government executive and industry executive in engineering design, systems engineering, complex systems program management, large scale defense acquisition programs, and defense manufacturing. He has a proven record of serving, leading and changing defense enterprises, organizations and major programs at the highest levels of public trust and responsibility.

Mr. Thomsen also serves as Board Chairman for Plasan-North America and on the Army Science Board, the Advisory Board at the Applied Research Lab at Penn State University. He previously served as Board Member of Advanced Acoustic Concepts, Inc., and VT-Halter Marine, Inc., and AUVSI Board of Directors. Mr. Thomsen earned his bachelor’s in Ocean Engineering from Florida Atlantic University and his master’s from Florida State University. He has received notable civilian service awards, including the Presidential Rank Award, two Exceptional Civilian Service Awards, and the Distinguished Civilian Service Award. In 2017, he was inducted into the Naval Sea Systems Command (Surface Warfare Center) Hall of Fame.