NEWS RELEASE: 12/19/2025
- Expert Board: Distinguished leaders from the U.S. Navy, DHS, DoD, and intelligence community appointed to guide mission-driven business goals.
- Security Clearance: New governance structure enables Ericsson Federal to operate under Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) mitigation, granting access to classified information.
- Secure Supply Chain: Leverages a secure U.S. supply chain and Ericsson’s 5G Smart Factory to deliver resilient, commercial technologies essential for military and national security success.
Vienna, Va. — Ericsson Federal Technologies Group (Ericsson Federal) today announced the formation of its Board of Directors, a strategic step that will guide the group’s mission-driven goals and allow it to operate under a Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) mitigation agreement.
The newly appointed Board is comprised of diverse senior national security and defense experts with experience spanning the U.S. Navy, the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the intelligence community. Their collective expertise will be instrumental as Ericsson Federal expands its partnerships to transform government agencies with secure 5G and commercial network solutions.
Leadership Commentary
“Today marks a significant milestone for Ericsson Federal as we welcome an esteemed group of leaders to our Board of Directors,” said Christopher Ling, Chief Executive Officer of Ericsson Federal Technologies Group. “Their collective experience and strategic insight will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and deliver cutting-edge communication solutions to meet the needs of our federal partners.”.
Börje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson, added: “We are committed to helping the U.S. government accelerate its digital transformation through the adoption of proven commercial technologies that are secure, reliable and resilient. This senior level of talent will help Ericsson Federal bring advanced commercial capabilities to U.S. government agencies.”
Admiral Mike McConnell (Ret.), who will serve as Chairman of the Board, stated: “I am honored to serve as the Chairman of the Board for Ericsson Federal. In today’s world, network security is national security. With the world’s best systems, Ericsson Federal ensures the government can embrace its digital future with confidence.”
The Board of Directors will collaborate closely with senior leaders to shape company strategy, strengthen government relationships, and harness proven commercial technologies to solve the government’s hardest challenges.
Ericsson Federal welcomes:
Vice Admiral Mike McConnell (Former Director of National Security Agency and Director of National Intelligence, U.S. Navy, Retired)
Mr. McConnell is a retired Vice Admiral of the U.S. Navy. He served as Director of the National Security Agency from 1992 to 1996 and as the U.S. Director of National Intelligence from 2007 to 2009. His 50-year career includes significant intelligence assignments impacting national security and leadership roles in the private sector, including serving as Vice Chairman of Booz Allen Hamilton.
The Honorable Michael Chertoff Former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
Mr. Chertoff is Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of the Chertoff Group. As Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (2005–2009), he led the largest reorganization of the federal civilian workforce since World War II. He is also the former Chairman of BAE Systems, Inc., where he focused on cybersecurity and national security solutions.
“It is my great pleasure to join the Ericsson Federal board. The indispensable ingredient in this industry is trust. The U.S. Government can rely on solutions from Ericsson Federal because they are built on a foundation of security and are made in America, by Americans.”
Dr. Joseph B. Evans Former Principal Director for 5G, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
Dr. Evans currently serves as Vice President at STR, leading networking and communications efforts. Previously, he was the Principal Director for 5G for the DoD, where he oversaw the “5G to Next G” research portfolio and coordinated 5G efforts across the Department.
“It is my pleasure to join the Ericsson Federal Board. The team aims to bridge the gap between the private sector and national security, bringing world-leading scale and innovation to the table.”
Essye B. Miller Former Principal Deputy, Department of Defense Chief Information Officer
Ms. Miller is a career member of the Senior Executive Service and served as the primary advisor to the Secretary of Defense for Information Management, IT, and Information Assurance. Her background includes critical roles in satellite communications, spectrum, and cybersecurity for the Army CIO/G-6.
“I am thrilled to serve on the Ericsson Federal Board. By leveraging our technical expertise, we can actively influence standards to deliver the speed, accessibility, and reliability critical to successful defense missions.”
Mary Petryszyn Former Corporate Vice President, Northrop Grumman
Ms. Petryszyn is a retired executive who served as President of Northrop Grumman Defense Systems, overseeing full-spectrum defense capabilities for global customers. She currently serves on the Board of Governors for the United Service Organizations (USO) and as a Director for Saab and Woodward Inc..
“I am happy to be on the Board of Ericsson Federal. As the leading edge of 5G and future Gs, Ericsson Federal delivers commercial capabilities at the speed of relevance to protect our nation.”
Ericsson Federal is a network technology leader purpose-built to rapidly deliver secure, high-performance 5G and 6G commercial technologies that integrate mission-focused Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) capabilities to meet the U.S. Government’s most critical needs. Concentrating on national security, homeland, and defense, Ericsson Federal leverages a secure U.S. supply chain, including the global 5G leader Ericsson and its USA 5G Smart Factory, to provide resilient, open RAN-ready infrastructure that accelerates digital modernization. By adapting Ericsson’s globally proven commercial innovations, Ericsson Federal ensures that U.S. Government operations benefit from low latency, massive connectivity, and intelligence-driven communications essential for military and national security success.
