Linda Urrutia-Varhall, Major General (Ret.), USAF

Linda “UV” Urrutia-Varhall is the first Latina United States Air Force Academy graduate and Latina women in the United States Air Force  to attain Major General (2 Star) rank. She is a global, award-winning executive leader and advisor with 30+ years’ experience across Intelligence, Cyber, Security, Technology, Risk, Geospatial/Space, Threat Analysis, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion, and Aerospace in the U.S., Asia, Middle East, Europe, and Latin America. As a trusted adviser, she led as right hand to three Secretaries of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence, advising Cabinet-level officials, Intelligence Officers and National Intelligence Agencies, Congress and the White House on aligning objectives, developing and executing strategies and policies, and diplomacy initiatives.  Diverse mindset, highly recruited for top advisory commiiteees over a wide spectrum…diversity, equity, and inclusion; scientific and operational imperatives; and intelligence expertise.

She led as Defacto Deputy to Cabinet-level officials and senior leader at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, she was responsible for over 7,500 people and a $1.2B budget focused on geospatial operations, setting and leading strategy execution for the inclusion of Geospatial data. She cultivated strategic, global partnerships and galvanized diverse groups to embrace emerging technologies and innovative solutions, asking the right questions to address strategic and operational challenges.

Linda provided crisis intelligence and advised the Secretary of Defense, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Combatant Commands on policy, strategy and operational planning, while leading Defense Global Warning Systems. Linda created the cyber infrastructure and strategy while leading the newly created cyberspace command, including 1,300 people and $72M budget. The concept was taken to White House as a next-generation Operational Security mission to resource. She also led training of 14,500 people to execute operations in the event of crisis or nuclear attack.

She created strategic partnerships across U.S. agencies and international counterparts to develop platforms and processes, resolving overarching challenges. She was instrumental in White House initiative that synchronized how all government entities identified, monitored, and protected U.S. national airspace from intentional and unintentional incursions, which became part of the national security schema.

Represented the DoD at senior level and the UN, contributing to the strategic security and exit strategy for the U.S, leading global ISR with 14,000 people across 70 global locations, developing strategies, requirements, and policies for air, space, and cyber portfolio. She established and led strategy for geospatial expansion, including, commercial, open source, satellites and airborne imagery information for cutting-edge safety and navigation, forging novel multi-agency partnerships and multi-national cooperation. Linda also led the reorganization and restructure of the largest U.S. Air Force unit (17,500 personnel) in an unprecedented 6 months.

Linda is a respected leader, diversity champion and dynamic speaker on intelligence, cyber, space, national security, threat analysis, data, technology, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has been featured on television, radio and numerous publications.  Linda is a research staff member for the Institute of Defense Analyses and has a seat on the Board of Directors for the National Military Intelligence Foundation (Vice Chair) and the Natonal Intelligence University Foundation. 
 

Topics:  Cyber|Threat Analysis, Risk Management, Intelligence|Defense|Military, Space|Geospatial|Aerospace, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion