Ms. Giao Phan

Ms. Giao Phan served a distinguished federal civilian career for over 41 years, 16 of those years as a senior executive.

From Jan 2021 to Apr 2024, Ms. Phan became the first Asian American woman to serve as Naval Sea Systems Command’s (NAVSEA) Executive Director. She led and directed the day-to-day mission operations of the Navy’s largest and most complex Systems Command with more than 87,000 military and civilian personnel located in hundreds of locations across the globe, akin to the size and complexity of a top 100 Fortune 500 company. As Executive Director, she managed a ~$50 billion portfolio focused on the research, development, design, acquisition, and lifecycle support of all U. S. Navy ships, aircraft carriers, submarines and Integrated Warfare Systems. She was responsible for integrating the performance of all NAVSEA components including Naval Surface and Undersea Warfare Centers (10 total), four Naval Shipyards, and seven Regional Maintenance Centers.

From Apr 2019 to Dec 2020, she served dual hatted as the Executive Director for Surface Ship Maintenance & Modernization and Deputy Commander for Navy Regional Maintenance Centers. In this capacity, she was the senior NAVSEA civilian leading over 7,000 military and civilian personnel and oversaw the programs responsible for the life-cycle management of the Navy’s in-service surface ships, including critical modernization and maintenance efforts, as well as Foreign Military Sales, training, and ship inactivation. She also provided executive leadership to the operations and management of the Regional Maintenance Centers in the execution of private shipyard contracts, depot-level maintenance and modernization, surface ship intermediate-level maintenance, and fleet technical and engineering support world-wide. She also served as the Executive Director of Program Executive Office, Aircraft Carriers (2013-2019), where she was responsible for a $40 billion acquisition portfolio including the design and construction of Ford-class aircraft carriers, execution of the mid-life Refueling Complex Overhauls for Nimitz-class carriers, inactivation of USS Enterprise (CVN 65), and life cycle sustainment for all in-service USN carriers.

Ms. Phan entered the Senior Executive Service (SES) in November 2007 as the Coast Guard Deputy Director of Acquisition Programs where she oversaw 400 military and civilian personnel in their execution of a broad acquisition portfolio including 12 multi-billion dollar projects, 7 subordinate Program Offices, and a $30 billion investment portfolio dedicated to the modernization and recapitalization of surface, air, command and control, and logistics assets required for the USCG’s maritime missions.

She began her Navy civil service career in 1984 and has held numerous leadership positions managing development and integration programs including Deputy Program Manager for the In-Service Aircraft Carrier Program Office (2006 - 2007) and Assistant Program Manager for Nimitz-class carriers (2004 - 2006), where she led the design, construction, test, and delivery of the final ship, USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77), a $6 billion dollar program. Other previous assignments include Director for Aircraft Carriers and Amphibious Ships for Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (Ships), and as the Electronics Systems Manager for the Seawolf Fast Attack Submarine Program.

Ms. Phan received her Civil Engineering degree from Virginia Tech, and earned her MS in Management from Florida Tech. Her awards include Department of the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award (2019, 2024); Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN) Stanley Suyat Memorial Leadership award (2016); Coast Guard Superior Achievement Award (2013); Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) Outstanding Individual Leadership Award (2013); Women of Color STEM Career Achievement in Government Award (2010), Navy Superior Civilian Service Award (2006), and the Navy Meritorious Civilian Award (2004