Booz Allen hires former NASA exec Tom Whitmeyer
Booz Allen Hamilton, a management and technology consultancy focusing on federal clients, has hired Tom Whitmeyer as an executive advisor in support of its space business.
Based in Washington, DC, Whitmeyer will guide Booz Allen’s strategic plan for NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Space Force.
Whitmeyer retired from NASA in March after more than 20 years with the space agency. He most recently served as deputy associate administrator of the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD), providing executive leadership for the Space Launch System (SLS), Orion, and Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) programs. Whitmeyer also led overall systems integration, program planning and control, and mission operations of the enterprise – including overseeing the design development, production, and preparation for the Artemis 1 mission, which Booz Allen supported.
The first major spaceflight of the Artemis program – which aims to re-establish a human presence on the moon for the first time since 1972 – Artemis 1 was an unmanned Moon-orbiting mission that was the first integrated test flight of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft. Artemis 1 launched on November 16, 2022, completed two fly-bys of the moon, and landed in the Pacific Ocean on December 11, 2022.
Earlier in his tenure at NASA, Whitmeyer was deputy chief safety officer in the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance and deputy assistant associate administrator for the Space Shuttle Program in the Space Operations Mission Directorate.
Before joining NASA, Whitmeyer worked at aerospace and defense firm McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing), where he worked on various NASA-related projects.
He has a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from The George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Boston University.
“I join Booz Allen at a critical point to further the nation’s space domain authority, continuing to secure, shape, and scale the future of space technology – and I’m pleased to bring my past experiences and skillset to this new role,” said Whitmeyer. “The space market and environment are undergoing a significant transformation with new adversarial, economic, and environmental threats, challenges, and opportunities.”
Booz Allen has a long history of supporting the space sector, including 50 years of multifaceted support for the International Space Station, modernization of NASA’s infrastructure and policies, and engineering and analysis for the Artemis missions.
The firm last year won a $622-million contract to provide an array of cybersecurity services to NASA.
“Tom brings unique insight and experience that perfectly aligns to Booz Allen’s space missions. His leadership comes at a pivotal point for the firm and the nation and represents a significant milestone in Booz Allen’s space growth,” said Andrea Inserra, Booz Allen EVP and leader of the firm’s aerospace account. “With over 36 years of experience in managing large-scale space flight programs, he is an incredible asset to current and future clients.”