Mr. Matthew D. Sermon
Executive Director
NDIA DVC Naval Nuclear Submarine and Aircraft Carrier Supplier Conference : The Demand Signal
As of October 2021, Mr. Matthew Sermon is the Executive Director of Program Executive Office Strategic Submarines. Previously, Mr. Sermon served as the Executive Director for Program Executive Office Columbia Class Submarine and as the Executive Director, Amphibious, Auxiliary and Sealift Office, Program Executive Office, Ships. In his current role, he provides executive leadership to the Columbia Class Submarine acquisition program and the In Service SSBN/SSGN program, while also being assigned responsibility for revitalization of the Submarine Industrial Base. In this portfolio, he provides enterprise leadership for more than 250 acquisition personnel and approximately $130 Billion in acquisition and sustainment programs.
Mr. Sermon entered the Senior Executive Service in February 2019, and has been in federal service for more than 20 years. He has served in a variety of key leadership positions throughout his career, including Deputy Program Manager for the Columbia Class Submarine program (2016-2019), a $100 billion DoD Major Defense Acquisition Program. During his tenure, he led the program through detail design, construction readiness, and significant sustainment planning activities. Before leading the Columbia Class, he was the Deputy Program Manager for the Zumwalt Class Destroyer (2014- 2016) during test, trials, and delivery of the lead ship (DDG 1000). Prior to DDG 1000, he was the Deputy Program Manager for International Fleet Support in the Naval Sea Systems Command’s Surface Warfare Directorate (2010- 2014), where was responsible for the management of more than $5 billion in Foreign Military Sales cases for more than 40 partner nations.Other previous assignments include Principal Assistant Program Manager in the Support Ships, Boats, and Craft Program Office (PMS 325) in PEO Ships (2007-2010), where he led the $1.1 billion Egyptian Navy Missile Craft project while providing program management expertise for numerous other boat building projects.
Prior to starting in Navy civilian service, Mr. Sermon was a U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer (Nuclear). He received his Surface Warfare Officer qualification aboard USS Ramage (DDG 61). Additionally, Mr. Sermon served as nuclear engineering officer aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) before leaving the uniformed Navy in 2004. He is a veteran of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
Mr. Sermon is a member of the Acquisition Professional Community and has a Level III Certification in Program Management. He holds Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act certifications in Production, Quality, and Manufacturing and Test & Evaluation, and has completed certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP). He received a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the United States Naval Academy in 1999, and a Master of Science degree in engineering management from The Catholic University of America in 2006. He is a 2012 graduate of the Defense Systems Management College’s Program Manager Course. During his distinguished federal service career, Mr. Sermon has received three Navy Civilian Meritorious Service Awards and one Navy Civilian Superior Service Award.