The Hon. Ellen McCarthy
Advisor

The Honorable Ellen McCarthy is an Advisor to Andromeda Ventures and a nationally recognized leader with more than three decades of experience across the U.S. intelligence community, senior government service, and the private sector. She brings deep expertise in intelligence operations, cybersecurity, digital transformation, and organizational leadership.

Ellen was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and served as Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research from 2019 to 2021, reporting directly to the Secretary of State. In this role, she led the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, providing critical intelligence to support U.S. foreign policy and national security priorities while advancing intelligence integration across global diplomatic missions.

Previously, Ellen served as Chief Operating Officer of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, where she partnered with agency leadership to drive large-scale transformation, modernize operations, and accelerate adoption of private-sector technologies. Earlier in her career, she held senior roles across the Department of Defense and the U.S. Coast Guard, including Director-level positions overseeing intelligence operations, strategy, security, human capital, and intelligence reform. She began her government service as an all-source intelligence analyst at the Office of Naval Intelligence.

Ellen has also held significant private-sector leadership roles, including President of Noblis NSP, delivering cybersecurity and data-analytics capabilities to the Intelligence Community, and President of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA). She currently serves on advisory boards for SAP NS2, Fortem Technologies, Exiger, and Babel Street. Ellen holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Maryland.