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Chris Inglis left his post as the first U.S. National Cyber Director on February 15, 2023. Kemba Walden, then the principal deputy, immediately took over as acting director; she was not identified as a confirmed permanent successor. The White House later announced that the Senate confirmed Sean Cairncross to the role on August 2, 2025.
When did Chris Inglis step down?
Paladin Capital Group announced on February 9, 2023, that Inglis was stepping down after nearly two years in the White House role. February 15 was his final day, according to MeriTalk, which cited a White House spokesperson. The Washington Post reported that he had served since July 2021.
Who took over after Inglis?
Kemba Walden, then principal deputy National Cyber Director, assumed the job in an acting capacity immediately after Inglis left, MeriTalk reported. Acting leadership is distinct from a permanent appointment confirmed by the Senate.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsIn July 2023, Axios reported that President Joe Biden intended to nominate Harry Coker. That report described an intended nomination, not a confirmation. The White House later announced that the Senate confirmed Sean Cairncross as National Cyber Director on August 2, 2025. These are separate stages in the office’s leadership timeline, not part of the immediate February 2023 handover.
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Why did Chris Inglis leave?
The contemporaneous announcements and reports establish that Inglis stepped down, but do not give a detailed personal reason for his departure. White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients praised Inglis’s work, saying he had done “an exemplary job as our inaugural national cyber director” in protecting critical infrastructure and defining the administration’s vision for a secure digital future, as quoted by the Washington Post.
What does the National Cyber Director do?
The Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) was created by Congress through the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act. The President appoints the director with the Senate’s advice and consent. The White House describes the director as the President’s principal adviser on national cybersecurity policy and strategy.
ONCD coordinates federal cybersecurity policy rather than serving as a single operational cyber-defense agency. Its remit includes information security and data protection, efforts to deter malicious cyber activity, supply-chain security, responsible state behavior in cyberspace, and emerging technology issues. The office’s responsibilities are outlined on the White House ONCD page.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →What did Inglis do after leaving government?
In May 2023, Axios reported that Inglis had returned to Paladin Capital Group as a strategic adviser. He had been a managing director there before entering government. The report also said he had joined a CISA advisory committee and was considering other work at that time; those are dated career details, not a statement about his current schedule. Paladin founder Michael Steed said in the firm’s February 2023 statement that “America’s critical infrastructure and cyberspace are a safer place because of Chris Inglis’ service.”
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