As chief strategy officer for the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), Mary Catherine Ward develops strategic options to keep the SEI's strategy relevant, to ensure that decisions at all levels align with the strategy, and to develop, execute, and institutionalize strategic initiatives that advance the SEI's mission and strategic goals.

Ward has more than 25 years of experience in the software development field as a practitioner, researcher, manager, consultant, and educator. She joined the SEI in 2003 as a senior member of the technical staff, leading teams dedicated to assisting the Department of Defense and other government agencies in acquiring affordable, high-quality software-intensive systems. During her tenure at the SEI, she has held several leadership roles including chief engineer for civil and defense programs and acting director for the Acquisition Support Program. She has also led or contributed to ongoing research in the areas of enterprise architecture, organizational excellence, and acquisition strategy development.

Prior to joining the SEI, Ward was a certified program manager for Lockheed Martin Corporation, managing intelligence and law enforcement programs. While with Lockheed Martin she held a variety of positions including lead software architect, proposal manager, and principal researcher and had roles in full-lifecycle development of software-reliant systems.

Ward earned a BS in mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University and an MS in computer science from the University of Maryland. She earned the Certified Enterprise Architect designation from Carnegie Mellon.