Prior to this appointment, Mr. Bell served as the Deputy Under Secretary of the Army and earlier served as the first Chief of Staff of the State Department’s Afghanistan Reconstruction Group (ARG) in Kabul, Afghanistan, advising the President’s Special Envoy and Ambassador to Afghanistan, and Ministers of the government of Afghanistan on efforts to accelerate political stability, reconstruction, and economic development, including private sector development.

Before that, Mr. Bell had a successful career in the private sector, specializing in transformation management in large complex organizations facing major challenges in their operational, market, and/or competitive environments. His work included service as Chief Financial Officer and other senior management positions at US Airways, American Airlines, Burlington Northern Railroad, Adobe Systems, and Conner Peripherals. He also served as a venture advisor to and board member of start-up information technology companies in Silicon Valley. Earlier, he was a consultant with McKinsey & Company, working on transformation challenges with such clients as the World Bank, Office of Management and Budget, and the Peace Corps.

Mr. Bell began his career as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. He served tours in Vietnam, Okinawa, and the Caribbean rising to the rank of Captain. He was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V,” the Presidential Unit Citation, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Mr. Bell earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Northwestern University, and a Master of Arts Degree in International Relations from the University of South Carolina.

Mr. Alan F. Estevez
Principal Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness

Alan Estevez is the Principal Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Logistics & Materiel Readiness). In this capacity, he is responsible for guiding the transformation of the Department of Defense (DoD) logistics processes to ensure cost effective, joint logistics support to support the warfighter in the 21st Century. He provides program oversight and develops policies for the operation of the over $100 billion DoD logistics operations, and he is a key leader of the DoD’s implementation of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to improve logistics support to U.S. forces. He assumed his current position in November 2006.

From October 2002 to November 2006, Mr. Estevez was the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Supply Chain Integrations) responsible for development of global supply chain management and distribution policies. Prior to assuming his executive position, Mr. Estevez held key positions within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he played a critical role in reengineering Defense transportation processes, and with the U.S. Army Strategic Logistics Agency, where he managed the Army’s program to correct logistics deficiencies identified during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm. From 1981 through 1990, Mr. Estevez held numerous positions with Military Traffic Management Command in Bayonne, New Jersey, Oakland, California, and Falls Church, Virginia.

Mr. Estevez received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1979 and a Masters degree in National Security Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1995. He is the recipient of the Presidential Rank Meritorious Executive Award, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service, and the 2005 Service to America Medal awarded by the Partnership for Public Service. He was inducted into the Senior Executive Service in October 2002.