Mr. Christopher J. Ristich, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director, Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation office, and the Transformational Capabilities Office, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The office is responsible for facilitating Air Staff-sponsored development planning activities, experimentation campaigns, and multi-domain modeling, simulation and analysis and for implementing the transformational component of the Air Force Science and Technology Strategy, including managing Air Force's Vanguard programs.

Prior to his current assignments in the SDPE office, Mr. Ristich served as Technical Director of the AFRL Plans and Programs Directorate. There, he was responsible for establishing and shaping new engagements with the Secretary of the Air Force, Air Force Chief of Staff, and commanders of the Air Force major commands to integrate science and technology into Air Force corporate processes. Mr. Ristich has held numerous technical and leadership positions. As a subject matter expert in directed energy effects, he led counter-precision guided munitions red-team efforts that provided critical vulnerability insights for Air Force senior leadership. Through a series of management and technical leadership positions in AFRL, Mr. Ristich supported projects and special initiatives including Space Capabilities Protection, Directed Energy Task Force, and the OSD Software Protection Initiative. His multi-domain experience led to his selection as Chief of the Layered Sensing Exploitation Division.

Mr. Ristich’s career includes more than 30 years of experience in research, development and test and evaluation of Air Force, Army, Navy and joint programs. He has provided leadership and technical expertise in programs that span air, space and cyber domains.

EDUCATION

1987 Bachelor of Science, Electrical Systems Engineering, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio

1995 Master of Science, Materials Engineering, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio

2007 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence

2011 Executive Leadership Program, Air Force Research Laboratory, Dayton, Ohio

2012 Leadership for a Democratic Society, Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Va.

CAREER CHRONOLOGY

1. January 1983–April 1988, U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

2. April 1988–March 1995, Direction Manager, Airborne Sensor Hardening, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

3. April 1988–December 2001, Branch Technical Advisor, Hardened Materials Branch, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

4. March 1995–April 1998, Advanced Development Project Manager, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

5. December 2001–June 2004, Chief, Electro-Optic Threat and Target Identification Branch, Sensors Directorate, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

6. June 2004–September 2006, Division Technical Advisor, Anti-Tamper and Software Protection Initiative Office, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

7. September 2006–July 2008, Chief, Sensor Materials Branch, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

8. July 2008–June 2014, Chief, Layered Sensing Exploitation Division, Sensors Directorate, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

9. June 2014–May 2016, Technical Director, Plans and Programs Directorate, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

10. May 2016–May 2019, Deputy Director, Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

11. May 2019–present, Director, Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS

Test and Evaluation, Level III

Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering-Science and Technology

Management, Level III

SPRDE-Systems Engineering, Level III

Program Management, Level I