About OUSW(C)

Mr. Thomas "Tom" Harker

Tom Harker serves as the Deputy Financial Officer (DCFO) in the Office of the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller) (OUSW(C)). He serves as the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer and Defense senior leaders on all issues involving the amended Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 and related financial management reforms. He is responsible for improving and sustaining DoW’s financial framework inclusive of policy, systems, audit, and reporting.

Tom Harker has 30 years of public & private sector experience in Defense and Homeland Security, most recently serving as the acting Secretary of the Navy in 2021, acting Under Secretary of Defense Comptroller in 2020, and Senate confirmed Assistant Secretary of the Navy Financial Management and Comptroller from 2018- 2021. In these roles, he was responsible for the day-to-day business operations of the Department of the Navy, developing and executing the DOD budget, and overseeing efforts to reform the military's financial processes and business systems. Harker graduated from the University of California Berkeley in 1990 and received an MBA from the University of Miami in 2000. A 20-year veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, his career was marked by operational success including multi-ton drug seizures on the high seas. Ashore, he was assigned positions of increasing responsibility in budget, acquisition, internal controls, audit readiness and financial reporting. His leadership of the Coast Guard audit readiness and internal control program contributed to the Department of Homeland Security moving from 10 successive disclaimers to a clean audit opinion. Prior to leaving active duty, Harker served at Office of Management and Budget (OMB) where he led the Campaign to Cut Waste, updated OMB Circular A-136 and drafted government-wide financial policy.

Subsequently, Harker served as an auditor and consultant at a large public accounting firm, auditing CFO Act agencies, assisting the Joint Staff with developing and implementing an audit readiness plan, and improving the Coast Guard’s accountability for property as a consultant. Upon his return to government, Harker led the Coast Guard financial reporting, policy, property management and audit readiness efforts. Harker was appointed to the Senior Executive Service at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as the Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Policy. While in this position, he served as the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management at the VA, and as the Acting Deputy CFO for Accounting and Financial Management at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Harker was President of the Harker Group and sats on several advisory boards and boards of directors between 2021-2025. Harker Group provides strategic, managerial and financial consulting services to Fortune 500 companies, government contractors, federal, state and local governments.