Hon. Michael Powers
Michael Powers is a distinguished financial management executive with decades of experience leading large-scale financial operations and strategic initiatives within the U.S. Government. As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Defense Financial Manager (CDFM), and Department of Defense Financial Management Certification Level 3, he has a proven track record of successfully overseeing multi-billion-dollar budgets and driving significant organizational improvements. His career is highlighted by his tenure as the Acting Comptroller and Chief Financial Officer for the U.S. Army, where he served as the principal financial advisor to senior leadership and was responsible for the preparation and execution of the Army's $177 billion budget.
Throughout his career, Mr. Powers has spearheaded major transformation efforts that have resulted in substantial efficiencies and cost savings. While serving as the Army's top financial officer, he led initiatives to implement robotic process automation (RPA), retire 57 legacy IT systems to save $260 million annually, and champion an automated vendor invoicing process that cut errors by 98 percent. His leadership extends to high-pressure deployed environments, where he managed the $20.9 billion budget for the Afghanistan National Security Forces and the $18.4 billion Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund, demonstrating exceptional skill in managing complex international programs.
Mr. Powers' extensive expertise is built on a solid foundation of progressively responsible roles across various government agencies. He began his career in auditing before advancing to senior executive positions, including Deputy Director roles at the Office of the Secretary of War and the U.S. Department of the Interior, where he was instrumental in the department achieving its first-ever clean financial statement audit without any material weaknesses. As a consultant, he provided expert financial and strategic advice to the Department of the Army, Defense Health Agency, Defense Logistics Agency, and other defense organizations.