All Team Members

Chris DeSena

Partner

Chris DeSena was commissioned in 1995 through the Navy ROTC program at Vanderbilt University. Designated a Naval Aviator in 1997, Chris flew both operationally and as an instructor pilot. In 2004, Chris became an Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer. Over the next ten years, Chris held a range of positions to include Operational Tester, Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), Launch and Mission Ops lead, and In-Plant Representative. Chris’s final assignment in the Navy was the Program Manager for the ACAT-1 Navy Communications Satellite Program Office, responsible for the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite communications system. During this time Chris led the MUOS program through operational test and evaluation, where the system was deemed “Effective, Suitable and Cyber-Survivable”. This determination led to the system being declared Fully Operational Capable and acceptance by USSPACECOM for unrestricted operations.

Chris retired from military service as a Captain in 2021. After retirement, Chris started Blue Whale Consulting, a certified service-disabled, veteran-owned, small business (SDVOSB), providing expertise to companies seeking technical, programmatic, and business development support for defense and aerospace related projects.

Chris holds a BE in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University and a MS in Astronautical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.