Daniel Finkenstadt
Submitted by rgordon on Wed, 04/08/2026 - 10:00
Vice President of Research and Senior Fellow
Commerce & Contract Management Institute
d.finkenstadt@ccm.institute
Dr. Daniel Finkenstadt is a recognized expert in public procurement and policy, currently supporting the CCM Institute. With over 23 years of experience in public sector acquisitions— from operational units to headquarters—he brings deep, practical knowledge to the field. His career includes overseas roles in Italy and Afghanistan, as well as joint acquisition work with the intelligence community.
Dr. Finkenstadt previously served as an assistant professor of defense management at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, where he worked with graduate students on groundbreaking efforts to gamify acquisition education and training. During this time, he founded the Simulation and Ideation Lab for Applied Science (SILAS), which earned the 2023 Innovation in Contracting Award from NCMA.
He is the author of two books and a prolific contributor to peer-reviewed and professional publications, including multiple articles in Harvard Business Review. His HBR article, “How Generative AI Can Augment Human Creativity,” is a best-seller.