Brendan Stickles is the Vice President of Government at O2X, overseeing Federal Government Accounts. He joined the O2X team in September 2023 after serving as a consultant with Boston Consulting Group. Prior to that, Brendan served as the Special Advisor for Defense to Vice Presidents Kamala Harris and Mike Pence. During his two years at the White House, he managed a wide-ranging portfolio that included veterans’ issues, national security, defense innovation, and military personnel and readiness as Director on the National Security Council. Before transitioning to his advisory roles, Brendan had a distinguished career as a Navy Commander, flying jets for over 18 consecutive years and completing more than 550 carrier landings. On his final operational deployment aboard the USS Eisenhower, he commanded an EA-18 squadron that earned two consecutive “Battle E” awards for combat efficiency during Operation Inherent Resolve. Among his proudest moments in the cockpit was performing the 2008 Major League Baseball Opening Day flyover for his favorite team, the New York Mets. Originally from Glen Rock, New Jersey, Brendan graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in history. He also earned an MBA from the University of North Carolina and an MPA from Harvard. Brendan lives in Bethesda, MD, with his wife and their three school-aged children.