Paul Lekas

Paul Lekas is a thought leader and advocate with over two decades of experience advising leaders and organizations in government and the private sector on technology policy, national security, and other areas. Currently, Paul leads public policy and government affairs efforts on behalf of the SIIA’s over 375 members. He is responsible for overall strategy, policy development, and government engagement in the United States and internationally on issues including artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, data protection and privacy, internet regulation, competition and innovation, intellectual property, cross-border data flows, and education technology. Previously, Paul served in senior legal and policy positions in the U.S. government, including as Deputy General Counsel at the Department of Defense and with the National Security Commission on AI and the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service. He was a lawyer in private practice for over a decade, handling high-stakes investigations and litigation. Paul serves on advisory panels and task forces with the OECD, the EdSAFE AI Alliance, TeachAI, the CivXNow Coalition, Future of Privacy Forum, R Street Institute, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and more. He is a regular speaker at major conferences on a range of technology issues and has been featured in the New York Times, Politico, Axios, and many other publications. Paul received his A.B. and J.D. degrees from Harvard University.