Joseph Yakovac
Senior Counselor
jyakovac@cohengroup.net

Director, Army Acquisition Corps and Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (2003-2007)

Program Executive Officer, Ground Combat Systems (2000-2003)

Deputy for Systems Management and Horizontal Technology Integration (1998-2000)

Lieutenant General Joseph Yakovac joined The Cohen Group as a Senior Counselor in July 2008.

Lt. Gen. Yakovac retired from the United States Army in 2007, concluding 30 years of military service. His last assignment was Director of the Army Acquisition Corps and Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology. In those roles, Lt. Gen. Yakovac managed a dedicated team of military and civilian acquisition experts to make sure America’s soldiers received state-of-the-art critical systems and support across a full spectrum of Army operations. He also provided critical military insight to the Department of Defense senior civilian leadership on acquisition management, technological infrastructure development, and systems management.

Previously, Lt. Gen. Yakovac worked in systems acquisition, U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Command (TACOM), and in systems management and horizontal technology integration for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology. He has also served as executive officer and branch chief for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and as a brigade operations officer and battalion executive officer, U.S. Army Europe and U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Command (TACOM).

Lt. Gen. Yakovac was commissioned in the infantry upon his graduation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He served as a Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, and Company Commander in mechanized infantry units. He earned a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder before returning to West Point as an Assistant Professor.

Lt. Gen. Yakovac is a graduate of the Armor Officer Advanced Course, the Army Command and General Staff College, the Defense Systems Management College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He has earned the Expert Infantry Badge, the Ranger Tab, the Parachutist Badge, and for his service has received the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit three times and the Army Meritorious Service Medal seven times.