Brett Lambert Announced as Executive Chairman of Vault

WASHINGTON, D.C. - VaultCo LLC, the public-private partnership implementing Project Vault, today announced Brett Lambert as its Executive Chairman. One of the nation's foremost experts on industrial base and supply-chain security, Lambert has spent more than four decades working at the intersection of national security, defense, and industrial policy.

"Brett Lambert's appointment is a defining moment for Project Vault," said EXIM Chairman and President John Jovanovic. "Brett brings decades of experience at the intersection of national security, industrial policy, and supply-chain resilience. Under his leadership, Vault is positioned to help strengthen America's industrial base, support domestic production of critical materials, and give manufacturers greater confidence that the resources they need will be available when they need them. This is exactly the kind of long-term, market-driven solution required to enhance American economic security and competitiveness."

"It is an honor to lead this important national security effort," said Vault Executive Chairman Brett B. Lambert. "America's manufacturers can't build our future on uncertain and unreliable supply chains. Vault exists to change that by giving U.S. industry a demand-driven, market-based tool to secure the critical minerals our economy and national security depend on to correct this market failure."

Brett Lambert is Managing Director of The Densmore Group, a national security and intelligence consultancy specializing in strategy, transactions, and government compliance. A recognized leader on industrial base and supply chain security issues, he recently co-chaired the Defense Science Board's 2025 study on the 21st Century Industrial Base for National Security. Mr. Lambert previously served as Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Northrop Grumman and, from 2009 to 2013, as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy, where he oversaw matters related to critical supply chains, industrial capacity, and the Defense Production Act. During his public service, he received both the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service-the Department's highest honor for a non-career civilian. With four decades of experience spanning the defense, intelligence, and national security sectors, Mr. Lambert currently serves on several corporate and nonprofit boards and is Chairman of the Board of the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute.

This February, the EXIM Board of Directors approved a Direct Loan of up to $10 billion for Project Vault, more than double the largest financing in EXIM's history, designed to shield domestic manufacturers from supply shocks, expand U.S. production and processing of critical raw materials, and fundamentally strengthen America's critical minerals sector.

Project Vault's uniquely American structure is built to deliver a net positive return for U.S. taxpayers, even as it gives manufacturers nationwide stable access to raw materials through periods of market disruption. The initiative also advances President Trump's National Security Strategy and longstanding U.S. economic and national-security objectives: reducing dependence on foreign-controlled supply chains, strengthening the domestic industrial base, and securing the materials upon which advanced manufacturing and critical technologies rely.

ABOUT EXIM:

As the United States government's official export credit agency, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) supports American jobs by facilitating U.S. exports. As an independent agency, EXIM plays a critical role in supporting economic growth, securing critical supply chains, and ensuring American businesses are given a fighting chance. To achieve this mission, EXIM offers financing including export credit insurance, working capital guarantees, loan guarantees, and direct loans. Learn more at https://www.exim.gov.

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