Washington D.C. | March 24, 2026 – The Asia Group (TAG) is pleased to announce the appointment of the Honorable Susanna V. Blume as senior advisor, based in Washington, D.C. Susanna brings deep expertise in budgeting, acquisitions, and strategy-driven resourcing plans from years serving in the Office of Secretary of Defense. Her appointment brings new breadth to TAG’s defense practice and will provide TAG clients with exceptional insights into U.S. national defense developments and their relevance to Indo-Pacific market opportunities.
Most recently, Blume served as the Department of Defense’s Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE), where she was highly involved in key defense planning, programming, budgeting, and acquisition decisions. Prior to that, she was a senior fellow and director of the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security.
“In this pivotal moment for global security, we are thrilled to welcome Susanna to the TAG defense team,” said Christopher Johnstone, Partner and Chair of TAG’s Defense and National Security Practice. “Her unparalleled experience and expertise in the U.S. defense acquisition and industrial ecosystem – including the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base – will bring enormous value to our clients, especially in understanding the nexus between U.S. defense developments and business opportunities in key Asian defense markets.”
For more information, please visit www.theasiagroup.com or contact Lauren Dueck media@theasiagroup.com.
About The Asia Group
The Asia Group is the premier strategic advisory firm to the world’s leading companies seeking to excel across the Indo-Pacific. With a team of dynamic professionals — from former senior government officials to sector-specific experts — The Asia Group supports companies with integrated strategies for market entry, expansion, and risk mitigation, helping them thrive in the world’s most complex and exciting business environments.