Stephen Sanford is a member of the Senior Executive Service and is GAO's Managing Director for Strategic Planning and External Liaison. He developed the first-ever AI accountability framework for the US federal government and is founder of GAO's AI Council.

He is a strategy and technology professional with more than two decades of service in the government and private sectors in the United States and Europe.

Stephen is currently responsible for strategic planning and foresight programs, international relations, and liaison with the domestic accountability community at the U.S. Government Accountability Office in Washington. He was the founding director of GAO's Center for Strategic Foresight and led GAO's first technology assessment on artificial intelligence for the U.S. Congress. He oversees development of GAO's quadrennial strategic plan for serving Congress and speaks frequently to U.S. and international audiences on how new technology and emerging trends will transform government, business, and society.

Stephen holds a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA with distinction from INSEAD.