Matt Beran
Industry Lead, Global Defense & Intelligence
Appian
Matt Beran is a 1991 graduate of Regis Jesuit High School and a 1995 graduate (with honors) of the United States Naval Academy. Matt completed a Master's Degree in History at the University of Maryland (College Park) in December 1995, a J.D. Degree (with merit) at the University of San Diego School of Law in May 2002, and was an Honor Graduate of the Fifty-Eighth Graduate Course at the Army JAG School in Charlottesville, Virginia, earning his LL.M. in Military Law (International/Operational Law Specialty) in May 2010.
He reported to USS COLE (DDG 67) homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, and served as Repair Division Officer and Auxiliaries Officer from August 1996 to August 1998. Matt qualified as Officer of the Deck (OOD) and as a Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) and earned his Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW) letter while completing COLE's maiden deployment to the Arabian Sea in 1998. He then reported to USS TYPHOON (PC 5), homeported in Little Creek, Virginia, and served as Weapons Officer, Supply Officer, and First Lieutenant.
Matt completed the Basic Lawyer Course at Naval Justice School and was the Top Graduate of 2002. He reported to Port Hueneme, California as Branch Head, Trial Service Office West Branch Office Ventura County, and served as trial counsel and command services attorney from December 2002 to May 2005. He also served as Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) to Commander, THIRTY-FIRST Seabee Readiness Group.
He then assumed duties as SJA to Commander, U.S. Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and on 1 July 2006, he became a plank owner by assuming duties as the Officer-in-Charge, Region Legal Service Office Southeast, Detachment Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Matt was then selected for assignment as Division Director for OJAG, Code 60 (NLSC Flag Secretary/Executive Administration) and Code 62 (Reserve and Retired Programs Manager) and to concurrently serve as the Executive Assistant/Flag Aide to the Deputy Judge Advocate General (Reserve Affairs & Operations) from May 2007 to May 2008.
Matt then reported as SJA to Commander, Carrier Strike Group EIGHT, Norfolk, Virginia. Matt deployed in February 2009 with IKESTRKGRU to the C6F (Mediterranean Sea) and C5F (Arabian Gulf) AORs in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. He also served as legal advisor to CTF-152 while IKESTRKGRU was on station. Following graduate school, Matt reported to the Office of the Legal Counsel, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany, in July 2010, and served as an International Law Attorney (July to December 2010); Chief, Administrative and Civil Law and Chief, Military Justice (January 2011 to June 2012); and as an Operational Law Attorney (July 2012 to June 2013).
Matt then served as Executive Officer/Deputy Commander, Region Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic (RLSO MIDLANT) from June 2013 to July 2015, was the plank-owning Deputy Director of Knowledge Management (KM) at OJAG HQ in Washington, DC, from July 2015 to July 2017, and completed his Navy career by serving as Director, Code 67 (Technology, Operations & Plans) for six years, from July 2017 through July 2023.
CAPT Beran was awarded the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (3 awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (4 awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (4 awards) and various unit and campaign awards.
Following retirement from active duty, Matt became a contractor supporting the Department of Defense’s role on the Committee for Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), from July 2023 through April 2024, before joining Appian as its Industry Leader, Global Defense and Intelligence Programs on 8 April 2024.
He is married to the former Krista Marie Nowell. They have one son, Christopher, and one dog, Skye.
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