Nick Ulmer

About Nick Ulmer

I am an operations research professional and analytics leader with 20+ years of experience solving complex, high-stakes problems in defense, energy, supply chain, and logistics. My work sits at the intersection of rigorous quantitative methods — optimization, simulation, probabilistic modeling — and real organizational decisions that affect billions of dollars and thousands of people. My M.S. in Operations Research (Naval Postgraduate School, Outstanding Thesis Award) gave me the technical foundation. Twenty years in the Navy, including a tour as Director of Personnel Plans and Policy at the Bureau of Personnel and three years as OR faculty at NPS, gave me the leadership and communication skills to make that foundation useful at scale. Today I apply it as a Principal Analyst at CANA Advisors, leading optimization and simulation projects for DoD clients — and as President of the Military Operations Research Society, where I help shape the future of the profession. What I do well: I build models that actually get used. I translate rigorous analytical methods into decisions that non-technical stakeholders trust and act on. I lead technical teams end-to-end — from problem definition through deployment — and I develop the analysts around me while doing it. I hold the Certified Analytics Professional - Expert (CAP-X) credential through INFORMS and an active Secret clearance. I enjoy opportunities in decision science, applied OR, data science, strategy & operations analytics, or technical consulting — roles where analytical rigor, leadership, and the ability to communicate across technical and executive audiences are all required. Particularly interested in energy, supply chain, defense, and commercial analytics.

Experience

1. President

   Mors

   Jun 2025 — Present

   Led the board of directors in strategic initiatives to advance the national security analysis profession. • Collaborated closely with the MORS CEO to ensure organizational success and sustainability. • Advocated for innovative practices and policies that enhance the effectiveness of national security analysis.

Education

• Naval Postgraduate School

  Master of Science (MS), Operations Research

• University of Virginia Darden School of Business

  Business Resource Management Program (Executive Course)

• UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School

  Logistics & Technology Advanced Program

• U.S. Naval War College

  Joint Professional Military Education, In Resident Monterey, CA

• Missouri University of Science and Technology

  B.S., (1) Managment Systems and (2) Economics