As Acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Sean Mildrew oversees an annual budget exceeding $4 billion and serves as the principal advisor to the USPTO Director and Deputy Director in supporting and improving the accounting, budgeting, planning, and organizational performance systems of the USPTO. Mr. Mildrew’s responsibilities include managing the fiscal operations of the USPTO and providing leadership in areas defined by the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 and other legislation designed to improve integrity in federal financial management.
Mr. Mildrew joined the USPTO as Deputy CFO in January 2018. Before then, he was the Acting CFO/Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Finance in the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) providing leadership in financial management operations, audits, and strategy, as well as formulating and executing CBP’s $13 billion budget and directing the collection of $46 billion in fees. Mr. Mildrew also served as CBP’s Chief Accountability Officer, where he championed the enterprise-wide strategic management and resource decision-making framework. Mr. Mildrew joined DHS/CBP in 2012 as the Executive Director for Budget.
Mr. Mildrew also held several leadership positions within the General Services Administration (GSA), including serving as Assistant Commissioner for Budget and Financial Management of its $9 billion Public Buildings Service (PBS). Mr. Mildrew also served as the Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Organizational Resources, responsible for PBS headquarters operations. He earned the agency’s Meritorious Service Award in 2002.
Mr. Mildrew received his Bachelor of Arts from The Catholic University of America. He holds Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees from The George Washington University and Johns Hopkins University respectively. He also completed the Senior Managers in Government program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.