A Shared Commitment to Operational Excellence

Ed Anderson, right, discusses a machine component with George Laity, left, and Mark Davis during a tour of Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory in March 2025.

From INL to LANL: A Career Built on Safety and Trust

At Battelle, operational excellence is more than a goal- it's a shared responsibility across the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories. Few leaders embody that commitment more than Ed Anderson, Executive Officer for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Operations. With over 40 years in DOE operations, Ed Anderson’s leadership at LANL reflects Battelle’s people-first approach to safety, trust, and mission execution. 

Before Joining Los Alamos National Lab, Ed Anderson played a pivotal role at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), where Battelle is part of the management team. As deputy Director of Facilities and Site Services, Ed helped lead INL to one of its safest years on record, achieving a 60% reduction in incidents in 2017. He also collaborated with Battelle to embed the Eight Principles of Safe Conduct of Research into INL’s daily operations, helping ensure safety was not just a policy but a lived value.  

Building Leaders for Safe Lab Operations 

For years, Ed Anderson has helped shape leadership development across its national labs. He is an active leader in the Laboratory operations Supervisory Academy (LOSA), a hands-on program where supervisors face real world scenarios and receive peer feedback from other Battelle-affiliated labs. 

At LANL, Ed helped expand this effort through LOSA Grads, an advanced workshop designed to strengthen the skills of nearly 400 frontline leaders across national labs 

“Supervisors are the guardians of safety for our work teams,” Ed said. “Investments in their development is critical to improving performance and safety.” 

Ed is also involved in Laboratory Operations Management Academy (LOMA), a LANL- developed extension of LOSA designed for higher-level managers. His continued support of leadership development extends to the Laboratory Operations Leadership Academy (LOLA) for senior leaders across the DOE lab system.  

“I’ve supported LOLA as a mentor,” Ed shared, “and it's been one of the most valuable learning experiences of my career.” 

Ed Anderson en route to the top of Denali in Alaska, June 2018. (Courtesy photo.) 

Leading by Example, Empowering Through Trust 

Throughout his career, Ed Anderson’s leadership style which is rooted in empowerment, trust, and accountability has strengthened Battelle's mission across the DOE complex. One of his most effective strategies: identifying the most vocal team members, co-creating solutions with them, and empowering them to lead change. 

“After just two years as COO at INL,” Ed recalled, “we had the best safety statistics the lab had ever seen in Facilities and Operations.” 

While Chief Operating Officer of Facilities and Operations, Ed continued to lead with integrity and vision. Now as Executive Officer for LANL Operations, he brings a people-first approach to some of the most complex operational challenges in the national lab system. 

“I firmly believe that people perform at their highest potential when they feel trusted, supported and safe,” he said. “Thats why I lead by example- and do the right thing, especially when it's hard.” 

Los Alamo’s Ed Anderson is a powerful example of how operational excellence goes beyond systems and metrics. It’s about people, purpose, and doing things the right way every day.  

At Battelle, we’re proud to partner with leaders like Ed, whose work at Los Alamos National Lab continues to drive a safer, stronger and more resilient future for science and innovation. 

Learn more about Ed’s career and dedication to safety and operational excellence on the LANL website at  https://www.lanl.gov/media/our-people/ed-anderson