What’s coming next? The key government contracting leaders aren’t just asking the question, they’re shaping the conversation. In WashingtonExec’s inaugural list of Top 30 Executives to Watch, we turn the spotlight on industry leaders who are positioning their companies for greater growth and relevance ahead. Selected by industry colleagues, these leaders hail from a diverse range of companies, where they’re fueling new ways of thinking and responding to the many challenges faced by their government customers. From cybersecurity to national defense, healthcare IT to big data, the needs will only grow as we settle into this Presidential election year and beyond. Throughout this alphabetized list, we’re placing our bets that these industry leaders will continue to drive value and exceed expectations across all levels of government.
Top 30 Execs to Watch Spotlight:
He’s not your typical CEO. Long before he assumed the helm as CEO of the newly created, largest pure play IT services provider to the U.S. government, CSRA, Larry Prior was a Marine Corps intelligence officer and Russian FAO. He authored a national intelligence estimate on Soviet naval strategy that changed our view of their strategy in Europe, the Arctic and the importance of their SSBN’s. Prior’s insights contributed to the net assessment “Discriminate Deterrence” and he was one of the many thought leaders that contributed ideas in prelude to the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
That ability to offer new perspectives is what industry veterans are betting on, as Prior takes on his newest role. In late November 2015, Prior was tapped as CEO of CSRA, after the newly-formed $5.5 billion government IT company spun-off from Computer Sciences Corp., and completed a planned business combination with SRA International.
Now that CSRA is forging ahead as an independent public company on the New York Stock Exchange, with approximately 19,000 employees, Prior is busy adding members to the organization’s executive team, including Leigh Palmer, formerly of BAE Systems’ intelligence and security business, and Christian Marrone, who previously served as chief of staff in the Department of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, CSRA’s board of directors has grown to include former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy.
Reason to watch: Throughout, Prior aims to keep a singular focus on the delivery of next-gen IT to the government, with a focus on driving value to shareholders.
Read the full top 30 list on WashingtonExec.com.
