Serving the Defense Department requires knowing the agency’s mission, providing secure innovative solutions and being a trusted, strategic partner for the nation’s top line of defense. For WashingtonExec’s inaugural Top 10 DOD Executives to Watch in 2019 list, we identified the best of the best, based not only on their accomplishments but on their impact on the defense community and their vision for the near-term future. These leaders, some having served the country themselves, bring the experience, knowledge, and expertise the Pentagon needs to stay on the cutting edge.
Retired Lt. Gen. William Bender, Strategic Account Executive, Leidos
After retiring from the U.S. Air Force following a 34-year career there, William Bender joined Leidos in September 2017. Now tasked with overseeing and managing the Strategic Account Executives, a group of customer-facing senior-level former government officials, Bender aims to bolster customer relationships and advance strategic initiatives to foster organic growth.
In his first year at Leidos, Bender worked across the company’s four business groups to develop and implement a team-of-teams approach that led to increased collaboration between the business development and operations leads, technology developers, scientists, engineers, and in-house IT operations.
With a history dating back 50 years, Leidos has leveraged its deep experience across the entire federal government. Science and engineering remains at the heart of the solutions the company brings to agencies’ IT modernization and business transformation efforts.
Case in point: the Leidos Innovation Center serves as a robust partner to the most prolific R&D organizations within government and as a tech and innovation incubator and collaboration arm across four Leidos business groups for capabilities such as DevSecOps, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.
“As a large systems integrator, Leidos brings an extensive strategic partner and supplier network to every problem having adopted a vendor-agnostic, open architecture and best-of-breed approach and mindset to every government proposal,” Bender said.
Why Watch:
One of Leidos’ primary focus areas for 2019 focuses is to continue driving strategic partnerships with developers and providers of best-in-class capabilities. Bender will oversee efforts to further enhance customer relations with key influencers and decision-makers, cascading out to field locations supporting various large customers.
“I hope to drive increased coordination and collaboration within Leidos and across an extensive network of partners and suppliers and, finally, to create the conditions for advancing innovation in those areas where Leidos technologies and solutions align well to customer needs, wants, challenges and opportunities,” he said.
Jeff Bohling, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Defense Group, Perspecta
Last year, Jeff Bohling’s biggest achievement was the creation of Perspecta’s Defense Group. As the new company was being established last June, executives had to merge complex organizations and cultures while continuing to deliver to customers and grow the business.
“There were a lot of moving parts, and I’m proud of how we’ve come together in such a short period of time, with an unwavering common commitment to the Department of Defense customer and mission,” he said.
Perspecta stands apart from the competition in large part because of its innovative solutions that support the Defense Department mission, Bohling said. The company brings applied research and innovation from Perspecta Labs and incorporates it into defense customers’ operational missions. The labs develops cutting-edge technology and innovative projects for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, “so to be able to take that research and apply it directly to a boots-on-the-ground mission allows us to offer something very unique to the customer,” Bohling said.
Recently, Perspecta has gained more traction in the cybersecurity arena. Through advanced intellectual property and by working together with Perspecta Labs, the company has been able to gain an edge on its competition and win new business, Bohling said.
Why Watch:
Perspecta has several focus areas this year, but for Bohling, the Pentagon’s plans to stand up a new Space Force brings the most excitement. “This will cause a tremendous amount of change and advancement in the space arena, which is an area we have a great deal of expertise and experience,” he said. “We’re more than ready to bring our knowledge and subject matter expertise to that mission.”
Jennifer Chronis, General Manager, DOD, Amazon Web Services
Jennifer Chronis joined Amazon Web Services in 2016 after 15 years in the federal IT industry, and two decades of combined active and Reserve duty in the U.S. Army as a logistics officer. Under her leadership role at Amazon, Defense Department customers are accelerating their journey to the cloud.
In 2018, DOD moved meaningful enterprise and mission applications to AWS. Chronis and her team help the Navy, Army, Defense Logistics Agency and U.S. Transportation Command migrate mission workloads to AWS GovCloud, delivering cost savings and improved agility. AWS continues to support customers of all missions and sizes across DOD including Special Operations Command, Air Force Space Command and Army Cyber Command.
With a focus on customers, a culture of innovation and an orientation toward long-term results, Chronis says it’s always “Day One” in terms of helping customers enhance mission success and realize increased agility with AWS.
Why Watch:
With over 165 distinct infrastructure services, AWS enables customers to deploy any application without having to build or buy hardware, data centers, or expensive fixed-cost infrastructure software. In 2019, Chronis said she’s excited for DOD customers to continue achieving warfighting benefits from the cloud. She expects customers to leverage machine learning and artificial intelligence affordably and at scale on AWS, increase their use of cloud at the tactical edge and continue to use VMware Cloud on AWS to seamlessly migrate and extend their on-premises environments to cloud.
AWS will also roll out new services such AWS Ground Station — a fully-managed service for customers to control satellite communications — and AWS Outposts, which bring native AWS services, infrastructure and operating models to virtually any data center, co-location space or on-premises facility.
Karen Dahut, Global Defense Group Lead, Booz Allen Hamilton
Booz Allen Hamilton achieved record growth last year as it continued to serve the Defense Department, military services and leading defense agencies. Its business has shifted even deeper into fields such as technology, engineering, cyber and mission-essential areas. The company is developing cutting-edge solutions with artificial intelligence, cyber and immersive experience to help its clients modernize their forces and empower U.S. warfighters.
“Of course, our people are the reason we are successful,” Dahut said. “As a U.S. Navy veteran, I’m especially proud that our firm was once again named a ‘Best for Vets’ workplace by Military Times.”
As a technology translator, the company bridges the gap between traditional manufacturers that build static or stove-piped platforms and more timble technology companies with little understanding of mission, security and operational requirements, Dahut said.
“It’s a unique position to occupy in the defense space, and our ability to bridge that gap makes us a critical partner in helping our clients innovate across all the warfighting domains,” she added.
Booz Allen teams are working at the tactical edge, developing and implementing immersive training using virtual and augmented reality so warfighters can experience real-world operational conditions, environments and scenarios to prepare them to face real threats. Cyber solutions, both offensive and defensive, continue to be critical to the DOD mission and Booz Allen is working to address the full spectrum of emerging threats.
Why Watch:
Dahut said Booz Allen is finding new ways to support its clients on their innovation journey, especially accelerating technology insertion and adoption in national defense missions.
“On a continuum of support from acquisition program management to strategic consulting and technology transformation to architecture, engineering and solutions, we are driving closer to the center where we can provide the most value,” she said.
Nick V. Farah, Executive Vice President, Mission Solutions and Services, CACI
Nick Farah leads teams of highly diversified acquisition, engineering, scientific, technical and security professionals delivering innovative command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance applications and logistics to the Defense Department and the intelligence community.
The company’s Mission Solutions and Services group focuses on providing solutions and services in its command and control, communications, logistics and material readiness, and surveillance and reconnaissance market areas. Before joining CACI, Farah served as corporate vice president of international business development strategy for L-3, which he joined in 1989 as a chief engineer.
Why Watch:
“Our position as a leading integrator of services and solutions provides a great foundation for organic growth,” Farah said. “In 2019, we’ll build on this foundation to provide transformative solutions for our customers.”
CACI engineers and scientists, including those employed within Farah’s market areas, are working at the edge of technology. Solutions leveraging virtual reality and augmented reality help enhance operators and maintaining user experience, from initial training to the operational environment. The use of advanced automation in management, logistics support and mission systems also increases CACI customers’ mission effectiveness and reduces lifecycle costs. CACI engineers and scientists are using advanced communications technologies to provide decisive advantages in command and control, intelligence and electronic warfare.
“Innovation is ingrained in CACI’s culture,” Farah said. “Our company fields new capabilities more quickly than ever. Model-driven development and integration and our industry-leading approach to agile development assure we meet what our customers need and expect, quickly and less expensively. RMF Eagle, our process for assuring systems are safe from cyber threats, can accelerate fielding by months.”
Farah added, “It’s that commitment that has made CACI an industry leader in electronic warfare, cybersecurity and agile software development.”
Frank Helmick, Senior Vice President, Mission Solutions Group, SOS International
Frank Helmick’s Mission Solutions Group has been providing logistics and life support services in Iraq since 2012. His team continues to embody the SOSi tagline “challenge accepted” ensuring SOSi clients — which include the U.S. military, U.S. government contractors, NATO forces as well as non-NATO countries — receive exceptional quality of services while on mission.
SOSi continued uninterrupted execution of its current base life support contract at Camp Taji, Iraq, in 2018, supporting more than 2,800 U.S., Coalition, NATO forces and Foreign Military Sales clients working Operation Inherent Resolve. Helmick’s team provides over 50 different capabilities including medical and emergency services, prime power, bulk fuel, internet/IT communications, site security, lodging, office space, laundry services and food/DEFAC, allowing its customers to conduct and provide aid to the ongoing stability operations in Iraq and Syria.
In addition, last year SOSi made more than $2 million in infrastructure improvements to Iraqi government property. This includes the construction of new housing units, administrative space, range facilities, underground fiber optic cabling, and general site improvements such as road construction and flood mitigation.
As for career and leadership, Helmick participated in the WashingtonExec Transition Forum, where he shared lessons learned on his transition from serving in the military for 37 years to the private sector. Throughout 2018, he spoke on various industry panels and represented SOSi at a variety of AUSA events.
Why Watch:
SOSi’s Mission Solutions Group is emerging as the newest, most agile competitor in the overseas contingency operations market. Its focus is on expanding its international portfolio supporting Foreign Military Sales and direct commercial sales with friendly allied nations. SOSi has grown both organically and inorganically over the past several years, more than doubling the size of the business as it continues to move forward. SOSi’s Mission Solutions Group is focused on integrating SOSi’s new capabilities — including cyber, software and IT — into its business group’s core capabilities to provide a more robust solution to SOSi’s U.S. government and international clients.
Jack Johnson, partner, Guidehouse
Under the Veritas Capital portfolio, Guidehouse is supporting the Pentagon’s key weapon systems as well as transformation initiatives and business and personnel challenges across all of the military services. That includes helping improve overall readiness, illuminate the supply chain for critical weapon system and provide best-in-class financial management support.
Guidehouse consultants work side-by-side with their customers to solve their most complex problems, while building enduring capabilities that enable clients to establish sustainable programs. Its consultants include a deep bench of retired military and government professionals who understand their clients’ constraints in-depth, and know best how to enact business process and culture change to achieve long-term transformation.
In addition to pioneering uses of many emerging technologies — such as Robotic Process Automation, artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing — Guidehouse touts its ability to apply these innovations to client needs to become more effective operationally, cut costs and advance overall mission needs.
Why Watch:
The Pentagon continues to seek out Guidehouse as a leader in helping resolve some of its most pressing challenges. In particular, these hurdles relate to improving readiness of U.S. fighting forces, current weapon systems, a streamlined acquisition process for weapon systems, achieving financial statement auditability, modernizing legacy business systems, and leveraging improved business processes.
Guidehouse isn’t just committed to staying at the leading edge of technology, analytics and business solutions, but it continues to grow its capabilities, solutions and teaming relationships now that it’s unencumbered from its IPA status, Johnson said.
“We want to ensure the continued success for our government customers, while we bring innovative and realistic solutions to drive change and create value for mission success,” he said. “We will also continue to invest in our people, and their careers, through training, advanced education, exposure to evolving technology and other career development activities.”
Retired Lt. Gen. Mary Legere, Managing Director, Accenture Federal Services
With her 34 years of experience as an innovative intelligence leader, retired Lt. Gen. Mary Legere is helping defense and cyber organizations accelerate their journey to digital and, ultimately, achieve greater mission success.
Since joining Accenture Federal Services in October 2016, Legere has worked to connect AFS’ capabilities in cloud, artificial intelligence, cyber and transformative platforms with the power of over 9,000 federally focused professionals and Accenture’s deep commercial expertise — all to help to lead clients “into the new.”
“As the pace of technological change continues to accelerate, the desire of U.S. defense and intelligence organizations to embrace new technologies is increasingly urgent,” Legere said. “AFS’ technologists, designers and solutions architects help our clients understand best practice, and to imagine, design and set the course for meaningful transformation. I am thrilled to be part of a team that is delivering proven innovation quickly and at scale to our defense and intelligence clients.”
Why Watch:
The drive to cloud, AI and improved cyber defense is of increasing importance across U.S. federal and defense organizations. Legere’s depth of defense and intelligence expertise combined with Accenture’s global leadership in cloud and digital will allow AFS to continue to bring the very best of proven commercial innovation, technology and creativity to its expanding list of clients.
Legere guides teams to draw leading insights and approaches from Accenture’s partnerships (including 14 leading universities, 10 venture capital firms and 20 accelerator programs) and team with powerful platform alignments (including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, ServiceNow and Salesforce) to help defense and intelligence clients to accelerate change and drive mission success.
.
Todd Probert, Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services
The world of U.S. defense acquisition is changing. To stay ahead in a hypercompetitive world, the Defense Department is embracing new models to deploy capabilities fast — commercial software development processes aided by automation, fully open architectures, artificial intelligence and machine learning assistance, and built in cyber-resiliency.
As vice president for mission support and modernization at Raytheon’s Intelligence, Information and Services business, Todd Probert is responsible for developing and integrating these new models into military platforms, sensors and command and control systems. And he’s spearheaded how the business meets DOD’s changing needs by bringing Silicon Valley-style development models, like DevOps, to the military.
He’s done this by partnering with leaders in the commercial software industry to bring the best technologies to his customers. In 2018, Probert formalized and expanded a partnership with Silicon Valley software development company Pivotal, allowing Raytheon IIS to more rapidly develop software capabilities for military customers.
This partnership is already producing tremendous results for his customers. By partnering with Pivotal and the U.S. Air Force, Raytheon IIS is able to rapidly develop and integrate new planning applications into the Air and Space Operations Centers in as little as 120 days. For the U.S. Army, Raytheon is using similar methods to quickly develop new software for mission equipment used by Army aviators.
Raytheon IIS is also starting to invest heavily in AI and machine learning, partnering with industry leaders to start integrating AI capabilities into new and existing programs.
Probert leads over 7,000 employees at more than 40 major locations around the world.
James Scanlon, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Defense Systems, SAIC
Although SAIC had a number of major accomplishments last year, its prototyping work on the Army’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle program stands out. The company is helping to design the next systems to exceed the Army’s current lethality and survivability requirements, but also include future technologies — like autonomous operations and robotics — and be lighter and more fuel efficient.
Other notable 2019 accomplishments include securing the Tire Successor Initiative contract with the Defense Logistics Agency. The company also continued its work with Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, on Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance vehicle integration work as well as on the Mark 48 heavy torpedoes.
“We’re a technology integrator; we don’t make major end items, but we make them better,” said James Scanlon, SAIC’s executive vice president and general manager of Defense Systems. “We use market-leading engineering expertise matched with mission understanding and when applicable the best commercial technologies to modify, design, integrate and adapt systems and weapons to meet the needs of Warfighters as they rapidly shift to meet new threats.”
Why Watch:
Expect SAIC to continue leveraging technologies to advance Defense Department missions — while wholeheartedly embracing innovation in all its approaches.
“We are going to ‘break the mold’ in terms of what DOD has as options among product vendors with vertically integrated models of delivery and support,” Scanlon said. “There isn’t anyone quite like SAIC in the marketplace. We are challenging the current paradigm and pursuing an increased presence across DOD to ‘buy us as a service’ to rapidly prototype and develop new systems, as well as improve/extend/upgrade legacy systems in this era of modernization.”
