Leigh Palmer, Senior Vice President, Defense, GDIT
Leigh Palmer leads the delivery of mission critical services and solutions to the Defense Department and other government customers, taking the helm of the Defense Division following the merger of General Dynamics and CSRA.
As part of the integration, Palmer developed a strategy for the organization predicated on agile operations and a culture of innovation, resulting in GDIT’s acceleration of enhanced offerings in cloud, mobility and artificial intelligence to DOD.
Her team focused on driving the market in three technology areas: cloud services as envisioned by the Pentagon’s chief information officer’s cloud strategy; pivoting toward as-a-service models across the industry wherever feasible; and reimagining acquisition through a focus on Other Transactional Authorities.
The current pandemic has also increased awareness of the importance of being able to work wherever, whenever, so GDIT’s Defense Division has implemented innovations that enable classified remote telework for its customers. While this technology isn’t entirely new, Palmer said the scale of the need surpassed anything previously operationalized.
“Our response to this unprecedented situation is a testament to our teams and another example of the organizational agility of GDIT and our ability to respond to changing mission needs,” she said.
Why Watch:
Palmer’s focus area for 2020 has evolved based on the emerging world situation and impact of the global pandemic.
“Customers need our solutions more than ever, and we are working to accelerate technology solutions for mobility, security and artificial intelligence,” Palmer said. “Getting capability to mission quickly is essential in a time of crisis.”
Equally important is motivating GDIT’s workforce, and ensuring leaders are available, present and proactively engaging with their teams during this challenging time.