ManTech CEO Kevin Phillips has been elected to serve as the company’s chairman of the board of directors, succeeding co-founder George Pedersen as he transitions to chairman emeritus.
Phillips has been president and CEO since January 2018. He’s been working with Pedersen over the past couple of years to establish a routine and vision for the business. In his added role, Phillips will continue to wrap up the company’s 2020 Strategic Plan developed three years ago, and roll out the company’s 2023 Strategic Plan in the coming days.
He’ll also work with the company’s presiding independent director, Barry Campbell, to ensure the board agenda and business approach is maintained, Phillips told WashingtonExec.
“That’s a very important part of our company in terms of that structure,” Phillips said. “We are going to be focused on continuing to grow this business and making it the best in industry.”
Phillips said he’s is excited to take the reins at the board level to continue to be a mission-focused company providing support to national and homeland security — critical customers for ManTech. Looking ahead, the company will also focus on the defense, intelligence and federal civilian sectors.
Phillips’ years of industry experience with ManTech have also provided him with a strong knowledge of the investment community, the industry and where federal customers are headed.
He joined the company in 2002 through ManTech’s acquisition of CTX Corp. Prior to becoming CEO, Phillips was president and chief operating officer from 2016-2018, chief financial officer from 2005-2016, and corporate vice president and assistant to the chairman and chief of staff.
Given how long Phillips and Pedersen have worked together in ManTech, Phillips’ transition to chairman was well-thought-out.
“For the past five decades, ManTech has been an important part of my life and it will always remain so,” Pedersen said. “It has been a pleasure for me to see the tremendous growth of ManTech since our humble beginnings in New Jersey as Management Technology, back in 1968, where we started with a single Navy contract to develop war-gaming models for the submarine community.”
And while Pedersen said it has been an honor to serve as executive chairman and chairman of the board, he believes it’s the right time to take a less active role.
“I look forward to continue serving the company as a member of the Board, and I have full confidence in Kevin and the leadership team to drive ManTech’s continued growth,” Pedersen added.
For Phillips, Pedersen has been and will continue to be a driving force behind ManTech’s success, calling him an “industry pioneer.”
“There are very few people who I’ve met who have the passion that he does for our industry, and for the customer sets that we support and for the mission sets that we support,” Phillips told WashingtonExec.
He added that Pedersen’s commitment to national security and his years of leadership have shaped ManTech into “a leading mission-focused national security company.”
“We thank George for his half a century of leadership and his continued contribution as a Board member, and look forward to working with him as we continue to create value for our customers, employees and shareholders,” Phillips said.