Derrick Pledger, chief information officer at Leidos, has been appointed chair of the WashingtonExec CIO Council for 2023-2024.
As CIO, Pledger is focused on leveraging technology and innovation to optimize Leidos process, operations and mission outcomes to support its defense, intelligence, ciivil, health and Dynetics portfolios.
He’s also part of the Leidos Office of Technology leadership team, working with other tech leaders to develop and deploy innovative technologies and mission solutions for customers.
Before taking on the role of CIO, Pledger was the director of digital modernization for Leidos. His team contributed to over $40 billion in contract wins from 2019-2022. He’s also a U.S. Army veteran, having served multiple tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa.
Below, Pledger shares more about his experience and perspective he brings to the CIO Council, what he hopes to accomplish as chair, plans in the works and more.
Based on your extensive experience, what are some of the focus areas/hot topics you want to discuss with the council this year?
There are three main focus areas I’d like to bring to the council this year. The first is disruptive technologies such as ChatGPT. With technology moving at warp speed, I’d like to discuss how the GovCon business can keep up and put the newest technologies into use.
The second is cybersecurity and resilience. Cyber threats are becoming both more frequent and more sophisticated. I’m of the belief that we need an “all hands on deck” industry approach to protect the United States’ national security.
Third is software. Software is everywhere and in everything. The challenge is how to secure the software supply chain to ensure that the software isn’t compromised.
How will your personal and career experience and expertise within the CIO community help lead the council in discussions on trending IT-related topics?
I bring a different perspective to the CIO role with my experience in the U.S. Army and the last 15 years supporting DOD and IC customers. Delivering IT is not a back-office function anymore ⏤ if it ever was. The role of the CIO has changed and we are now expected to be both strategic and tactical. Our job is to deliver value and mission outcomes for our enterprises.
What does it mean for you to be chairperson of this council?
For me, being the chairperson is about service across multiple dimensions. I want to engage with council members on relevant topics across the group such that we can make our companies more resilient in the face of adversity and challenging times.
Being a “bridge-builder” and making connections is really important. The idea is that we create a dynamic where we are all one phone, text, or email away from solutioning a complex problem across our group.
Do you feel there is great value in connecting industry executives with government officials to discuss topics facing the CIO community? If so, why?
There are challenges that are ubiquitous across the GovCon community. These include rising geopolitical threats in Russia and China, the war for talent and upskilling our workforces, and dealing with the rapid evolution of technology. Making connections between industry and government is critical to the coalitions necessary to defend the country within the era of “Great Power Competition.” This is part of what drives the need for Joint All Domain Command and Control.
Do you have any unique plans yet for the council?
We all work hard across the GovCon industry, so I would like to introduce some family fun into the mix. Oftentimes, we spend more time at work than with our families so it would be nice to create opportunities where we can share downtime or familial activities as a group.
What do you hope to accomplish as chair of this council, and what do you hope council members get out of your leadership?
My goal is to raise the overall specter of the CIO role across GovCon. We have some very capable leaders across the council, and many CIOs are now going on to be CEOs of large corporations also. The role is very different from five years or even three years ago. Environments are becoming more complex with new offerings (on premise, cloud, as-as-service). CIOs also have a mandate to drive efficiencies and desirable customer/digital experiences.
I would like the council to recognize that I will be an advocate for each and every one of them in the space, as well as a resource they can call on to connect with to drive solutions to complex problems no matter what they are.