Derrick Pledger
CIO, Leidos
Derrick Pledger’s biggest recent achievement was spearheading the deployment of a groundbreaking conversational AI Chatbot named “Iris” within Leidos in collaboration with the company’s strategic partner, Moveworks.
This innovative capability, fueled by generative AI, has significantly transformed the digital experience for Leidos employees by enabling faster outcomes, resolving issues efficiently and enhancing customer service.
“Looking ahead, our goal is to extend this impactful capability to deliver cutting-edge solutions to our federal and commercial customers,” Pledger said.
Why Watch
In 2023, Pledger’s team is heavily focused on attacking technical debt and implementing cutting-edge technology to drive more efficient operations and provide enhanced support to the company’s diverse business lines.
“Our organization goes beyond being a mere back-office function,” Pledger said. “We are dedicated to actively contributing to revenue growth and improved margins in collaboration with our lines of business. This involves ensuring our partners have the technical and operational capabilities necessary to achieve mission outcomes on behalf of our customers.”
The pace of technology evolution and disruptions caused by sophisticated cyber threats continues to rapidly increase, he added.
“At Leidos, we are on a journey to build an industry-leading digital ecosystem that will help us quickly adapt to change and deliver data-driven decisions to accelerate superior business outcomes,” Pledger said.