Rick Wagner

CEO, Agile Defense

Rick Wagner said his biggest recent achievement was accepting the opportunity to lead Agile Defense. The company is experiencing tremendous growth and is making an incredible impact on critical missions across the U.S. government, he said.

Since joining the team in October 2023, the company won its largest contract to date supporting the Defense Information Systems Agency’s Testing, Evaluation and Certification II contract. Agile Defense also finalized its first acquisition and welcomed over 150 cyber experts to the team, which expanded its opportunities to support federal civilian customers. Wagner said he was grateful for this opportunity to support these impressive efforts.

“Luck is where preparation meets opportunity!” he said. “I have always believed in building a strong base of the fundamentals of anything that you do and then to build upon that base growing key skills that take you to next level. It is the secret to success.”

Why Watch

In 2024, Wagner and his team are focused on evolving their capabilities and developing innovative solutions to meet customer needs more effectively. The company boasts talented staff eager to innovate and tackle difficult challenges. Having delivered excellence for 25 years, they take great pride in their work. But with advancing technologies and a shifting threat landscape, they acknowledge the importance of enhancing their offerings to support their customers’ mission success.

Fun fact: While he was getting his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering at Pitt, Wagner also served as the captain of the Pitt Rugby team. “Rugby is a unique and humbling sport in which one cannot succeed alone,” he said. “I learned a lot about myself and the value of teamwork during that time.”