Ed Anderson
Executive Vice President of Innovative Mission Solutions, Sigma Defense
Ed Anderson joined Sigma Defense as a vice president of strategy, focusing on enhancing the company’s initiatives within the Naval sector. Within two months, he was promoted to lead the SOLUTE Division, following a distinguished 32-year career in the U.S. Navy as a submariner and acquisition professional, which included three tours as a flag officer.
Transitioning to roles that demanded driving new business, generating sales revenue, and managing profit and loss responsibilities presented new challenges for him, but he was well-prepared. Over 20 years ago, he earned an MBA specifically to address these challenges and has since applied the skills from his Navy career to lead a highly successful division at Sigma Defense.
He is particularly proud of the division’s achievements over the past two years, which include over 25% growth year over year, single-digit attrition rates, and securing multiple large prime contracts, such as the Autonomy Baseline Manager within PEO USC/PMW 406. He attributes much of this success to the excellent executive and division leadership teams, as well as the brilliant individuals throughout the organization. However, he recognizes that positioning himself for this second career, requiring new skills and achieving quick success, is a personal accomplishment he holds in high regard.
“I try to live by the mantra, ‘No halos, no grudges’ every day,” Anderson said. “This is something I came up with during my strategic weapons officer tour on the USS OHIO. There were many talented leaders on OHIO, but I made clear that no one got a free pass for mistakes; we all must learn and be held accountable. At the same time, I was faced with a short-manned department with some sailors that didn’t have stellar reputations. We weren’t going to complete our tasking well without everyone contributing their absolute best. I leaned hard on my first-class petty officers and exhorted them to forget what those young kids didn’t do well and find what they could do well. We flipped the script and did exceptionally well on our end-of-patrol examination. Everyone has something tangible to bring to the fight; they just need to have the chance to win, and I continue to strive to follow this mantra in my current role.”
Why Watch
Anderson and his team are focused on several strategic priorities: delivering new software capabilities to their customers, expanding the CJADC2 ecosystem and growing the IMS business line. Sigma Defense is experiencing rapid growth, both organically and through acquisitions. Anderson is particularly focused on quickly integrating new capabilities and team members. He led the acquisition of Juno Technologies, a milestone he is proud of, especially since the integration was completed in less than two months. Juno Technologies brings significant program of record experience that complements Sigma’s existing strengths.
Furthermore, Anderson is excited about partnering with colleagues from the newly acquired EWA and delivering innovative solutions that leverage capabilities across Sigma Defense’s expanding portfolio. A prime example of this is their initiative to support the USG software development community by containerizing software, thereby speeding up the delivery of capabilities to warfighters. This strategic focus not only enhances Sigma’s service offerings but also strengthens its position in the defense sector.
Fun fact: Anderson surfaced a submarine at the North Pole over a dozen times.