The finalists for WashingtonExec’s 2024 Pinnacle Awards were announced Sept. 20, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person Nov. 21.
Next is Alex Gross, senior vice president & chief strategist for defense and intelligence at Parsons Corp., and finalist in the Space Executive of the Year, Public Company, category. Here, he talks about recent achievements, primary focus areas going forward and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2024?
I am so proud and so humbled to be a small contributor to an amazing team here at Parsons. Let me tell you a little about our superstars: our people are delivering disruptive new ground systems for Missile Warning/Missile Tracking. We launched the first-of-its-kind TraCCS v1.0 for the Office of Space Commerce, to provide autonomous safety alerts for space traffic. We’re augmenting GPS with new, more resilient signals. We’re delivering new multi-domain capabilities to INDOPACOM. We’re pioneering over-the-horizon kill webs. We’re enhancing the security of national security space systems. Our people are making a lasting impact, and it’s truly an honor to help our team every day.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the mission?
People first. When we make our number one priority supporting our people and their families, our teams move mountains to deliver for the mission.
Our most critical mission is to deter and defeat near-peer and peer threats.
Our team’s shared focus is continuing to develop and integrate disruptive capabilities, to provide the U.S. with asymmetric advantages in joint, multi-domain operations. We excel at pioneering ahead of mission need. We are making significant investments to combine our disruptive capabilities in
Space, Cyber, Electronic Warfare, Intel, and AI to defeat high-priority, strategic national security threats. What makes us successful is how we bring it all together.
Additionally, my personal focus is continual learning. I still have so much to learn! Fortunately, I am surrounded by brilliant minds who gladly share their expertise. Insatiable inquisitiveness is part of why our community will win. So, don’t be surprised if I ask you twenty questions!
Fun Fact: What is something about you that most people do not know?
I love to volunteer with Scouts! This past summer, we spent seven long days and nights in the Canadian wilderness, teaching 55 boys and girls how to fish, canoe, kayak, sail, rock climb and rappel. We survived a thick black cloud of blood-sucking mosquitos that were fearlessly immune to bug spray. We weathered a deluge of rain so powerful that even the most waterproof tents became indoor pools. We told a dozen stories, a hundred riddles, and a thousand “bad dad jokes.” My favorite part was helping scouts learn to work together. Piloting a tandem canoe takes teamwork. Our scouts started the week spinning in circles and ended the week winning the regatta! Let’s go!