Dennis Kelly

CEO, Tyto Athene

Tyto Athene’s acquisition of MindPoint Group brought in transformative cyber capabilities and “extremely talented” people, said Dennis Kelly, CEO of Tyto Athene.

“Their founders, Patti Chanthphone and Matt Shepherd, have been outstanding partners and are fully committed,” Kelly said. “. . . We have significantly enhanced our leadership team with a new COO, CFO and CGO and many other direct reports to these leaders. With this new team, we are very focused on growth. Watch for us to take down some very big deals in 2025 (fingers crossed)!”

Managing Partner of Arlington Capital Partners Michael Lustbader said Kelly’s first year leading Tyto Athene included key milestones, such as integrating MindPoint Group, Microtel LLC, and Key Solutions Inc., which strengthened the company’s mission and capabilities. Kelly also added key C-suite leaders, including Chief Operating Officer John Coleman, Chief Financial Officer Rick Johnson and Chief Growth Officer Michael Polmar to drive strategic growth and operational impact.

“His extensive experience in government contracting, combined with a proven track record within the Arlington Capital portfolio, positions him as the driving force behind Tyto’s sustained growth, operational excellence and innovative solutions for our customers,” Lustbader added.

Why Watch

In 2025, Kelly’s team is heavily focused on powering growth initiatives.

“Never forget where you came from” is a mantra he lives by.

“I wasn’t always a CEO, and I never forget that I came into this industry 35 years ago as a Navy NCO, working my way up from the bottom,” Kelly said. “I try to never forget the hardworking people who get the real work done for mission success.”

Fun fact: Kelly’s first job was as a bag boy at Winn-Dixie in Crystal River, Florida, where his manager referred to him as “Bubba Dennis,” a nickname he never fully got used to.