Richard Smith
Vice President of National Security Division, ManTech
In 2024, Richard Smith and his team revolutionized national security missions for key federal civilian agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Under Smith, ManTech’s team implemented DHS’ first large language model architecture, driving code development, application modernization and translation assistance with an approach that set the benchmark for federal AI integration.
Smith championed automated cloud financial operations for USCIS, creating a faster cost management process that optimized cloud expenditures and empowered the agency to make informed financial decisions across the organization.
ManTech’s Retrieval-Augmented Generation solution for DHS improved data inference capabilities to accelerate the use of vast information and improve decision-making and operational efficiency agencywide.
Smith also made ManTech an industry leader in zero trust architecture, establishing collaboration with CISA to implement it at a major federal civilian agency.
Smith’s leadership philosophy, rooted in mission success, strong customer relationships and pursuit of excellence, drives the team’s achievements. He fosters an environment where innovation thrives, inspiring his team to push boundaries and deliver results. This approach has led to technological breakthroughs and significant business growth.
“Rich’s unwavering commitment to delivering superior mission value to our clients exemplifies ManTech’s unique blend of strategic insight, technical expertise and deep understanding of the federal landscape,” said Stephen Deitz, president of ManTech’s Federal Civilian Sector. “His leadership in implementing groundbreaking technologies like generative AI at DHS and optimizing cloud costs through FinOps at USCIS showcases our ability to drive meaningful, secure innovation in government IT.”
Why Watch
Smith and his team continue to drive enterprisewide analytics, working closely with senior government leaders to provide insights that inform critical decisions. Consistently high-performance ratings from customers highlight the team’s commitment to active listening and strategic alignment, ensuring it delivers tailored solutions that exceed expectations.
“In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, our focus at DHS goes beyond deploying advanced systems,” Smith said. “We’re fostering a culture of trusted innovation that’s deeply rooted in understanding and addressing our clients’ unique challenges. Our achievements this year reflect our team’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in federal IT and cybersecurity. By continuously raising the bar in areas like responsible AI implementation, cloud FinOps, and zero trust architectures, we’re ensuring that we’re always one step ahead in providing reliable, cutting-edge solutions.”
Fun fact: Outside of work, Smith and his wife Julie are proud parents of four rescue pets that keep them very busy. They are also new empty nesters and grandparents to an 18-month-old granddaughter.