Marshall Thames
Senior Vice President of Technology and Innovation, ECS
Marshall Thames and his team recently deployed over 800 AI models for Defense Department agencies, multiple combatant commands, the Navy, the Army and key programs like the Maven Program, for which ECS has been the prime AI integrator for more than seven years.
ECS developed its first autonomous, multi-modal surveillance UAV, which uses AI for navigation, sensing, fusion, exploitation and communication. Thames and his team also leveraged lessons learned for new customers and data domains — recently releasing ECS Pathfinder, for example, a cyber tool that leverages AI to help security leaders prioritize real-world risk and map risks to missions.
“Marshall has long played a pivotal role overseeing interoperability integration for the Maven Program, the Department of Defense’s most visible GEOINT AI program,” said ECS President John Heneghan. “He and his ECS team are helping to enhance military operations, combat the deluge of data, drive AI development and adoption, and operationalize AI for defense.”
Why Watch
In 2025, Thames and his team are cutting through AI hype to deliver real, measurable mission impact. They prioritize AI assurance, human-centered design and data mesh architectures to ensure ECS solutions are trustworthy, practical and powered by high-quality data. They’re also expanding ECS’ AI development environment, AI Innovation Lab, AI University and the next version of Atlas, the company’s in-house generative AI platform designed to boost team productivity.
“We’ll continue to push the boundaries of AI at the tactical edge. In future conflicts, the ability to operate AI systems in disconnected environments will be critical to maintaining decision superiority,” Thames said. “Our focus on this capability is essential because it ensures that U.S. forces can continue to make timely, informed decisions, even in the most challenging operational conditions.”
Fun fact: Thames has never lost a Super Bowl bet.