Top Cloud Executives to Watch in 2025

Stu Hammer

Senior Director of Digital Transformation and Cloud Services, Peraton

Stu Hammer leads the strategy for Peraton’s digital transformation portfolio, focusing on areas like hybrid multi-cloud transformation, application modernization, AI, cybersecurity and intelligent automation. His key recent achievement was leading the enhancement and deployment of Peraton’s Digital Transformation and Cloud Services portfolio, which includes cloud, AI, data, hybrid multi-cloud management, zero trust solutions, Agile DevSecOps transformation factory and DTX strategies. Collaborating with his team, they delivered tailored, innovative solutions that drove cloud adoption, optimized multi-cloud management and accelerated the migration of legacy applications to the cloud.

Mark Adams, vice president, technology and engineering, Peraton, said Hammer is a “true leader and innovator.”

“Working closely with him, I’ve seen firsthand how his expertise in cloud and digital transformation has shaped our strategy and driven real results for Peraton and our customers,” Adams said. “His ability to solve complex challenges through innovative approaches to digital engineering sets Stu apart in the industry. He’s a driving force behind our success.”

Why Watch

Hammer’s team successfully helped government customers consolidate agile development and cloud services into strategic delivery solutions, improving risk management, automation and agility.

They spearheaded the modernization of a legacy financial system to the cloud, delivering over 4,000 requirements and 1,600 test cases achieving customer objectives and replanned/prioritized critical customer objectives through a digital transformation roadmap to achieve their strategic goals.

In 2025, the Peraton team will continue to support government customers in transitioning from Cloud First to Cloud Smart, driving efficiency and agility with new capabilities and solutions.

Hammer embraces the mantra, “inspect what you expect, but always trust your gut.”

“You want to trust your team to complete the work,” he said. “At the same time, you want to do your due diligence while trusting your gut. If the proposal doesn’t make sense, it may not be right – for the business or in life.”

Fun fact: Hammer advises and speaks on digital transformation trends and served as industry chair and vice chair for ACT-IAC’s IT Management and Modernization committee from its launch in 2017 to 2023. Raised on a farm where delivering calves was routine, he later traveled over 1 million miles in 30 years across multiple locations and time zones. His most memorable trip was during a 6.9 magnitude earthquake that shook for 15 intense seconds.