The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced April 8, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person June 4.
Next is Kyle Tuberson, chief technology officer at ICF, and a finalist in the Artificial Intelligence Executive of the Year category. In this spotlight, he reflects on key achievements, offers advice for those following a similar path, shares current priorities and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2024 / 2025?
Several of our key achievements over the past year underscore the transformative power technology, particularly AI, can have in driving high-impact outcomes for clients and optimizing operational and cost efficiencies. Our digital modernization portfolio continues to grow. These services are in areas that align well with the administration’s goals of improving efficiency through AI, automation, and advanced analytics.
We made significant advancements within the healthcare sector, such as leveraging our health IT and scientific expertise to modernize CMS’ kidney transplant data registry to reduce costs, streamline the transplant process, and enhance patient care. Also for CMS, we applied advanced AI and data analysis to quickly detect, intervene, and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse, streamlining the administrative burden to drive efficiencies, as well as promoting data transparency and democratization.
We also brought together our federal rulemaking, data science, and user experience experts to explore the use of GenAI to streamline a federal client’s comment analysis process to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and quality of federal final rules, demonstrating AI models could match or exceed human performance in classifying comments and reduce estimated analysis time by 67%.
These examples demonstrate our commitment to the practical adoption and execution of AI technology and to fostering a collaborative environment that emphasizes innovation, experimentation, learning, and adaptation.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the mission?
Our primary focus remains helping clients navigate their most important and pressing challenges with emerging and advanced technologies like AI, advanced analytics, and cloud. By integrating cutting-edge technologies with strategic industry expertise, we’ll craft “fit-for-purpose,” scalable, and fast solutions to help streamline operations, drive cost efficiencies, and improve outcomes.
We’ll also focus heavily on continuous learning. It’s essential to equip our teams with the skills they need to excel in building, deploying, and scaling AI-driven solutions. We’ll concentrate our efforts on three key areas:
- Upskilling – to help employees stay current with rapidly evolving technologies and perform more complex tasks
- AI and cloud proficiency – to strengthen their expertise in scalable AI and cloud technologies as foundations for innovation
- Data literacy – to empower them to make informed, data-driven decisions
This approach will not only prepare us for the future but also drive meaningful AI adoption and impact across our initiatives.
What is your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
For those aspiring to follow a similar path, my advice would be to embrace curiosity and never stop learning. Technology is ever-changing, and staying at the forefront means not only understanding the tools but also connecting them with real-world impacts. Seek out mentors, surround yourself with diverse perspectives, and don’t shy away from challenges — they’re often the best teachers.