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 Scott Edwards, president and CEO of Summit 7 Systems, and a finalist in the Cybersecurity 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?
- Named one of the Top 10 Washington 100 Executives for leadership in national security innovation
- Led Summit 7 to become one of the only government cloud-focused Managed Service Providers to receive the Azure Expert MSP designation
- Recognized as a Finalist in the 2025 Microsoft Security Excellence Awards
- Launched Commander, Summit 7’s flagship managed compliance and security offering tailored to CMMC Level 2 and 3 environments.
- In February 2025, Summit 7 achieved two CMMC Level 2 certifications, a milestone validating its internal commitment to the same standards it helps its clients achieve.
- Selected as a Global Finalist for the 2024 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award for Security
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are they important to the mission?
- Going forward, my top priorities are:
Expanding Commander, our managed compliance and security platform, to support thousands of small and mid-sized contractors struggling with federal cybersecurity mandates. - Strengthening public-private collaboration to close the cybersecurity capability gap in critical infrastructure and defense contracting.
- Scaling with culture — ensuring Summit 7 can grow rapidly without losing the mission-first mentality that built our foundation.
These focus areas are critical because we are entering an era where the United States’ competitive advantage and national security hinge on our ability to protect controlled data — especially across the long tail of the Defense Industrial Base. Our mission is to secure the supply chain, one contractor at a time.
What is your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Pick a direction, make a decision — and work your tail off to make it the right one. I’ve found that success often comes from a mix of fear, timing, and focus. You won’t always have every answer, but if you surround yourself with the right people, stay mission-driven, and keep showing up, you’ll figure it out.
Fun Fact: What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I ran a vending machine business as a teenager — buying cases of Coke and stocking machines for cash. I’ve been entrepreneurial ever since.
I met my wife while we were both serving in the Army. She’s been my partner through every major step of this journey — from late nights building a company to raising a family and holding down the fort while we took big risks. Most people don’t realize how much of this success is a team effort at home.
I promoted the very first domain controller at NASA’s Data Center when Active Directory was just becoming a thing. I like to think that somewhere in the NASA environment is something that still has my fingerprints on it.