Aleut Federal has named Karen Hertel senior director of growth and strategy, a newly expanded role focused on enterprisewide growth initiatives and pricing strategy across the company’s mission and technology groups.
Hertel brings over 20 years of federal contracting experience, with expertise in pricing, capture and lifecycle strategy for defense, civilian and intelligence agencies. She reports to Aleut Federal President Nick Trzcinski and will lead efforts to strengthen growth systems, guide strategic pricing and drive performance for government customers.
“Karen is a proven strategist who blends precision with adaptability,” Trzcinski said. “She understands how to build repeatable systems that fuel innovation, not stifle it. “
Most recently, Hertel served as senior director of enterprise pricing strategy at GDIT, where she supported over $15 billion in contract awards and implemented scalable pricing processes that improved win probability, financial readiness and post-award insights. Her other leadership roles include positions at CSRA and Maximus Federal, where she led pricing strategy across defense and civilian portfolios.
“At Aleut Federal, I see a rare combination of mission alignment, strong leadership, and a team committed to building something exceptional,” she said. “You need a strong and consistent foundation to ensure compliance, meet financial goals and deliver on our customers’ missions. When we do those things efficiently and effectively, we free up time to focus on initiatives that truly drive value and innovation.”
Aleut said Hertel joins as the company aligns its growth strategy with mission impact. Her leadership is expected to strengthen the connection between opportunity development, pricing precision and long-term value creation.