Manish Parikh, senior vice president and U.S. operations technology and solutions group lead (U.S. Operations CTO) at CACI, has spent his career driving transformation across defense and intelligence sectors.
Today, he oversees the advancement of cutting-edge capabilities across seven markets — from enterprise IT and space to cyber and spectrum superiority.
In this Q&A, Parikh shares insights on his leadership philosophy, growth priorities and how CACI is preparing for the next wave of AI-driven innovation. He also reflects on the importance of mentorship, deliberate risk-taking and staying grounded through his personal passion for long-distance running.
Can you provide a brief overview of your professional background and career progression?
I entered the workforce with a Master of Science degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. Early in my career at Lockheed Martin, I advanced through a variety of technical and operational roles. I then served as chief technology officer and business development and strategy lead for the intelligence and security sector at BAE Systems, Inc., where I further honed my leadership skills.
At CACI, I currently lead the technology and solutions group within U.S. operations, reporting to DeEtte Gray, our president of U.S. operations, in a CTO role. In this role, I am responsible for advancing technology across CACI’s seven markets: Enterprise IT, Mission and Engineering Support, Space, C3I, Spectrum Superiority, Digital Solutions, and Cyber. I am passionate about developing innovative solutions to address our customers’ critical needs.
As a technology leader, I also focus on cultivating leadership skills within CACI’s technical teams to shape the next generation of innovators, ensuring they are prepared to lead with confidence and impact. Since joining CACI, I have worked on major programs that are transforming our customers’ missions and have had the privilege of working with exceptionally talented people in a collaborative, purpose-driven culture that sets us apart from other companies.
Why was this the path you chose, and how influential was it to your career?
I have advanced my career through various roles because I believe that having a bias towards action and taking deliberate, calculated risks is essential to both advancing the customer’s goals and for personal growth. The greatest risk, in fact, is inaction or indecisiveness. This philosophy has shaped my career by reinforcing the importance of credibility and trust. People want to work with people they trust. Credibility takes years to build and can be lost in a single moment, so I strive to always keep my word, communicate transparently, take responsibility for mistakes, and remain engaged and respectful. These principles have guided me throughout my career, and they continue to influence how I lead today — ensuring I make decisions that support our customers and my team with integrity.
Do you have a personal connection to the current mission you support?
Our work has real-life consequences. For example, our software-driven classified systems use AI and analytics to fuse real-time data from hundreds of data streams, creating a unified intelligence picture across domains. These platforms empower tens of thousands of analysts to protect our nation and allies while giving warfighters an unmatched advantage during crises.
I feel deeply connected to CACI’s promise to be ever vigilant by expanding the limits of national security. Our role is to ensure that our customers succeed in their unique objectives, and that we relentlessly invest ahead of need so they can outpace future threats. Our solutions enable people to make critical decisions that protect lives. That is why I lead with credibility and transparency, encouraging deliberate risk-taking so our teams deliver with integrity.
What are your current top priorities and responsibilities? How do these relate to your company’s overall mission/growth strategy?
One of my top priorities is helping our programs architect and develop technology solutions that meet our customers’ current and emerging needs. I also focus on driving innovation through investments in new capabilities that strengthen our customers’ missions. In my role, I support technology growth across CACI’s seven markets and lead the development of centers of excellence that advance the tools and practices we use enterprise-wide.
One of our centers of excellence focuses on Agile software development — a great example of how we’re enhancing efficiency across the enterprise. CACI has been an industry leader in Agile development for the federal government for years, and we continue to invest in this area to enhance the quality and speed of our deliveries.
Together, our markets not only strengthen national security but also create an exciting portfolio of work for our employees to be part of here within CACI. It is a great feeling to see the impact that our technology and expertise have on our customers’ missions.
Where do you and your team see growth opportunities in your current field or portfolio you support, or what do you anticipate to be your customers’ top pain points?
We see strong growth opportunities in practical applications of AI and machine learning. Too many ventures in this space have failed because they lacked clear use cases or the right data. Our approach is disciplined: start with a real need, validate the data, and pilot before scaling.
Moving forward, we expect that our customers’ biggest pain points will be extracting mission value from data and driving cost efficiency without sacrificing performance. By keeping AI/ML practical and outcome-driven, we’re helping them overcome these challenges and achieve lasting impact. An example is a tailored AI/ML solution our team built for the software DevSecOps pipeline — an innovation that’s already delivering double-digit cost savings. Protecting the homeland remains central to our work, and we provide C-UxS systems to counter the impact of ever-increasing and advanced UxS platforms on our critical infrastructures. We are also advancing electronic warfare and SIGINT capabilities that are open, modular, and scalable to evolve at the pace of mission. At the same time, we are advancing software-defined networking, 5G, Commercial Solutions for Classified, and photonics communications solutions to modernize and secure our customers’ transport and networks. In parallel, we continue to develop innovative capabilities for enterprise IT modernization, digital transformation, and Agile software development.
How are you and your team planning to address/prepare for these opportunities?
We are preparing for these opportunities by investing ahead of need and focusing on solutions that deliver real value today. For example, our technology solutions have been leveraging AI tools for geospatial intelligence for years with high accuracy, enabling analysts to be exponentially faster and more effective. We are also infusing AI/ML into our enterprise service desk programs to streamline the end-user experience, and we are working with customers to leverage AI-Ops for more proactive enterprise infrastructure operations. To accelerate adoption, our team has also developed AI/ML starter packs that provide training, guidelines, and reusable tools, enabling programs to quickly build custom solutions tailored to mission requirements.
How important is mentorship & networking in GovCon? Were they influential to your career?
Mentorship and networking are essential and have been very influential in my career. A strong professional network has helped me in many ways — from finding new opportunities and talented employees to gaining insights from peers, sparking ideas for innovation and investment, and identifying ways to build new skills. These relationships also make it easier to navigate difficult situations. In this business, your network truly is your net worth.
I believe in building networks deliberately and with integrity. That means staying active on LinkedIn, engaging at industry events, and contributing to thought leadership through articles or panels. Just as important is following through — reaching out and maintaining credibility with both past and current colleagues. Mentorship and networking, when done with authenticity, create lasting value for you, your company, and the customers you serve.
What is something most people don’t know about you personally?
I love to go on long runs with friends. The D.C. region has some of the best trails in the country, and even with a demanding career, I make it a priority to find time for a run, whether at home or while traveling. Running keeps me grounded, re-energized, and focused.
That mindset carries into my career. My path hasn’t been linear, and I’ve had my share of setbacks. What I’ve learned is that progress often comes from how you adapt, using your strengths, learning from new experiences, and seeing opportunities where others might see obstacles. Much like running, it is about endurance, consistency, and finding the drive to keep moving forward.