Amy Rall jokes she once imagined herself commanding a classroom. Today, she’s orchestrating something far more complex: the Citizen Security and Public Services sector at Peraton, one of the government’s largest technology providers, responsible for systems millions of Americans rely on every day — from protecting our borders and defending the skies to filing taxes and sending mail.
With three decades in federal tech and mission support, Rall has built a career on balancing priorities, making quick decisions and keeping teams focused on the mission. Nearly a year into her role as president, she points to two achievements that stand out.
Her first priority was raising the bar for customer delivery — swapping out personnel in some places, strengthening capabilities in others, and making innovation part of the daily rhythm.
“I’m proud of how our customers talk about us now and how they measure us,” she says.
The second is about where the business is heading. Rall has pushed to change how Peraton thinks about growth, from the contracts it goes after to the markets it wants to expand into.
“We’ve already had some wins this year, and I feel like we’re on a strong trajectory going into 2026,” she says.
Lessons from the Field
Rall’s philosophy didn’t come from boardrooms. Years ago, she shadowed Customs and Border Protection officers at airports and along the Southwest border.
“It completely changed the way I think about technology delivery and what speed to mission means,” Rall says.
Watching frontline agents convinced her to simplify communication and always start with the end user.
“If you put them first, everything else changes: the way you talk about the work, the way you motivate teams, the outcomes you deliver,” Rall says.
That focus shows up in Peraton’s work with agencies like the Department of Transportation, Department of War, and the State Department. Rall calls it “side-by-side transformation”: helping agencies respond to evolving administration priorities with cost savings, consolidation and new technology.
“When you bring innovative ideas and move fast, trust builds,” she says.
The AI Imperative
When it comes to emerging technology, Rall is clear: artificial intelligence is the game changer. Cloud has become standard, and biometrics continues to improve, but AI is already reshaping how government operates — from efficiency and security to governance.
“AI is everywhere for us,” she says.
Federal, state and local customers are at very different stages of adoption, and Peraton has reshaped its business to meet each of them where they are. Its footprint is vast — from modernizing heritage systems and managing enterprise IT to supporting operations on the border. Nearly every American interacts with a Peraton system, often without realizing it.
For Rall, that impact isn’t abstract. It connects to her own family’s service background, and her husband’s service in the military.
“I’m not meant to carry a gun, so my job is responsible for the technology, and I think that’s a key enabler of how we move through the world,” she says. “I’m really proud of our teams that wake up every day, passionate to solve those hard problems.”
Looking ahead, Rall keeps a long list of priorities — and she laughs that she’s “notorious” for it.
Three stand out: bringing Peraton’s full capabilities, including classified work, into the unclassified world; scaling “as-a-service” offerings to commercial-grade quality; and making AI practical by doubling team effectiveness, protecting data, and applying it inside cyber operations.
“A year into being here at Peraton, I jokingly say it’s an embarrassment of riches,” she says. “There’s not a thing that we can’t solve for a customer.”
Continuous Learning Culture
Staying ahead of emerging technology is a job in itself. Rall frequently swaps ideas with Peraton’s new chief technology officer, Todd Borkey. She carves out time for podcasts on long drives, keeps up with reading, and pays closest attention when internal teams demonstrate new tools.
If it sounds like the mind of an academic, that’s not lost on her. As a child, she dreamed of teaching, and in many ways, she still does. Rall grew up in a family of teachers, and the core habits — clear communication, setting expectations and fostering a culture of continuous learning — are integral to the leader she is today.
“It goes beyond roadways and networks,” she says — the outcomes affect security, safety and everyday life for Americans. And that, to Rall, is the real act of leadership: keeping teams focused, balancing priorities and ensuring the mission never misses a beat.