Nicole Peace
Chief People Officer, AIS
Nicole Peace’s biggest recent achievement has been leading a comprehensive restructure of People Operations — spanning organizational design, systems integration and data visibility — to strengthen its role as a strategic business partner. With an enterprisewide strategy, People Operations can now keep pace with AIS’s rapid growth while leveraging data to refine and anticipate future needs.
AIS aligns closely with federal priorities through its focus on cloud transformation, AI and machine learning, application modernization and data intelligence. The company helps agencies streamline operations by replacing legacy systems with secure, scalable solutions and reducing costs through automation and optimized cloud architectures—all to improve efficiency and mission outcomes.
“Nicole not only understands our vision, she helps define it,” said AIS CEO Larry Katzman. “Her leadership demonstrates deep understanding of our people-first commitment and she empowers her team to evolve and innovate to meet that commitment. People Operations has become an integral strategic partner that drives employee satisfaction that, in turn, drives client success.”
Why Watch
The AIS People Operations team is focused on modernization in every sense. Its 2025–2026 strategy centers on updating people processes and policies to create an employee experience designed to attract top talent, strengthen culture and support professional growth. The team is moving away from outdated practices to build progressive, transparent and future-ready systems. This work positions AIS as an employer of choice while enabling it to scale effectively across global and federal markets.
“I believe the future of HR lies in progress and creativity,” Peace said. “Daily, our People Operations team challenges legacy approaches and embraces the freedom and potential that innovation offers. It’s an exciting way to work and one that allows us to shape people practices that drive both employee experience and business results.”
Fun Fact: Peace majored in art and painted residential murals before moving into HR. She often draws on those early creative years when imagining the possibilities of change. She also spent years waitressing, an experience that taught her about people, patience and service — skills she continues to rely on today. Both experiences shaped the creativity and people-focus she brings to her leadership.