ICF spent 2025 and 2026 moving from AI experimentation to implementation. The company launched ICF Fathom, its suite of AI solutions for federal agencies, achieved CMMC Level 2 certification and invested in technology platforms to help clients modernize faster and deliver better outcomes.
John Wasson, ICF’s CEO, is a finalist for the Chief Officer Awards’ CEO of the Year—Private & Public (Annual Revenue Greater than $500M.). The event takes place June 2.
Here, he discusses how ICF is integrating AI across its service delivery, why technology only works when it’s grounded in mission expertise, and what steady leadership looks like when everything around you is changing.
What key achievements did you have in 2025/2026?
We continued investing in the capabilities our federal clients need to navigate a rapidly evolving technology landscape. We launched ICF Fathom®, our suite of AI solutions and services that help agencies move from AI experimentation to implementation. We achieved CMMC Level 2 certification, strengthening our ability to support agencies with secure, compliant digital modernization. We also invested in updates across our proprietary technology platforms to help clients improve efficiency, accelerate decision-making, and deliver better outcomes.
Underlying all these achievements is a deliberate focus on building AI capabilities that create real value. We are integrating AI into how we deliver services, develop solutions, and solve complex challenges, particularly in the federal digital modernization space, where agencies are under increasing pressure to improve service delivery, operate more efficiently, and achieve mission outcomes.
At the same time, we are investing in our workforce through AI training, tools, and governance frameworks so our teams can apply these technologies responsibly, securely, and effectively. The organizations that will lead in the years ahead are those that combine deep domain expertise with AI-enabled innovation, and we are committed to doing exactly that.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the mission?
Across government and commercial markets, organizations are under pressure to modernize faster, operate more efficiently, and deliver innovation and better outcomes with finite resources. Meeting those challenges requires more than adopting new technologies. It requires applying them in ways that create meaningful, measurable impact.
That’s where we are focused. We combine deep industry and mission expertise with advanced technologies, data, analytics, and AI to develop solutions that address real-world problems and deliver real-world results. Whether modernizing critical systems, improving customer experience, or optimizing complex programs, we bring together the people who understand the mission with the technologists who can transform how it is delivered. Because technology is most powerful when it is grounded in a deep understanding of the people, missions, and communities it serves, and that will continue to be a defining focus for us going forward.
What is your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
Remain steady in times of uncertainty, lead with transparency, and keep your eye toward the future. Some of the most important decisions are made during periods of disruption. That’s when people need clarity, consistency, and trust the most.
Also invest in people and capabilities critical to future success. When you bring together great talent, deep industry expertise, and the right technologies, you can solve real-world challenges and deliver measurable results.
What is something about you that most people do not know?
I’m a pretty dedicated runner. I run at least five days a week and try to log the equivalent of a marathon each week. In doing so, it’s less about the mileage and more about having time to clear my mind, recharge, and think through challenges from a different perspective.
Also, as a California native, I enjoy collecting artworks of Bay Area figurative, funk, and pop artists.
