In a competitive government contracting market, companies work strategically, efficiently and receptively to grow — all while responding to business challenges, sustaining best business practices and fostering a talent-retaining culture. These mission-oriented private companies serving federal agencies may vary in size and solutions, but they relate in strong financial leadership driven by missions and customer needs. And to excel in a thriving GovCon market following a year of unprecedented obstacles, companies rely on a few things: mergers and acquisitions, strategic growth initiatives, strong operations and smooth integrations.
That doesn’t happen without financial leadership. For WashingtonExec’s Top Chief Financial Officers to Watch in 2023 list, we identified the best of the best in private companies putting long-term growth, strategy and profitability first, based on their accomplishments, impact on internal financial and operational goals, and vision for the near-term future — bringing exactly what the GovCon community needs to empower competition and success.
Tamara Jack
Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary & Treasurer, LMI
For Tamara Jack, leading the sale of LMI from its not-for-profit parent has been her biggest recent achievement ⏤ and one that positioned the company to expand as a top technology innovator with tangible value to government customers and employees.
The deal was the largest in the company’s 62-year history and created two distinct organizations ⏤ the independent nonprofit NobleReach Foundation, and LMI, a for-profit organization. The effort included deal structure, design and execution to a consortium of investment firms led by Declaration Partners (David Rubenstein’s family office).
Why Watch
In 2023, Jack’s team is creating enterprise value and continuing to partner with business leaders to structure and implement an aggressive growth strategy, combining organic growth and strategic acquisitions. In addition, LMI has introduced a new, equity-based structure to attract and retain top talent effectively.
“I am grateful to have such a strong and dedicated team,” she said. “Each day, I know they are focused on creating value through innovative solutions to deliver extraordinary outcomes and define The New Speed of Possible™ for our customers and each other.”
LMI CEO Doug Wagoner said Jack’s leadership transcends the traditional CFO role.
“She is a true strategic business partner for me and our board,” he said. “She has been instrumental in leading all of our successful acquisitions ⏤ she approaches each through a strategic lens, not only focused on the financial elements. She anticipates how the acquisition will positively affect our employees and customers to build enterprise value.”
Bob Kwaja
CFO, Two Six Technologies
After acquiring five businesses within the first 18 months of the initial investment under the global investment firm The Carlyle Group, Bob Kwaja’s biggest achievement in 2022 was getting Two Six Technologies fully integrated from systems to processes, policies, benefit structures, payroll and pricing. He also established a capital deployment strategy for internal investments, enabling the organization to scale faster both organically and inorganically.
Under Kwaja’s direction, the company’s total revenue grew organically by over 15% year-over-year, expanded its contract ceiling from $600 million in 2021 to over $1 billion currently, and acquired and integrated River Loop Security and Thresher Ventures in 2022. Two Six Technologies has grown from under 200 employees in 2020 to over 700 talented professionals today, working in more than 35 states nationwide.
“When you look at what Bob has been able to accomplish in just 2-plus years at Two Six Technologies, it is astounding,” said Two Six Technologies’ CEO Joe Logue. “His impact internally with business and financial operations as well as externally driving our strategic growth has truly been incredible.”
Why Watch
In 2023, Kwaja’s main focus is on enhancing the efficiency and scalability of Two Six Technologies’ business operations while driving long-term strategic growth through technology innovation. Two Six Technologies is known for converting advanced innovations into practical solutions for complex challenges in areas like cybersecurity, information operations, electronic systems, data science and mobility. Its product portfolio, including IKE, M3, Pulse, SIGMA and TrustedKeep, provides effective and lasting solutions for federal and commercial partners in rapidly changing competitive environments.
“What we have been able to achieve in just such a short period of time since TST was established has been incredible,” Kwaja said. “We have such an exceptional leadership team and talented employee base that continue to push the boundaries of technology innovation and enables us to support and positively impact the critical missions of our U.S. government customers. I think the most exciting part for me is that we are just starting to scratch the surface of the company’s potential.”
Dan Muse
CFO, Systems Planning and Analysis
Closing the PRKK acquisition in early September was Dan Muse’s biggest recent achievement since joining the Systems Planning and Analysis leadership team in March. It also aligns with the long-term strategic plan put in place earlier this year.
“Winning in our market is team sport,” Muse said. “I am extremely grateful for the incredible team we have at SPA and strive to distribute authority, responsibility and accountability throughout the organization so that we can quickly respond to the needs of our customers and stakeholders. We believe that working as a team and empowering our people leads SPA to being a contractor of choice, employer of choice, partner of choice, and acquirer of choice.”
Now, the company is turning its attention to implementing its integration playbook, accelerating organic growth in the space and intelligence market, and looking for the next strategic acquisition to augment its double-digit organic growth and help triple revenue over the next three years.
Why Watch
In 2023, Muse’s team is heavily focused on scalability. Immediately after Muse joined SPA, the company restructured the finance and accounting departments to better align with its overall strategy and growth goals and provide a solid foundation from which to scale. While this restructuring of people, processes and systems has enabled significant reductions on monthly close timelines and improved forecasting and reporting capabilities, Muse plans to continue to driving scalability by implementing more automation and AI into non-value-added and labor-intensive processes.
“Dan’s exceptional experience and expertise, particularly in leading complex transactions and negotiations, will serve us well as SPA’s horizons continue to expand,” said SPA CEO Rich Sawchak. “He is one of the most well-rounded leaders I know, able to apply financial acumen and organizational insight across multiple departments.”
Diane Nguyen
CFO, Microsoft Federal
Diane Nguyen navigated numerous headwinds during the past year to reallocate resources and prioritize investment dollars to optimize the growth of Microsoft Federal. But her efforts have paid off, said Candice Ling, vice president of Microsoft Federal, and her sound financial acumen and strategic vision drove growth and customer support for the past three years.
“Her expertise in strategic financial management, along with her more than 30 years of public sector industry experience, has been key to ensuring that we are able to achieve our mission,” Ling said. “We are incredibly fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated leader guiding our financial strategy.”
Why Watch
In 2023, Nguyen’s team is focused on partnering with its federal business leaders to continue expanding the products the company brings to the federal market and provide the most impactful solutions to customers as they continue their digital transformation journeys. They are particularly excited to work with business leaders and industry partners to accelerate AI adoption and provide innovative solutions to address customers’ most critical challenges.
“It’s an honor to lead the Microsoft’s Federal Finance team and to be part of a world-class corporate finance organization,” Nguyen said. “We are fortunate to have a talented and dedicated group of finance professionals on this team. It’s an exciting time to be part of Microsoft and witnessing this AI revolution firsthand and how it will truly transform the way we support our customers.”
Gary Sladic
Senior Vice President, CFO & Treasurer, Noblis
Gary Sladic has been an integral part of Noblis’ drive to scale its workforce, transition to large-scale contracts, and bid and execute contracts above its weight class, helping the company reach its revenue target of $500 million a year ahead of plan.
At the heart of this growth is Sladic’s steadfast focus on investing in Noblis employees and continuously improving the customer experience. Over the past year, his leadership has been especially important in Noblis’ successful integration of McKean Defense, its strong push for organic growth and its strategic investments in professional development, business development and infrastructure.
“Gary has been an essential force in driving the success of our financial and administrative operations,” said Mile Corrigan, Noblis president and CEO. “We continue to count on him for his strong focus on our financial health and long-term viability. His in-depth understanding of the financial markets and strong analytical leadership enable our reliable financial forecasting and positioning against potential risks that could impact our enterprise.”
Why Watch
In the year ahead, Sladic and his team plan to continue Noblis’ track record of growth, building the personnel and processes that will take the company to its new target of $1 billion by 2030.
“I try to stay keenly aware of the parts of my job that make me uncomfortable ⏤ and then get out of my comfort zone and challenge those areas,” Sladic said. “You just have to jump in. It’s not always easy, but working hard and working smart will definitely pay off in the long run.”
Ashutosh Gokhale
CFO & Senior Vice President of Business Management, HII Mission Technologies
Ashutosh Gokhale joined HII’s Mission Technologies division in June 2021, just before HII acquired Alion Science and Technology. In 2022, he successfully led the integration of Alion into Mission Technologies, including streamlining policies, upgrading applications and enhancing efficiencies. Gokhale also modified the controls framework to ensure SOX compliance for the integrated business.
“A lot has been said about the integration of Alion into HII and how it has expanded our capabilities and customer base,” said Andy Green, executive vice president of HII and president of HII’s Mission Technologies division. “Equally important is the integration of our business management functions. With Ashutosh’s vision and instrumental leadership, his team has done an incredible job positioning us for even more growth in the future.”
Why Watch
After a very busy 2022, Gokhale’s team is focused on supporting aggressive growth targets at Mission Technologies. The team is improving financial reporting capabilities and performing complex analyses that help inform decision-making.
“I am humbled and honored to lead an extremely talented finance team,” Gokhale said. “They have remarkable dedication and perseverance. With integration behind us, finance must play the role of true strategic partner to achieve ambitious growth.”
Josh Montgomery
CFO, MAXISIQ
The past couple of years at MAXISIQ have been transformational based on Josh Montgomery’s steady hand and financial acumen. As a result of his team’s shared effort, the company experienced an increase in growth, profitability and cash-flow performance.
Montgomery likes to say that “details matter,” and that can be seen in his commitment to customer support, employee engagement and financial reporting.
Earlier this year, Montgomery led MAXISIQ’s sale of its Vulnerability Assessment Business to Millennium Corp The sale aligns with MAXISIQ’s rapid growth initiatives focused on leading-edge technologies and services within the federal government and intelligence community sectors.
“We’re pleased to find a great home for this business unit with Millennium,” Montgomery said. “They are industry leaders in cyber red teaming, and we know our cyber operators will be in great hands. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Millennium.”
Why Watch
For this year and the next, MAXISIQ and Montgomery’s team will be heavily focused on growth, both organic and inorganic. The company anticipates an exciting and transformational next few years. Montgomery said he is grateful to move forward with an outstanding team.
“Josh plays a key role as the leader of our finance team in our day-to-day operations and as a vital player in our drive toward MAXISIQ’s ambitious revenue growth,” said Trey Griffin, CEO and co-owner of MAXISIQ.
Chuck Hicks
CFO, Thomson Reuters Special Services, LLC
Chuck Hicks is known as someone who thinks about operations first and how he can support the team as they deliver on their clients’ missions.
At Thomson Reuters Special Services, a U.S. subsidiary of Thomson Reuters, Hicks is helping the company grow and offer solutions for tough challenges in national security and public safety through content-driven, AI-enabled technology.
“Chuck came in and immediately added value,” said TRSS President Jim Dinkins. “He fits right in with our team here and is always looking for ways to make us even better. He’s already made a huge impact in a short amount of time. Everyone is energized and motivated by the work he’s been doing, and they’re excited about what’s to come.”
Over the past few years, TRSS transitioned from a small government-focused company to a mid-sized firm, with employees nationwide serving federal and commercial clients. This growth has brought about change and opportunities. As TRSS stands on the brink of even more success, Hicks, leveraging his background as the former CFO and COO, is actively exploring innovative approaches to address customers’ most significant challenges.
Why Watch
Hicks and his team are now focused on identifying new efficiencies and opportunities for increased communication across the company.
“Chuck has been finding ways to fuel and support our growth, and not just from a sales and revenue aspect,” Dinkins said. “He’s been digging in and working side-by-side with teams across the company to see how he can help support or provide insight into their operations.”
While Hicks is only a short time into his tenure at TRSS, he has witnessed how employees rally around their clients, the company and each other. He’s committed to helping across all aspects of the business and wants to do more than just count numbers. His passion for volunteerism fits well with TRSS’ culture of giving back, and he’s already helped organize and participate in volunteer opportunities to support local nonprofits.
Jeff Pagano
CFO, Aeyon
Two years ago, Aeyon employed around 70 individuals and saw sales of around $23 million. By the end of 2023, it’s expected to have close to 1,000 employees and sales to the tune of $200 million-plus.
“I’m proud of the role I’ve played in leading a highly talented group of finance and accounting professionals that together have scaled and matured our operations in response to Aeyon’s meteoric rise,” said CFO Jeff Pagano.
Sunny Singh, CEO of Aeyon, said Pagano’s unparalleled financial acumen and strategic insight have strengthened the company’s fiscal foundation and propelled it to new heights during this time of tremendous growth.
“In just two years, Jeff’s pulled off merging not two, not three, but four whole companies into our Aeyon family,” he said. “Jeff’s unwavering dedication to precision and innovation has been instrumental in navigating complex financial landscapes and steering our company towards sustained growth — as evidenced by his selection as Washington Exec’s CFO of the Year for the most current awards cycle.”
Why Watch
As a leader in digital transformation for the federal market, delivering highly impactful innovative solutions, Pagano’s team plans for continued significant market expansion. Throughout this forward-looking period, Pagano will continue to strengthen Aeyon’s financial posture, enhance operations and target efficiencies to enable building at greater scale to deliver ever-evolving solutions to a wider market.
“I believe that organizations grow by celebrating the hard work of their employees and partners,” Pagano said. “I take pride in setting a positive tone and lauding the achievements of the talented people I have led and managed over my career.”
Cindy Shephard
CFO, Cadmus
This past year, Cindy Shephard led her team in supporting two significant acquisitions, building Cadmus from a firm of almost 700 employees to over 1,000.
“I, along with my colleagues, ensured a quick, smooth and effective integration for clients and partners while being mindful of the needs of all employees to have a positive experience during the acquisitions,” she said. “These experiences provided me with a valuable opportunity to demonstrate financial leadership, mentor new team members, and help shape the firm’s continued growth.”
Cadmus President and CEO Ian Kline attributes the company’s significant growth to Shephard’s leadership. She has more than 30 years of experience in government contracting and served as Cadmus chief operations officer before her current role.
“She is a remarkably solutions-oriented CFO, which has been critical to our success over the past 18 months,” Kline said. “Her knowledge of our industry, her understanding of our firm’s operations from her time as our COO, and her experience in finance and accounting make her uniquely effective as a CFO in the government contracting space.”
Why Watch
In 2023, Shephard and her team are focused on enhancing and improving the organization’s finance procedures to support Cadmus’ performance and business development goals. As one of the corporate sponsors for Cadmus’ ISO 9001 certification, Shephard is dedicated to maintaining the certification through formalized processes and controls and ensuring continuous improvement.
The company’s expanded finance team is implementing new corporate budgeting and planning systems, which will also support future M&A transactions and allow the company to implement integrations at scale, without disruptions.
“I’m proud to lead an integrated, collaborative finance team where our work enables the executive team, division and team leaders, and project managers to make the best decisions possible for our clients and for Cadmus,” Shephard said. “It’s critical to communicate our finance principles to everyone at the firm, so we can all understand how our actions impact Cadmus’ success and contribute to its growth.”
Jeremy Koczan
CFO, SMX
Through the efforts of Jeremy Koczan and his team, SMX has a new suite of powerful analytical tools to help gain tremendous efficiencies as the company continues to scale the business and provide a strong foundation for future platform expansion and acquisition integrations.
Koczan recently led an internal and external project team of more than 40 individuals to complete the full-scale enterprise resource planning system migration to Deltek Costpoint, a process that took nearly two years to complete and involved integrating four acquisition companies into a single instance of Costpoint within a new and improved cost accounting structure. At the same time, the team also installed SEMFIN FocusPoint, allowing for higher level budgeting, forecasting and analysis across SMX’s many hundreds of client programs.
“Jeremy’s executive leadership extends well beyond traditional CFO responsibilities,” said SMX CEO Peter LaMontagne. “He is my partner across all aspects of SMX strategic planning and execution. Jeremy is critical to our success.”
Why Watch
In 2023, Koczan and his team are shifting their focus from building their business operations environment to optimizing the systems and tools within it. Enhanced business automation platforms and next-generation workflows, real-time analysis dashboards and streamlined financial reporting tools will allow for improved decision-making at the speed of business. Now that SMX is on a singular system and business operations platform, the team can focus on capturing additional efficiency gains and increasing analysis by reducing labor-based activities via automation, he said.
“Sustainable growth is the only way to truly drive stakeholder value, and as a result, we must focus on profitability and margin expansion as a key tenet of that growth,” Koczan said. “But equally important is being predictable as that demonstrates that the leadership has a sound and capable plan and can execute all of the fundamental concepts of business to attain success towards that goal. By achieving predictable, profitable growth, the business will be on sound footing to produce long-term value to those who matter most: clients, employees, shareholders and the community.”
Mark Cabrey
CFO & Senior Vice President, NT Concepts
As an operationally focused executive, Mark Cabrey is in his wheelhouse working outside the lines of a conventional CFO. In addition to his financial responsibilities, he spearheads strategically significant enterprise programs for NT Concepts, using his over 20 years of government contracting expertise to drive impactful mission outcomes for the company’s defense and intelligence customers.
“Mark’s ability to align the company’s financial strategy with its technological capability and customer success has set the stage for our continued innovation and growth,” said NT Concepts CEO Dan Maguire. “By staying adaptable and keeping an eye on emerging trends, he continues to drive the organization in a positive direction.”
In its 25th year of business, NT Concepts has a lot to look forward to. By the end of Q3, the company won IDIQs from the USAF Life Cycle Management Center’s Architecture and Integration Directorate and the USSF Space Systems Command. Additional wins include the CDAO AIT 2.0 BOA and achieving awardable status in CDAO’s Tradewinds Marketplace for their SAR ATR solution built using their edge-deployable, air-gapped NT StudioDX platform.
These successes leave the company well-positioned for a growth-oriented 2024 by expanding the integration of its advanced AI/ML data and software solutions in the national security space.
Why Watch
As 2023 wraps up, NT Concepts will close its second consecutive year of double-digit revenue growth and start gearing up for further expansion, both organically and inorganically.
On the operations side, Cabrey and his team will play a pivotal role in the company’s success through important people-growth initiatives, as well as reshaping the company’s business development functions using modern technologies such as LLMs and generative AI for improved efficiency and productivity.
From a program perspective, Cabrey is focused on leveraging the company’s NT StudioDX platform and advanced capabilities in AI TRiSM (trust, risk, and security management) in anticipation of increased market demand.
“As I round out my fourth year at NT Concepts, I continue to love the company’s culture, connection to our board of directors, the chemistry of our senior leadership team, and the principle of service orientation throughout the company,” Cabrey said. “2024 is shaping up to be a very exciting and successful year for our company.”
Kathie Powers
CFO, Riverside Research
Kathie Powers has both supported and led the transformation of Riverside Research through process changes, training and systems implementation and improvements.
“Kathie is a key member of the Riverside Research executive leadership team,” said Dr. Steven Omick, president and CEO of Riverside Research. “She sets herself apart with her ability to focus on the fiscal health of the company while at the same time leaning forward to provide the best value to our customers and employees.”
Riverside Research describes itself as a nonprofit organization chartered to advance scientific research for the benefit of the U.S. government and in the public interest.
“The type of work we do is very different from most companies,” Powers said. “The constant flow of technology we shape needs the staff to be responsive and very innovative.”
Why Watch
In 2023, Powers is heavily focused on supporting the contract growth Riverside Research is experiencing. With the industry and technology changes in the industry, the company will be looking to adapt its support to the tech staff as quickly as possible. Supporting the research staff is also critical to its financial well-being.
“I came to Riverside Research because of the type of work we do and the challenges the company faced,” Powers said. “The constant innovations from our research and development staff requires a different way of thinking, and I find I am constantly challenged with how to fit the type of contract work we do into a government contracting and company structure. While I don’t always understand the technology, I find what the Ph.Ds. develop is fascinating. It holds my interest.”
David Mutryn
CFO, Maximus
Since assuming the role of chief financial officer for Maximus in December 2021, David Mutryn has focused on executing on the company’s financial and strategic priorities.
“I feel privileged to work for Maximus and serve our company’s stakeholders,” he said. “I’m proud of my team as well as the mission of our company to move people, technology and government forward.”
In the past year, Mutryn and the Maximus finance team made significant progress in executing the company’s long-term strategic plan, announced in May 2022. Mutryn’s team supported and enabled the Maximus business through a period of strong organic growth, with a 12-month book-to-bill ratio of 2.2 times. This growth has more than overcome the decline of the company’s short-term COVID-related revenue.
Mutryn’s leadership as the CFO has been recognized internally by fellow executives, who credit his technical acumen, insight and judgment in guiding the company’s most important and critical business decisions.
“David’s thoughtful and collaborative leadership style has engendered trust and cohesiveness in our leadership team at a time of significant growth and transformation in our business,” said Bruce Caswell, president and CEO of Maximus. “He has been a true partner in the evolution of Maximus and I’m proud to see David ⏤ and by extension, the team he leads each day ⏤ receive this well-deserved recognition.”
Why Watch
Looking ahead through 2024, Mutryn said priorities for his team include “flawless execution” serving mission-critical national programs, such as the resumption of Medicaid redeterminations and the increasing demand for medical disability exams for veterans. As Maximus continues to expand into new markets, Mutryn and his team will be there to support the company’s impressive growth.
“We are continuously optimizing our organizational model and processes to support our longer-term strategy, while maintaining disciplined capital allocation,” he said.
Sarah Otchet
CFO, Eqlipse Technologies
Sarah Otchet’s efforts have brought together five distinct entities ⏤ each with unique histories, cultures and capabilities ⏤ to form Eqlipse Technologies, a $200 million company with over 600 employees across Virginia, Maryland and Ohio.
“Bringing together teams that work hard at work worth doing ⏤ and who take pride in doing so ⏤ has created an energy and excitement where we have become better together as Eqlipse,” she said.
Why Watch
In 2023, Otchet’s team is working on providing timely, actionable information to business stakeholders to perform better than ever. They are focused on preserving elements from each heritage company while listening and communicating continuously and engaging in system integration and process automation to enable value-add decision-making by employees, customers and teammates.
“The most gratifying actions are helping others as we aspire to a great and worthy purpose,” Otchet said. “Eqlipse supports every customer’s mission with dedication and a commitment to solve hard problems. Every day, I am inspired by our team to help make that happen.”
Eqlipse Technologies CEO Dennis Kelly said the successful launch of Eqlipse would not have been possible without Otchet’s dedication.
“Her experience, expertise and compassionate leadership have been critical to getting us to where we are,” Kelly said. “Perhaps more importantly, as we continue to grow as a company, Sarah and her team will provide expert council and critical insight to ensure that every move we make is the right one at the right time.”
Ryan Garner
CFO, Navistar Defense LLC
In early 2022, Ryan Garner helped Navistar Defense create a strategy to stand up a contract manufacturing line of business. He and his team were instrumental in pricing, strategy and negotiations with several clients.
This has culminated in the recent award from AM General to build 10,000 trailers for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle A2 program for the U.S. Army trailers over the next 10 years. The Contract Manufacturing line of business helps to balance the existing defense business and accelerate growth.
“Don’t throw good money after bad,” is one of Garner’s favorite quotes. “Leaders understand investment, but knowing when to pivot away from an underperforming investment is tough and often unpopular,” he said. “But such moves are often necessary to allow leaders to be able to make new investments.”
Why Watch
Garner and his team are heavily focused on starting up the JLTV program while supporting business transformation by upgrading the ERP systems to support this new large award.
“Ryan is a CFO that gets the big picture. He understands the complexity of how finance, operations and business mix to create value,” said Ted Wright, Navistar Defense CEO. “He is a good leader that gets respect up and down the chain of command as well as colleagues outside of the company. Ryan gets things done!”
Manuel Mendez
CFO, Integral Federal
With the ever-changing regulatory landscape and budgetary constraints, Integral Federal has honed its financial strategies to optimize cost control, project management, cash flow management and compliance. Under Manuel Mendez’s leadership, the company has enhanced its financial systems and reporting capabilities allowing them to make data-driven decisions with agility and accuracy.
“We have not only maintained our impeccable track record of compliance and customer service but also built an infrastructure to support growth which has allowed us to expand our portfolio of capabilities and key government customers,” Mendez said.
This achievement not only reflects the company’s commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity, but also reinforces its capacity to deliver essential mission support to government agencies effectively.
“Manuel’s dedication to excellence is proven through his team’s high standards of fiscal responsibility and compliance,” said Wayne Wilkinson, president and CEO of Integral Federal. “Under his leadership and through careful financial analysis, cost management, and strategic decision-making, we have been able to position the company for remarkable success in the future.”
Why Watch
In 2023, Mendez and his team have heavily focused on supporting Integral’s organic growth while also carefully monitoring market conditions to implement a strategic M&A plan and continue to evaluate their approach. In a rapidly evolving market, it is essential to stay ahead of the curve and identify opportunities that can drive value to stakeholders. As a result of these efforts, they anticipate continuing to grow in 2024, leveraging the company’s current infrastructure and expanding capabilities and customer sets.
“I am excited about the future of Integral,” Mendez said. “We have assembled a strong executive team with years of experience in organic and inorganic growth. For the last couple of years, we have built an organization that maintains the highest of standards and that is laser focused in implementing our strategic plan and maximizing value. I look forward to watching Integral thrive as a responsible and innovative leader in the national security solutions industry.”
Katy Nierman
Chief Financial Officer, Siemens Government Technologies
From reorganizing and revamping Siemens Government Technologies’ finance, supply chain and accounting divisions, to overseeing the restructuring and transfer of its financed energy work, this has been an exciting year filled with challenges and team wins for Katy Nierman. Keeping a growth mindset while closely monitoring costs and efficiency is a large factor in driving SGT’s success this year and towards its long-term plan.
“Katy is a dynamic leader who has driven lasting change within SGT. Her vision and ability to motivate the team is key to SGT’s ability to best serve our Federal Partners while achieving our corporate goals,” said John Ustica, president and CEO of Siemens Government Technologies.
Why Watch
Understanding the customer’s mission and company’s capabilities from bid to contract closeout within each function of the organization is key to success within global federal energy work. Nierman and her team are focused on enhancing the company’s financial system and ensuring compliance to improve the speed, accuracy and ease of financial reporting and better serve customers.
Consistently challenging the executive team to personally develop themselves and their teams, and to seek innovations in internal support systems and services is what drives the success of SGT’s CFO organization.
“At Siemens Government Technologies, our mission is to support our Warfighters and Federal Agencies in achieving the most critical missions facing our Nation today,” Nierman said.
“That’s why, we choose only the very best to be part of the SGT family. From accountants, financiers, controllers, and buyers to engineers, developers, managers, and a myriad of others, we have assembled the top in the industry and we listen to them. We know that good ideas can come from anywhere and our customers’, our teammates, and our Nation deserve the best.”
Barry Broadus
CFO, ICF
Over the past several quarters, ICF has experienced significant growth, both organically and through key acquisitions. The challenge has been to ensure that top-line growth has been achieved by expanding the bottom-line at a rate that surpasses revenue growth. ICF has not only met this challenge, but exceeded it.
Barry Broadus has been pleased to see how the ICF team has come together to achieve this success. In particular, he is proud of how the finance and accounting team stepped up to support the company. Through careful risk management, strategic financial analysis and more, they safeguarded the company’s stability and helped ICF capitalize on growth opportunities. ICF has surpassed its sales, pipeline, revenue, profitability and cash management goals and Broadus said he takes great pride in how the finance and accounting team supports the organization in these outstanding accomplishments.
A critical area for the team has been its ongoing ability to provide strategic insights that guide key decisions. Their financial modeling and forecasting has enabled ICF to make well-informed investments and seize market advantages. In particularly, last month ICF bolstered its energy portfolio, addressable market and rapidly expanded its set of technology solutions through the acquisition of CMY Solutions, a leading power and engineering firm.
The finance team played a multifaceted role in this deal from financial analysis to due diligence to deal structuring, integration activities, to ongoing financial management. These contributions helped ensure that the deal creates long term value and growth for ICF and is aligned with strategic business objectives.
Why Watch
Given the growth of ICF over the past several years, and especially this year, Broadus and his team are focused on supporting the organization through this rapid growth period as ICF expands its capabilities and provides more value to the customers it serves, especially in high-growth key markets.
The finance and accounting team is committed to adding value to the company as well by bringing forth innovative solutions that drive efficiencies and improve the effectiveness of business support functions. As an organization, ICF provides its business leaders with critical information to enhance their ability to make better, more informed timely business decisions. Looking ahead, the finance and accounting team is poised to continue this exceptional work and further support the company’s long-term success.
“It is truly an honor to lead such an outstanding team of finance and accounting professionals here at ICF,” said Broadus. “Our team is committed to supporting the mission of ICF and the success of the company for all of our stakeholders. This is a very exciting time for our company, and I am proud to be a part of such a great organization.”
