Ed Drolet
Vice President, CGI Federal
Ed Drolet joined CGI in February 2026, taking the reins of the company’s U.S. Air Force business. Recruited into applying by his friend and predecessor in the role, Kevin “Axel” Foley, Drolet wasted no time putting his own stamp on the office.
In the few months he has held the position, Drolet has undertaken a fundamental reset of the Air Force portfolio, establishing a comprehensive strategy that aligns Air Force requirements to CGI Federal’s core capabilities to ensure successful delivery.
“I’ve focused the sector on a bias for action and a pivot to mission basis to meet Air Force priorities for speed, precision, scale and lethality,” he said.
With the number of opportunities in the pipeline rising quickly, Drolet is evaluating them to pick well-aligned, well-shaped opportunities for the company to bid.
Why Watch
Drolet came to CGI with 24 years of active Air Force duty and another 10 at the Pentagon, the final five as executive director of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Strategic Studies Group. Private-sector leadership roles with the Air Force as a key customer followed. He intends to draw on that experience to expand CGI Federal’s footprint within the Air Force, citing trust-building, delivering on commitments and demonstrating value as his primary levers.
“I’m really passionate about Air Force mission systems,” he said. “That is where I want to take this adventure.”
Adopting AI is one of the Air Force’s chief needs. Drolet is seeking opportunities to bring CGI Federal’s considerable AI expertise and technologies to bear in aiding the Air Force mission. Implementing the right AI agents will save time and costs while boosting efficiency, he said.
However, as in any large organization, there are pockets of resistance to change. Another key priority for him is helping leaders overcome risk aversion, developing methodologies to encourage people to adapt to the changes that new technologies and new processes inevitably bring. The specific drivers of overcoming the anxiety vary from one person to another, but Drolet said his experiences, in the Pentagon and elsewhere, have given him ample opportunities to refine his techniques.
Fun fact: Over his 38-year Air Force/Pentagon career, Drolet and his family of seven lived in 24 homes around the world. Over the past 11 years, they have had only three homes, a marked change of pace.
