Today’s supply chain challenges span nearly every industry and impact the public and private sector alike. Citizens have seen the result of supply chain issues in their daily lives since the pandemic disrupted processes more than three years ago. As a result, global supply chains are under intense pressure, and leading executives are working through that to keep government going.
Supply chain executives oversee their company’s supply chain practices, consolidate buying and streamline purchasing. And they innovate processes with platforms and tools to make operations more efficient. For WashingtonExec’s Top Supply Chain Execs to Watch in 2024, we identified the leaders in GovCon helping federal customers with supply chain risk management, managing procurement processes, centralizing supply chain systems, ensuring technology is getting to where it needs to go, and helping the nation work through unprecedented supply chain challenges.
Alex McGuire
Vice President & Chief Supply Chain Officer, GDIT
Alex McGuire’s most recent accomplishment has been collaborating with a team that’s consistently achieving impressive results, whether it’s strategic negotiations, maturing supply chain risk management, or enhancing processes, systems and automations. For him, his biggest ongoing achievement is supporting the incredible team he works with at GDIT.
Why Watch
In 2024, McGuire and his team are concentrating on increasing automation and consistently finding ways to reduce administrative work, allowing employees to dedicate more time to the strategic tasks that energize them and most benefit GDIT and its customers.
“No task is daunting if you surround yourself with amazing people,” he said.
Fun fact: McGuire is a vinyl enthusiast and always looks for vinyl shops whenever he visits new towns.
Joe Niehaus
Senior Vice President of Logistics, LMI
Joe Niehaus leads a team of experts delivering high-impact supply chain solutions, with increasing agility across LMI and the federal market. His expertise in supply chain resilience and decision-ready supply chain resiliency analytics has been instrumental in developing LMI’s Supply Chain Risk Evaluation Environment, which provides enhanced supply chain risk management capabilities by integrating U.S. Government data with commercially and publicly available information. Niehaus’s commitment to delivering innovative solutions at the pace of need will ensure success as SCREEn expands across the U.S. government.
“Under Joe’s leadership, our team has developed and deployed cutting-edge technologies that are transforming the way our customers approach logistics decision-making,” said Christen Smith, LMI president of Service Lines and Solutions. “His ability to help government agencies navigate complex supply chain and logistics challenges has been invaluable to their mission success and our growth as a company.”
Why Watch
In 2024, Niehaus is set to emerge as a leading industry figure as he and his team roll out LMI’s new logistics decision advantage line of business, aiming to transform logistics decision-making with trusted data insights for faster, smarter action. Guided by Niehaus, the team will apply its expertise in supply chain management, logistics sustainment, resilient energy and warehouse modernization to drive the success of this groundbreaking initiative. His commitment to innovation and customer success has solidified LMI’s standing as a trusted partner in supply logistics.
“Logistics is the backbone of government operations, ensuring that critical supplies, equipment, and personnel are available where and when they are needed,” he said. “Our team of experts is dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that help our customers achieve their mission objectives and navigate the complexities of modern logistics challenges.”
Fun fact: Niehaus spent most of his childhood growing up on a farm in the Midwest, where he has many fond memories of his family growing crops and caring for cattle and horses.
Bill Mertz
Chief Procurement Officer, Peraton
Bill Mertz is responsible for all aspects of the company’s procurement organization, including supply chain operations, strategic sourcing and subcontractor management. He also oversees the execution of Peraton’s procurement strategy of driving better efficiencies and reducing procurement complexity for the company, its partners and its customers.
Bringing nearly two decades of experience as a supply chain and procurement leader, Mertz joined Peraton in October 2023. In less than a year, he and his team transformed procurement’s culture by instituting key foundational competencies of accountability, proactive outreach and a focus on learning and development.
Why Watch
Mertz and his team made radical customer engagement, strong supply chain risk management and value-driven partner relationships the core of their procurement strategy.
Soon after joining, Mertz reorganized his team to boost customer engagement, brought in strategic leaders and focused on forecasting customer needs. He made supply chain risk management a core part of the procurement culture, making Peraton more resilient to threats and vulnerabilities. The company’s commitment to value-driven partnerships will keep growing, benefiting vendors and suppliers while improving technology and capabilities for Peraton’s government customers.
“Bill and his procurement function are a cornerstone of our growth strategy,” said Mike King, chief growth officer at Peraton. “The impact and benefit of the procurement function is normally apparent only in the absence of adequate procurement management. Bill’s innovative approach and relentless dedication have not only streamlined our supply chain but also driven substantial cost savings and efficiency improvements. Bill’s strategic vision and leadership in procurement have been instrumental in helping us navigate the complexities of the market and position ourselves for future success. We are incredibly fortunate to have him on our team.”
Bill Rubin
Vice President of Global Supply Chain , Booz Allen Hamilton
A focus on technology and modernization is essential for supply chain leaders in 2024 — particularly when you’re at the heart of developing innovative solutions for some of the most complex challenges facing the federal government. Staying ahead of the rapid changes in technology accelerated by artificial intelligence, and a shifting geopolitical landscape requires a constant focus on supply chain preparedness, adaptability and resilience.
Booz Allen’s response to these changes is a transformation effort known as VoLT (Velocity, Leadership, Technology) a multiyear strategy for rapid and sustained growth.
“A robust and resilient supply chain is a critical part of our VoLT (Velocity, Leadership, Technology) strategy,” Bill Rubin said. “This means reimagining and transforming our supply chain capability to enable, develop and expand next-generation technologies and solutions needed to deliver innovation to our clients.”
Rubin said he will be considering various strategic, operational and external factors to ensure smooth and efficient operations across a diverse array of technical capabilities. His focus is on activating a modernized supply chain capability structured to enable Booz Allen’s mission.
Over the course of his career, Rubin demonstrated the kind of deep functional expertise and business acumen needed to consistently deliver outstanding supply chain performance. Supply chain management first caught his interest as an undergraduate, and his passion for the subject continued through business school and the day-to-day activities of his career.
Why Watch
Rubin is proud of how his team rose to embrace the opportunities and champion the wide range of changes associated with the transformation. “Preparing for the future while adapting to the present is a cultural change, an opportunity to build and expand skills,” he said.
“Bill’s leadership and vision brings bold thinking and innovative solutions to our supply chain transformation. His forward-looking approach is essential to propel our VoLT strategy forward as we accelerate innovation across client missions at speed and scale,” said Linda Asher, senior vice president and head of contracts, procurement and pricing at Booz Allen.
Kate Grimes
Vice President, Contracts & Administration Operations, ICF
In 2023, Kate Grimes launched a digital modernization initiative to drive business enablement across these disciplines to improve both internal operations and client delivery, leading the development through implementation of a cloud-based, enterprisewide source-to-pay platform that streamlines ICF’s financial management and procurement processes.
This platform integrates with four financial systems and automates activities with thousands of diverse subcontractors and suppliers into a single end-to-end solution easily accessible by all employees. The new system will provide ICF teams with greater visibility into its network of partners, enable cost efficiencies, support more data-driven decision-making and facilitate the negotiation of better contracts.
“Kate has played a crucial role in transforming our systems and processes to ensure our internal customer and external client service delivery not only meets but surpasses the standards of an industry-leading company, both now and into the future,” said Eric Hudgens, ICF senior vice president of contracts and administration.
Why Watch
In 2024 and 2025, Grimes is focused on expanding ICF procurement operations with advanced tools and resources for internal users, and adopting a risk-based approach to supplier segmentation to enhance client program delivery.
She’s raising standards for her team through targeted training, professional development and certifications. Grimes is dedicated to empowering her teams to strengthen partnerships with internal and external customers, while fostering a culture of growth by encouraging education and active involvement in industry organizations.
“I am excited about the transformative potential of our new integrated procurement system and its pivotal role in ICF’s evolution into a more mature enterprise,” Grimes said. “I am fortunate to be collaborating with exceptional partners from across the firm who are fully committed and strategically aligned. Together, we are driving better alignment across our global teams and effectively managing change to elevate performance outcomes and ensure the sustainability of our supply chain.”
Fun fact: Outside of work, Grimes applies her supply chain skills in fun ways. She enjoys treasure hunting at estate sales and flea markets, haggling to score the best deals. Friends and family often rely on her as their “negotiator” for big purchases like cars and appliances, and she always secures a better price.
Tim McAtee
Senior Director of Procurement and Subcontracts, HII Mission Technologies
Tim McAtee leads a team of procurement professionals supporting the Mission Technologies portfolio of contracts as well as its business development efforts.
McAtee and the procurement team played a pivotal role in the transformation of HII Mission Technologies’ procurement and supply chain operations. The journey began from a fragmented collection of standalone entities to a more unified, efficient procurement organization. The team recognized the inefficiencies and conducted a comprehensive review and consolidation effort to fully harmonize a centralized organization.
“The team embarked on a rigorous process of standardizing policies, retiring outdated systems and integrating new tools and technologies,” said Kevin Bonnette, HII Mission Technologies vice president of subcontracts and procurement. “These efforts not only streamlined operations, but also laid a solid foundation for future supply chain growth within HII Mission Technologies.”
Central to the transformation was the implementation of a common Enterprise Reporting Planning system and a Contract Lifecycle Management tool. This represented a shift toward a more cohesive and transparent management of procurement and subcontracts. The consolidation into a single ERP platform is enabling better coordination and oversight, while additional tools will provide a robust framework for managing complex procurement activities.
Why Watch
Looking ahead, McAtee is steering the team toward further process improvements. The goal is to implement a one-size-fits-all solution and develop a supply chain strategy tailored to the specific needs of HII Mission Technologies. This approach will address unique challenges and optimize operations in a way that generic frameworks cannot.
McAtee believes it is paramount the team stay current with the latest developments in the rapidly evolving field of procurement and supply chain management. His industry knowledge and experience ensure strategies are effective and forward-looking and contribute to the future growth of the organization.
Kent Crabtree
Vice President of Procurement and Vendor Management, Maximus
As Maximus continues to increase annual revenue and set new company records, the company’s procurement team kept pace under the leadership of Kent Crabtree.
Under his guidance, the procurement team’s efforts this year have been a game-changer for Maximus in driving cost reductions and true value across the organization. Crabtree’s approach centered on implementing improvements through the demonstration of strong customer and vendor engagement. Additionally, he focused on the importance of collaboration across Maximus with the use of technology and analytics to further deliver results.
“Our team is helping Maximus get to the next level by positioning our company for future growth,” Crabtree said. “The continuing-push of a ‘One Maximus’ focus for all vendor-related procurement is critical for our success as we execute on our strategic plans to become more proactive and streamlined.”
Recent achievements for Crabtree’s team include the launch of the company’s Business Spend Management system, on-time and on budget, as well as the addition of Contract Lifecycle Management and Third-Party Risk Management to the platform.
Why Watch
The Maximus procurement team was lauded for its work in 2023, such as receiving the Amazon Business Customer Award for Sustainability and Supplier Diversity. The award underscored the team’s dedication to fostering an environmentally responsible supply chain and promoting diversity and equity in the business community.
Looking ahead, Crabtree said his team is heavily focused on growth via a Centralized Procurement Organization to support the new streamlined process and business partners throughout Maximus. In addition, the procurement team continues its shift to a Strategic Sourcing and Procurement organization to be more proactive and strategy focused.
Fun fact: Crabtree is an avid baseball fan, who still plays and manages in local leagues and travels through the country to play in tournaments. The lessons from the ballfield are similar to the ones he learned in the boardroom.
Chad Jones
Senior Vice President of Digital Supply Chain Solutions, VTG
Chad Jones isn’t slowing down. The supply chain superstar who earned his reputation leading some of the defense industry’s most transformative projects recently joined VTG ⏤ and transformation is what’s on his mind.
“We have the digital tools and automation technology to revolutionize mission readiness for our customers,” he said, “and that’s exactly what the team at VTG intends to do.”
Jones certainly isn’t a newcomer to the supply chain business. He spent decades at the forefront of the industry, engineering solutions for complex challenges, leading large-scale projects and bringing innovative tools and technologies to the mission.
Jones credits his success to a client-centric approach, the support of a strong team, and a willingness to get after the tough problems.
“I’ve been fortunate to have always been surrounded by a team of likeminded professionals,” he said. “That’s what most excites me about joining VTG.”
Jones is hitting the ground running. VTG already delivers a wide range of digital modernization solutions to defense and intelligence community customers and has extensive experience providing prime contract logistics support to marquee programs like the Presidential Helicopter Fleet. The company was also tapped to transform Navy warehousing operations with the latest digital supply chain capabilities.
Why Watch
With the backing of majority investor A&M Capital Partners and two recent technology-focused acquisitions behind them, the VTG team is taking the defense supply chain challenge head on. With Jones spearheading the effort, expect to see big projects, cutting-edge tech and transformative impacts.
Allison Daniels
Supply Chain Organization Lead, Fluor Mission Solutions
Allison Daniels’ recent major achievement was leading Fluor’s Costpoint Enterprise Resource Planning system transition, which impacted around 3,000 employees across multiple countries. As the key process owner, she guided the Supply Chain Organization through the design, testing and deployment during the ERP system switch. Her efforts ensured a successful transition, completed on schedule and under budget.
Katy Burnau, Fluor Mission Solutions mission support vice president said, “Allison’s leadership, attention to detail, and open communication management style has been a critical element of the successful ERP transition.”
Why Watch
In 2024, Daniels is heavily focused on results through elevating her supply chain organization’s skills to ensure the company is positioned for growth while delivering its customers with a full spectrum of supply chain capability. She accomplishes this by recruiting the best talent, offering development opportunities and empowering each team member to achieve. She sets high but realistic expectations aligned with the company growth strategy while leveraging cross-functional skills.
Her favorite quote is: “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
Stephanie Foster
Senior Vice President & Chief Supply Chain Officer, Leidos
Stephanie Foster’s biggest recent achievement was overseeing the 2024 Leidos Supplier Innovation & Technology Symposium. Leidos’ seventh annual symposium was its biggest one yet, and her team hosted over 170 partners and suppliers in thinking big about how emerging technologies can help solve customers’ challenges.
Foster hosted a networking reception for women in technology the night before the event, and to kick things off at the symposium itself, she introduced Leidos CEO Tom Bell and retired Gen. James Mattis before their fireside chat.
“Stephanie has quickly made a significant impact on our supply chain operations,” said Chris Cage, Leidos chief financial officer. “Her leadership in leading key initiatives, such as the Leidos Supplier Symposium, has strengthened our relationships with partners and driven innovation across the network. Stephanie’s forward-thinking approach is already shaping the future of our supply chain.”
Why Watch
Foster’s team is heavily focused on best practices and the use of new technologies that gain efficiencies so it can deliver to customers effectively. As Leidos grows and evolves, its supply chain strategy and technology to support it must also evolve. In addition, the team created supply chain partnerships with industry experts that allowed Leidos to provide forward-looking capabilities.
“You don’t know if you don’t try,'” Foster said. “Too many of us set preconceived limits on our abilities to influence change. It is important to challenge why we do things to overcome the way we have always done it. Our world is always moving forward, and so should we.”
Fun fact: Foster is an avid audiobook listener and has almost 1,000 books in her collection. She’s a native Arizonan who doesn’t like the heat.
Christian Frye
Operating Group President Supply Chain Management & Logistics, ASRC Federal
With nearly 30 years of experience managing and growing Defense Department supply chain contracts, Christian “Chris” Frye leads ASRC Federal’s Supply Chain Management & Logistics operating group, a team that delivers over 400,000 orders yearly to DOD entities and foreign military sales customers.
Frye and his team joined ASRC Federal in May 2023 after ASRC Federal acquired SAIC’s logistics and supply chain management business. Through this acquisition and Frye’s leadership, ASRC Federal is delivering secure, technology-enabled supply chain management and logistics solutions on a global scale to support warfighter readiness. Frye’s leadership was essential in seamlessly integrating his team and their culture to become part of ASRC Federal.
“Chris’ depth of experience in supply chain management, as well as his understanding of unique DoD requirements and strong commitment to supporting our warfighters, has made him an invaluable leader at ASRC Federal,” said Jennifer Felix, ASRC Federal president and CEO. “He’s a trusted partner to our customers because he understands their missions and will do whatever it takes to ensure they achieve their goals.”
Why Watch
Under Frye’s leadership, ASRC Federal strengthened its relationship with the Defense Logistics Agency, serving DOD agencies. In February, Frye and his team secured a major win by landing a re-compete with the Navy Industrial Prime vendor program. They were awarded a 10-year, $500 million contract from DLA to provide depot maintenance and supply chain management for U.S. Navy Fleet Readiness Centers in Jacksonville, Florida; Cherry Point, North Carolina; North Island, California, and 10 satellite locations.
In May, ASRC Federal and DLA signed a Land and Maritime Supply Chain Alliance Charter to strengthen supply chain support for the nation’s warfighters. The alliance aims to implement joint strategies and process improvements to enhance responsiveness, including better customer deliverables and administrative efficiency. This agreement reinforces ASRC Federal’s position as a leading provider of secure, technology-enabled supply chain management and logistics solutions for DLA.
“I’m proud to be a part of such a committed and dedicated team that’s viewed as a trusted resource to our government partners,” Frye said. “Continuing to build strong partnerships will better enable us to transform and improve supply chain capabilities by leveraging the latest technologies ⏤ contributing to our military’s ability to protect and defend our Nation.”
Billy Harlin
Vice President Global Supply Chain Management, Amentum
Billy Harlin successfully led a best-in-class global supply chain team (Amentum is in approximately 80 countries and all 7 continents) while simultaneously leading the integration planning for the company’s upcoming merger and Initial Public Offering.
“I have a great team, and I’m proud of how they’ve remained agile as we’ve adjusted to balance the additional integration planning work while remaining focused on delivering solutions to some of the most complex supply chain requirements around the world,” Harlin said.
Travis Johnson, Amentum chief financial officer, said:
“Billy is a strong leader who has elevated Amentum’s supply chain offerings through technology transformation, driving the charge to the harmonizing of processes and systems for more efficient sourcing and logistics.”
Why Watch
Looking ahead, Harlin and his team are heavily focused on the future and planning for the next phase of their supply chain transformation journey. As they transition from planning to integration, they are incredibly excited about the opportunity the newly combined company will create for their go forward supply chain strategy.
A united supplier ecosystem, combined with Amentum’s go-to-market buying power and emerging technologies will produce a differentiated capability that is scalable and agile for clients. “It’s an exciting time to be a part of Amentum,” Harlin said.
The merger with Jacobs’ Critical Mission Solutions and Cyber and Intelligence businesses is expected to complete after markets close on Sept. 27. This combined company will be a new leader in advanced engineering and technology solutions with more than 53,000 employees in over 80 countries. The combined organization will be a publicly traded company with approximately $14 billion in pro-forma revenue.
“This past summer, one of our interns asked me what advice I could share with them professionally. I shared that, ‘In most circumstances, we are so quick to move to the next project, role or promotion, that you lose sight of the journey. You don’t take time to appreciate the relationships you made along the way, the sacrifices you made, or the personal growth you may have experienced. So, enjoy the journey,'” Harlin said.
Fun fact: Harlin was blessed to mark off a top three bucket list item this past April by attending the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby.
Troy Edgar
Partner, Federal Supply Chain Transformation Leader, IBM Consulting
A U.S. Navy Veteran with over 30 years of experience across sectors including finance, technology, aerospace, defense and logistics, Troy Edgar leads IBM Consulting’s Federal Supply Chain Transformation organization, which includes asset and facility optimization and supply chain risk management.
“Supply chains are the backbone of many federal government agencies, and in some ways, government supply chains need to be more resilient than their industry counterparts,” said Edgar.
“But improving resiliency doesn’t happen by chance or overnight, and it can’t be done alone. It requires partnership with industry and a well-designed strategic plan tailored for the agency and its mission – this is where IBM comes in. Combining IBM’s commercial global supply chain expertise with our experienced federal consulting team and innovative AI technologies, we’re helping our federal agency clients not only successfully manage day-to-day, but also prepare for potential future disruptions.”
Why Watch
“Managing a resilient federal supply chain not only means ensuring availability of needed goods and services, but it also means prioritizing data security and ensuring responsible procurement practices,” said Susan Wedge, managing partner for IBM Consulting’s U.S. federal market.
“This is where Troy’s cross-sector experience and passion for collaboration are key. He and his team work tirelessly with clients to help accelerate their adoption of critical supply chain technology, AI and automation solutions. Their work with our agency clients represents a best practice on how to build resilient, data-driven, digital federal supply chains.”
Edgar’s team will continue to help federal government agencies transform their supply chains from manual processes and disparate systems to data-driven, digitized networks enabled with hybrid cloud, AI and automation.
Fun Fact: Outside of work, Edgar explores American stories of personal and professional growth on his podcast, Ameritocracy.
