From leading pricing strategy on major contract pursuits to overseeing a 10-month acquisition process, Mike Cavalier has focused on building scalable systems and strong teams that position organizations for sustained success.
Cavalier, chief financial officer at Victory Solutions, is a finalist for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards in the Private Company CFO of the Year (annual revenue less than $100 million) category. The event takes place live June 2.
In this spotlight, he discusses leading pricing strategy, leading an acquisition process, primary focus areas going forward, and preparing the next generation.
What key achievements did you have in 2025/2026?
In 2025/2026, I led the cost and pricing strategy for three major prime contractor pursuits that were ultimately awarded, helping position the company for significant growth and strengthening our competitive posture in the market. These wins played an important role in driving business momentum and contributed to creating the foundation that supported the company’s successful sale.
Following those awards, I led all aspects of the acquisition process over a 10-month period, coordinating efforts across multiple stakeholders and workstreams to help ensure a smooth and successful transaction.
In parallel, I remained focused on operational excellence by driving process improvement initiatives that increased efficiency, improved decision-making, controlled indirect costs and enhanced our overall competitiveness. Throughout the year, my focus remained on building scalable processes and delivering outcomes that supported both near-term objectives and long-term growth.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the mission?
My primary focus areas moving forward are operational excellence, disciplined growth and building scalable processes that enable long-term success. As organizations continue to evolve in an increasingly competitive environment, it is critical to balance growth with efficiency and execution.
Maintaining competitive pricing while continuously improving how we operate allows us to remain agile and responsive to customer needs. Equally important is strengthening our teams and creating organizational depth to ensure we are building sustainable capabilities rather than relying on individual contributors. Success is not only about achieving short-term results, it is about creating a foundation that allows the organization to scale, adapt and continue delivering mission value well into the future.
What is your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
Invest in people and build strong teams. Some of the most meaningful and lasting impact you can have as a leader comes from helping others grow and succeed. I strongly believe in coaching, mentoring and developing future leaders because strong organizations are built through people, not individual accomplishments.
I also believe succession planning is one of the most important investments an organization can make. Great leaders do not simply focus on what they accomplish today; they prepare others to carry the mission forward tomorrow. Beyond that, stay adaptable, continue learning, work hard and focus on consistently delivering value. Opportunities often come from showing up, being dependable and creating results over time.
What is something about you that most people do not know?
Outside of work, I enjoy stepping away from the desk and spending time outdoors in southeast Louisiana. I’m a retired U.S. Army veteran and have technically “retired” twice, but I’ve learned retirement does not always mean slowing down.
When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me tackling mechanical projects or spending time on the sugar cane farm in the heart of Cajun Country, where there is always something that needs fixing, building or improving.
