Veritas Capital Acquires Steampunk, Plans Merger With MetroStar
Veritas Capital and affiliates of The Veritas Capital Vantage Fund, L.P., have entered into a deal to acquire Steampunk, Inc. When the transaction closes, Veritas will merge Steampunk with existing portfolio company MetroStar Systems, LLC, to form a single company. “MetroStar has built something rare: real technical strength paired with a culture that actually backs
Top BD & GM Execs to Watch in 2026: MetroStar’s Kameke Mitchell
Kameke Mitchell Senior Director of Emerging Markets, MetroStar Kameke Mitchell’s biggest recent achievement is extending MetroStar’s reach into Colorado Springs through partnerships like CCTI. In collaboration with MetroStar’s Space Growth Executive Doug Edwards, Mitchell created new opportunities to deliver AI-enabled mission solutions that help government customers operate more efficiently and effectively. That expansion is more
MetroStar’s AI Maintenance Platform Chosen by Travis Air Force Base
MetroStar and ActionStreamer’s AI-powered maintenance product Iris has been purchased by Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Calif. This makes Travis AFB an early adopter partner and marks a pivotal step in the U.S. Air Force’s modernization of aircraft maintenance. “Travis AFB’s adoption of Iris shows a commitment to the men and women who keep
Chief Officer Awards Finalist Cedric George on Solving Problems That Matter
Cedric George has spent decades in environments where a bad decision — or a slow one — can cost lives. As a retired major general, he knows what it looks like when maintenance crews are working blind in confined spaces, cut off from the information they need, relying on manual processes that weren’t built for
Top Industry Execs to Watch in 2026: MetroStar’s Ali Reza Manouchehri
Ali Reza Manouchehri CEO & Co-Founder, MetroStar Ali Reza Manouchehri’s most significant recent achievement is leading MetroStar’s evolution into an AI-enabled solutions provider focused on measurable mission outcomes. Over the past 24 months, the company moved beyond pilots and proofs of concept to operationalizing AI and automation across key Defense Department and intelligence community programs.
Who’s Defining GovCon Marketing in 2026? Nominate the Leaders Setting the Bar
Who’s really shaping the future of GovCon? Now’s your chance to put their name forward. Nominations are open for the 2026 WashingtonExec Chief Officer Awards, the premier program recognizing the executives in government and industry who are driving real mission impact. For the second year, WashingtonExec is bringing together the Chief Officer and Pinnacle awards
From Space Force to Strategy: How Kameke Mitchell is Shaping MetroStar’s Next Chapter
With over two decades shaping some of the federal government’s most complex defense and space programs, Kameke Mitchell has built a career at the intersection of national security, acquisition and innovation. From managing NASA’s $23 billion procurement portfolio to helping stand up the Space Force’s Commercial Space Office, her work has consistently focused on scale,
Top HR Execs to Watch in 2025: MetroStar’s Debbie Peterson
Debbie Peterson Senior Vice President of People & Culture, MetroStar Debbie Peterson leads a team that works hard to build a culture where employees feel valued and supported, with 92% affirming that experience. “By placing our People Team at the epicenter of company strategy, we’ve launched programs like mPower that has equipped 80 managers with
2025 Chief Officer Awards Winner: MetroStar’s Stephanie Haynes
Stephanie Haynes of MetroStar has won WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Award for CMO or Marketing Executive of the Year (Private & Public Company). In her finalist Q&A, Haynes advocated for surrounding oneself with high performers who will challenge, motivate and push you to grow. “I’m lucky enough to work with exactly that kind of team,” she
Chief Officer Award Finalist Stephanie Haynes: ‘Our Role in Marketing is to Connect those Innovations to Outcomes that Matter’
The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced April 8, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person June 4. Next is Stephanie Haynes, director of marketing at MetroStar, and a finalist in the CMO or Marketing Executive of the Year category. In this spotlight, she reflects on
Top AI Execs to Watch in 2025: MetroStar’s Vy Truong
Vy Truong Chief Innovation Officer, MetroStar One of Vy Truong’s biggest recent achievements was helping MetroStar’s team launch Modern Intelligent Development AI System, or MIDAS, MetroStar’s AI-enabled solution for modernizing legacy code migration. Developed in MetroStar’s Innovation Lab, MIDAS transforms outdated, mission-critical applications into modern, maintainable code. Leveraging cutting-edge Large Language Models and a human-in-the-loop
Top National Security Execs to Watch in 2024: MetroStar’s Matt Zimmerman
Matt Zimmerman Vice President of National Security, MetroStar Matt Zimmerman secured critical follow-on contracts with existing clients while also winning new business with key customers in the national security space. “These programs strengthen our impact on the mission and create valuable opportunities for our employees to grow their skills and advance their careers,” he said.
Top HR Execs to Watch in 2024: MetroStar’s Debbie Peterson
Debbie Peterson Senior Vice President of People & Culture, MetroStar Debbie Peterson’s most significant recent achievement includes increasing the company’s veteran representation by 7%, designing internal growth strategies that boosted leadership diversity at MetroStar by 87% and partnering with people leaders across the organization to reduce turnover by 30%. “MetroStar exemplifies the differentiator People Operations
Pinnacle Award Finalist Ryan Abbott: ‘Let the Career Outcomes Follow Naturally from Your Commitment to the Mission’
The finalists for WashingtonExec’s 2024 Pinnacle Awards were announced Sept. 20, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person Nov. 21. Next is Ryan Abbott, vice president of defense at MetroStar, and finalist in the DoD Executive of the Year, Private Company, category. Here, he talks about recent achievements, shares
Pinnacle Award Finalist Navi Samra: ‘Be Your Authentic Self’
The finalists for WashingtonExec’s 2024 Pinnacle Awards were announced Sept. 20, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person Nov. 21. Next is Navi Samra, director of national security at MetroStar, and finalist in the DHS Executive of the Year, Private Company, category. Here, she talks about recent achievements, shares
Buchanan & Edwards Wins Spot on $8B FBI IT Support Services Contract
Buchanan & Edwards Inc. has won a spot on a 5-year, $8 billion blanket purchase agreement with the FBI in partnership with Metrostar. As lead of the Contractor Teaming Agreement, BE will address critical technical needs and help with future project and program outcomes for the FBI. “This contract is poised to deliver the next
Chief Officer Awards Finalist Mo Hessabi: ‘Keep Digging Deeper’
The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced March 28, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person May 10. Next is Mo Hessabi, chief operating officer at MetroStar, and finalist in the Private Company Chief Operating Officer category. Here, he shares key achievements, focus areas going forward,
Pinnacle Awards Finalist Debbie Peterson: ‘I am Most Proud of Spending the Last 10 Years Growing within MetroStar’
The finalists for WashingtonExec’s 2023 Pinnacle Awards were announced Sept. 25, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person Nov. 16. Next is HR Executive of the Year finalist in a Private Company with an annual revenue less than $250M Debbie Peterson, who is senior vice president of people
Pinnacle Awards Finalist Matt Zimmerman: ‘My Focus is to Continue to Deliver Exceptional Service to Our National Security Customers’
The finalists for WashingtonExec’s 2023 Pinnacle Awards were announced Sept. 25, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person Nov. 16. Next is National Security/DHS Executive of the Year finalist in the Private & Public Companies category Matt Zimmerman, who is vice president of national security at MetroStar. Here,
Top HR Execs to Watch in 2023: MetroStar’s Debbie Peterson
Debbie Peterson Senior Vice President of People and Culture, MetroStar Unifying MetroStar’s people leaders, recruiters and people operations teams to enhance the company’s people experience has been Debbie Peterson’s biggest recent achievement. The company made tremendous investments in its recruiting and retention strategies and programs, allowing MetroStar to successfully grow its headcount by 25% in
Pinnacle Awards Finalist Kyle Andrews: ‘I am Most Proud of Building a High-Performing Team’
The finalists for WashingtonExec’s 2023 Pinnacle Awards were announced Sept. 25, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person Nov. 16. Next is Pricing Executive of the Year finalist in the Private Company & Public Company category Kyle Andrews, senior vice president of finance for MetroStar. Here, he shares
WATCH: MetroStar’s Debbie Peterson on Building Culture in Hybrid Work Settings
Debbie Peterson of MetroStar speaks with WashingtonExec’s Rachel Kirkland about how to build a strong organizational culture in hybrid work settings. As senior vice president of people and culture, Peterson shares her thoughts on creating a sense of unity and belonging, addressing gaps experienced by women and various minority groups, and the role of technology
Top Business Development Execs to Watch in 2022: MetroStar’s Rachel Cohen
Rachel Cohen Chief Growth Officer, MetroStar MetroStar’s appointment of its first female chief officer represents the company’s commitment to diversity at all levels of the organization. Rachel Cohen joined MetroStar as the chief growth officer last year and has since made strides that reflect the overall advancement of technology solutions in government and MetroStar’s subsequent
WATCH: MetroStar’s Ali Manouchehri on Supporting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
MetroStar CEO and Co-founder Ali Manouchehri speaks with WashingtonExec’s Rachel Kirkland about his involvement with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Manouchehri discusses who made an impact on him, why the work is so important today and how others can get involved and give back. To support his executive fundraising challenge, go here. For information on
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