Leaders within the government contractor community will be the first to point out that the industry’s growth and maturation over the past several years hasn’t been about products or services, but about people. Individuals within industry, government and military who moved the needle forward in ways that spawned innovation and, at times, ushered in the type of reform that might have been painful in the short term but necessary over the long haul.

And so it was this week, with Cong. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va) announcing he will retire at the end of his 14 year term, that the government contractor community will see a key architect of government procurement reform move on.

Cong. Davis, through his role as chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sought to streamline and improve the way government acquired goods and services from Federal contractors and make more efficient use of taxpayer dollars - all while ensuring that these reforms did not choke the industry’s growth or slow its development. By successfully balancing these goals, Davis is considered a key driver of Northern Virginia’s emergence as a tech hub - considered so critical to the region’s sustained job growth and stability.

One of the reasons Davis proved so effective in shaping Federal procurement reform and innovation is that he developed deep and broad expertise that few if any in Congress could match. And as someone who consistently reaffirmed his commitment to stretching the taxpayer dollar further and advocating issues important to Federal employees, Davis could propose legislative reform deemed credible by all sides.

While Davis will surely remain active throughout his remaining term, he already leaves behind a legacy for demanding accountability. Spearheading legislation such as Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and the E-Government Act of 2003, Davis sought to enable Agencies - and Congress - to more effectively track progress on key technology programs.

While Davis will likely head to the private sector for now, it is clear that public service remains in his bloodstream. “I would say I’m not ruling out future public service, but it’s time to be refreshed, to see what it’s like in the private sector. That doesn’t mean I will or won’t come back.”

While it is hard to please everyone while serving in the public sector, it is even more difficult to earn universal respect. Davis did that.

BPA’s (blanket purchase agreements) are like fishing licenses, Subsystems CEO Sam Malhotra said in 2005 interview, “Now that you have the fishing license, you can go fish in this world called the U.S. Army RFID world… only the top companies they deem technically qualified and responsible get the contract.”

Malhotra was talking about government’s nascent use of RFID technology and the dichotomy between the federal government and private technologies firms specializing in RFID, professional services firms like BearingPoint and Subsystems. “…Every [government] agency has to account for assets and report to Congress. We know all of these systems will go to RFID,” Malhotra added.

As more government agencies migrate to the adoption of RFID technology, the opportunity for growth in the private RFID sector increases. To hear about these possibilities and to learn where Subsystems is headed. Check out the Executive Biz interview with Malhotra here.

The ExecutiveBiz “Been There Done That” lunch events are always interesting because the audience never quite knows how the featured speaker will use his or her time to pack a lifetime’s worth of experience into 30 minutes. In some cases, the speaker will reflect back on a storied career, what they’ve learned and how they overcome challenges.

And other times, like yesterday, the speaker will apply what he has witnessed in the past to make bold yet sound predictions about the future. Recently-retired SRA International President and CEO Renato “Renny” DiPentima likely used his time to examine where the Federal contractor market is headed because of the heightened level of insecurity greeting 2008.

Between the teetering economy and upcoming Presidential election, DiPentima knew that the audience would find tremendous value in absorbing sage commentary from someone who has been there, done that, and seen the market rise and fall.

What Renny spoke of was an industry transitioning to a new climate after 12 years of tremendous growth and prosperity. DiPentima pointed to a Clinton White House (Bill’s, not Hillary’s that is) that - after unfulfilled promises of prior administrations - not only said they would reduce the size of government, but follow up with action. Slicing the Social Security Administration workforce by 26% was just one example DiPentima cited of how government contractors would have a tremendous opportunity to step in and help a leaner Federal government become more productive.

The shift - or “transition” as DiPentima points out - began roughly 18 months ago when Cong. Tom Davis (R-Va) spearheaded efforts to reform the GSA and improve its efficiency. DiPentima related that as this was occurring and the GSA began winding down, task orders took longer to move through the system and Agencies like the DoD began using their own contract vehicles. This has altered the contracting landscape and how contracts are being tasked and fulfilled.

DiPentima concluded by looking forward to the November election, and what he believes is a flawed assumption that the two political parties will be motivated to get a budget passed before the term ends. In fact, DiPentima says, it is just as likely that the parties will go home without passing a budget and blame the other guys if it doesn’t get done.

But within all of the election year uncertainty, DiPentima eyes opportunity. He views the fourth quarter of 2008 as one that will be filled with significant activity due to a mad dash to get contracts awarded before the Administration changes and transition teams enter the picture.

No matter what challenges 2008 brings, DiPentima - when answering a question from the audience - breaks down success to a more fundamental and personal level. He said that the key to success is “matching the right people to the right job.”

Earlier this month ExecutiveBiz highlighted ten area executives in relatively new roles who we expect to be firmly placed in the 2008 spotlight. Perhaps these executives can take their cue from another set of leaders who have grown quite accustomed to being in the middle of the action. ExecutiveBiz’s “Beltway Game Changers” recognizes 10 prominent names who are not only well-known commodities within the DC government contractor community, but heavy hitters who lead some of their organizations’ largest and most critical business units.

The ten executives listed below have lofty goals to achieve and tens of thousands of employees to lead and motivate. Not surprisingly however, they are ten leaders with the track record and pedigree to hit all of their marks.

Jim O’Neill – President, Northrop Grumman IT
Staff meetings were probably a little easier to arrange decades ago when O’Neill entered the government technology space as a contract negotiator for Sanders Associates (now BAE Systems). Today, as President for the largest employer in the Commonwealth of Virginia, communicating and motivating 18,500 employees requires a little more strategic coordination. But, as he said when interviewed by ExecutiveBiz in early 2007, the company’s product is the employee which means that every single person is critical to the firm’s success.

As one of 30 companies awarded part of the Alliant ID/IQ Contract, O’Neill – and all NG employees – are in store for a busy 2008. Despite the commitments required with his day job, O’Neill served as the 2007 chairman of the Professional Services Council; recently joined the Board of Directors of Lee Technologies; and is a board member of the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Security Affairs Support Association.

Bill Hoover – President & Chief Executive Officer, American Systems
Some executives – perhaps concerned about failing to meet lofty expectations – keep their corporate growth plans buried deep within the bowels of the C-Suite. Hoover however, has never been one to shy away for aiming big and hitting the mark, and he put a definitive stake in the ground by securing a $75 million expandable line of credit to have on hand for his aggressive acquisition plans.

Hoover has not even hit the three-year mark at American Systems, but he’s made a quick mark at the company with a plan to hit tier one status sooner rather than later as part of corporate vision/2012.

Linda Gooden – Executive VP, Lockheed Martin Information and Technology Services
After transforming a small division at Lockheed into a 14,000-employee operation it surprised few when Gooden was promoted to her current role January of last year. The U.S. Black Engineer and IT Magazine 2006 Black Engineer of the Year is now engineering a 52,000-employee Lockheed business area that embodies a concerted realignment from traditional defense contractor to fast-growing IT services.

Dan Johnson – Executive VP, General Dynamics Information Technology
Johnson’s bio indicates he is responsible for the day to day operations of GD’s 16,000 person Information Technology unit – which no doubt makes for some long days balancing short-term operational needs with long term objectives. The IT unit - formed after the December 2005 Anteon acquisition - is chugging along under Johnson’s stewardship as he aligns the two firms’ expertise (networking and mission-based services) together.

Brad Antle – President and CEO, SI International
In an ExecutiveBiz blog posting back in October, I cited Antle’s published commentary in the Washington Post about scrutiny directed at government contractors. Because Antle is held in such high esteem inside and outside the government contractor community, he was the ideal thought leader to remind readers in that piece how the overwhelming majority of contractors are playing a critical role in aiding government and military operations.

Antle assumed his current role over three years ago, and the company’s mantra of Rapid Response • Rapid Deployment® seems to be paying off as SI brought in $450 million in Federal Contracts (if all options are exercised) during September of last year alone. Beyond the revenues however, Antle has the company on a path that has earned the respect of peers. SI was named 2007 Contractor of the Year at the 5th Annual Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards.

Greg Baroni – President, Federal Systems, Unisys
While Presidential election uncertainty can be good news for lobbyists – who typically thrive when clients need to cover all bases – election years can be challenging for Government Contractors that will see ambitious new and lucrative Agency initiatives fade as November approaches.

As Baroni cited when interviewed for a recent Washington Technology story, Unisys’ Federal Systems Unit must certainly contend with that reality. But, Baroni adds, he is leading an aggressive charge to secure the most strategic and significant opportunities out there for 2008 – first and foremost holding on to the DHS Information Technology and Managed Services contract (the next iteration of which could be worth up to $1 billion) it has been fulfilling since 2002.

Baroni has helped to transform Federal Systems into a true leader in providing solutions to secure the government enterprise, and while the election year will invite the unknown for contractors, he is focused on making growth and new wins a certainty.

Donna Morea – President, U.S. operations and India, CGI
CGI-AMS might be one of the more acronym-loaded post-merger names inside the Beltway, but Donna Morea is one name that has always rolled off the tongue frequently – and favorably – within the Federal IT community.

Morea jointed AMS in 1980, and has gradually extended her leadership and involvement with area business and technology organizations – including her current role as Vice Chair of the NVTC. All of this while not only successfully integrating CGI and AMS, but growing it as well through what she described to ExecutiveBiz back in May as a “evolutionary rather than revolutionary” approach to winning business.

Morea’s interests are as diverse as her background – which focused as much on the arts as it did on business pursuits. Known throughout the community for her role as Chair of the 2007 Kidney Ball, and perhaps by pasta fans for her Internet-based Italian oil business. The good news for CGI is that while Morea’s oil might be saturated (the good kind, right), the market opportunities for her company to grow in 2008 aren’t.

Mike Bradshaw – Head of Federal Enterprise, Google
I’ve always wondered what happens when a Google employee Google’s himself. Perhaps the entire system implodes or banishes the employee to the 5th dimension. Regardless, if Mike Bradshaw, head of Google’s Federal Enterprise Unit, conducts a search these days it is likely that far more content will come up as the ever-expanding behemoth continues to make Federal IT inroads.

The Federal team has roughly quadrupled over the past year and extended its focus from search to Google Maps, Google Earth and security product offerings resonating within the Federal enterprise. Bradshaw’s predictions made to ExecutiveBiz about where the Federal space is headed in 2008 offers a window into the pain point Google hopes to address with Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) tools that Government organizations can use for collaboration, security and efficiency.

Mark Johnson – Senior VP, Oracle Public Sector
While enigmatic chief Larry Ellison is always the one associated with Oracle, the name Mark Johnson is becoming increasingly recognized within Federal IT circles as Oracle extends its plug-and-play methodology to the public sector.

The company’s recent acquisition of BEA Systems will aid Johnson’s Public Sector operation when pitching Agencies on how to improve efficiencies via SOA. Johnson is a long-term fixture at the company, and has been a tremendous part of the Public Sector unit’s ability to penetrate the market – 100 US federal government agencies - and 1,500 public sector organizations – now run Oracle applications to improve efficiency and accountability.

Rick Marcotte – President and CEO, DLT Solutions, Inc.
Before Marcotte was leading the charge to drum up Federal business for DLT Solutions, he was a drummer (don’t worry Rick, the hyperlink doesn’t take readers to an old photo) in a rock band during high school. While the long hair might be gone – thankfully not all of it – Marcotte’s growth plan has DLT’s vendor-centric model rocking and rolling along just fine.

In the hyper-competitive VAR market, Marcotte continues to help DLT achieve aggressive growth – evidenced by its recognition as one of the Inc. 5000 fastest growing private companies; Federal Times top 100 contractors and a top government integrator and GSA vendor.

Brian Lustig is co-founder of Lustig Communications, a Rockville, MD-based communications firm that works with growing technology and government IT firms. Lustig is also a contributor to local business and industry publications.

When NYSE Euronext (NYX) Chief Executive Duncan Niederauer accepted the invitation to speak at today’s Potomac Officer’s Club event at the Ritz Carlton, he could hardly have imagined it would have been on the heels of this morning’s emergency 75 basis points rate cut by the Federal Reserve.

Knowing the increasing drumbeat of recessionary concerns was top of mind for the attendees, Niederauer addressed the rate cut - and the “R” word - head with some compelling insight that was immediately picked up by several major news outlets covering the POC event.

Niederauer expressed surprise not at the rate cut itself, but at its magnitude, indicating that many were anticipating a 50 basis point cut. He added that he is not seeing the signs of a recession that would typically precipitate this type of emergency move by the Fed.

Niederauer’s comments accurately reflect some conflicting signals from economists and policymakers on a) whether a recession has started or b) whether we are about to enter one. Much of the uncertainty stems from determining the extent to which the housing market woes will spill over into other segments. Niederauer acknowledges that the rate cut will help “a little” but wondered about the long term effects. At least in the immediate term, the cut prevented what was shaping up to be a historic bruising on Wall Street today with futures pointing to a potential 500-600 point drop.

Niederauer’s comments also potentially reflect what many observers have stated to be an evolving state of a “recession,” with many arguing that recent recessions have been milder than their predecessors - perhaps making the warning signs more subtle. As a result, consumers are left to balance the nightly mention of the “R” word on the news with analysis from experts such as Niederauer who has his finger on the pulse of current data and can effectively analyze what he is seeing.

While we will have to wait and see where the economy heads from here, I’m going to give a fellow Emory Eagle alum the benefit of the doubt.

Anne Altman, former Managing Director of IBM’s U.S. Federal Business, has moved to General Manager of the company’s Mainframe Platform Group.

Todd Ramsey has been tapped to head Altman’s former federal slot.

“The managerial changes are part of a yearlong general transformation within IBM, the biggest such realignment in 15 years,” said Lia Davis, an IBM spokeswoman in a recent interview with the Washington Technology.

Earlier this year, Altman gave The Executive Biz Blog her thoughts on the year ahead. “The year will start with a flurry of activity across all major agencies, followed by a slow down in the second half due to election dynamics. IBM will continue working with clients to extend their limited resources by leveraging commercial infrastructure to speed development, reduce costs and risks for mission programs,” Altman said.

While she’s moved out of the federal space, Altman will continue to have an impact on the Washington area business community both in her new role at IBM and at events like the annual Kidney Ball; an event she chaired in 2006.

We asked the following leaders in the government contracting space their prediction for 2008.

“The 2008 federal government market will be shaped by continued changing market dynamics driving a new era of customer partnerships and alliances as mission performance takes on heightened significance. At Apptis we will continue to deliver exceptional service to our customers through innovative solutions and professional services targeted at solving critical business challenges. ”

– Rene LaVigne, President and COO, Apptis Technology

“We expect that the drive toward larger, broader multiple award contract vehicles will continue. Winning a strong portfolio of those contracts is essential to be a viable competitor in the federal marketplace.”

– Sudhakar Kesavan, CEO, ICF International

“Government agencies will test the waters in cloud computing. Early adopters will change the way Government organizations think about using technology tools hosted by trusted providers. These tools – like spam filtering, email, and document collaboration – can be provided as a service, saving agencies substantial software, hardware and maintenance costs, while providing users with a better solution.”

– Mike Bradshaw, Federal Sector Head, Google

“2008 will prove to be another interesting but tough year for government contractors. Business growth will remain constrained due to budget fights between Congress and the president. As a result, we will continue to see a high level of M&A activity from large, public companies seeking to counteract their slowing organic growth.”

– John Chapel, President & CEO, AVIEL Systems, Inc.

“For each of the past ten years the mid-sized firms in our market have lost market share. As of the end of 2007 they were down to 19% of the market with large and small businesses sharing relatively equally the remaining share. 2008 will be the year that the mid size firms stand up and reverse this trend. They will band together to speak out against this unhealthy trend and work to reverse its adverse impacts on the macro economy of the federal IT marketplace. ” — Tim Keenan, CEO, HPTi.

“It’s pretty clear to me 2008 will be the year of turbulence. With the budget issues, changes in the war funding, and general political disagreements, new starts will be delayed and modified. For responsive and agile companies things will be fine but for anyone who’s along for the ride it will be a challenging year.”

– John Barrass, COO, STG

“2008 will be marked by a conservative budget and acquisition climate across Federal. The year will start with a flurry of activity across all major agencies, followed by a slow down in the second half due to election dynamics. IBM will continue working with clients to extend their limited resources by leveraging commercial infrastructure to speed development, reduce costs and risks for mission programs. The spotlight will continue to focus on government contractors of all sizes, offering an opportunity for our community to work together to demonstrate the tremendous contribution we provide to the Federal government.” — Anne Altman, Managing Director, IBM

“We will see more industry consolidation. The multiples of Revenue and EBITDA are still reasonable for both buyers and sellers, and there are a lot of contractors in the $30 to $100 million range, so the opportunities exist. Of course, this will still require careful scrutiny to prevent conflicts of interest.”

– Jack Hughes, CFO, Alion Science and Technology

“In 2008, Virginia will lead the way in driving government productivity.”



– Aneesh Chopra, Sec’y of Technology, Commonwealth of Virginia

“2008 will be equal parts – challenge and opportunity. We will all be challenged to deal with increased congressional scrutiny on defense spending and we will have the opportunity to deliver a better and more differentiated product to our government customers. Agile companies capable of dealing with constantly changing requirements will have the advantage. We’ll see some non-traditional alliances among businesses. We’ll have new partners. Businesses focused solely on 2008 will miss the opportunities that 2010 and beyond offer.” — Sam Seymour, COO, Centurum

What are your predictions in the government contracting space for 2008?

Do you agree with these predictions?

In the context of enterprise IT, a “mega trend” is a long term movement in time that drives large masses of people and is a forcing function for strategic directions. One of the mega trends sweeping over us all right now is Web2.0. This trend will continue to impact government in 2008. Here are a few probable ways:

• Enhanced innovation: Most large organizations, including government, find the most innovation where there is interaction with others. Innovation frequently seems to come from the edge. With more Web2.0 in government, there will be increased interactions among users internal to government and with citizens. Every interaction is an opportunity to learn of an unmet need which is an opportunity to fuel innovation.

• More deployment of applications for (and by) users: The trend toward enabling users with tools that let them create their own solutions will continue in 2008. Enterprise mashups based on enterprise data is already an expectation among the workforce, but the deployment of this capability in government has been slow to start. As government organizations see how others do it the deployment of secure enterprise mashup capabilities should accelerate.

• Expect less emphasis on huge integrations and more on what Forrester has been calling “dynamic apps.” These are applications designed for people and built to enable people to change them. As John Crupi, CTO of JackBe has noted in his recent post on “What’s Out, What’s In”, “Knowledge workers need ad-hoc and situational data which is dynamically integrated in small amounts.” Government IT departments will begin to deliver on dynamic apps in 2008.

• Enhanced retention and enhanced job satisfaction. People stay in their job for a wide range of complex reasons. One factor in job satisfaction (and dis-satisfaction) in the government workforce has been the relative inability of big IT departments to deliver modern tools to users so they can efficiently accomplish their mission. As more government enterprises deliver secure mashup capabilities, the ability of the government workforce to efficiently and effectively accomplish their mission should increase, which should have a positive impact on retention, fueling additional benefits to the mission of government.

Really we all know the best way to predict the future is to make the future. My hope is that enterprise IT departments from throughout government are planning now to enhance the delivery of Web2.0 capabilities into their environments. Doing so will make it a brighter future for all of us.

Bob Gourley is the co-founder and CTO of Crucial Point LLC and is the former CTO of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Bob blogs on enterprise IT at http://ctovision.com

ExecutiveBiz, the Washington DC area’s premier executive group and eMagazine, has compiled a listing of our top ten new at the top government contracting executives. We’ve chosen these 10 individuals because they have a demonstrated track record of success, arrive at a time when their current employers are in the midst of aggressive growth and expansion efforts, or will be succeeding some of the most well-known and respected names in the business.

While some of the names may be recognized from previous positions, the current roles represent new challenges. For example, BAE Systems kicks off 2008 by absorbing MTC Technologies Inc. in a recently announced $450 million acquisition; SAIC will be assisting the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command of San Diego with program management services under a new contract worth as much as $70 million over five years.; and SRA International will be looking to remain a desired spot for top talent after being named by Fortune Magazine as one of the 100 best companies to work for in 2007.

We hope you will join us in the coming year in watching these elite executives perform in one of the world’s most competitive arenas: Government Contracting.

John Hillen – President, Global Strategies Group LLC
Assumed Role: February 2007

With a career that has put him in just about every global hot spot on the map, few enter the executive hot seat with as many tried and tested skills as Hillen. From his time in the Army as a paratrooper and with Special Ops; to his role as head of the defense and intelligence business at AMS; and most recently a stint as Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, Hillen is poised to make Global Strategies Group a name to watch in 2008.

Global Strategies is already turning heads as a unique breed offering high end, integrated national security solutions designed to strengthen national defenses, stabilize critical environments and assure worldwide commerce. The firm has played a key role in some of the most high profile international hot spots, for example laying the foundations for Afghanistan’s first national elections and managing security and operations at Baghdad International Airport.

Dr. Stanton “Stan” D. Sloane – President & CEO, SRA International
Assumed Role: April 2007

When an executive assumes the position from a man known around town by a single name – Renny – you know that you are following a true institution. Dr. Renato DiPentima spent 12 years at SRA, growing it past the $1 billion mark and establishing the company as a top area government contractor.

Now past the $1 billion revenue threshold, SRA is looking for even more growth, and Sloane’s deep and balanced military and private industry experience - most recently as EVP at Lockheed Martin - makes him ideally suited to drive it.

Dennis Stolkey – Vice President and General Manager, U.S. Government at EDS
Assumed Role: August 2007

The $20 billion technology services industry leader started modestly with a $1,000 investment 44 years ago, (try and match that ROI Google!) and even today considers itself a company of “ordinary people, extraordinary achievements.”

In taking over the helm of EDS’ public sector business from Jim Duffy, Dennis Stolkey will look to preserve the firm’s everyman (and woman) approach while deepening and extending relationships with federal, state and local government clients, and senior military officers.

While Stolkey is new to his current post, he is no stranger to EDS employees after serving as Vice President in several strategic areas of the company. Stolkey joined the company over 20 years ago, and is now leading the charge for government business.

Lee Carrick – President, Perot Systems Government Services Unit
Assumed Role: December 2007

When Jim Ballard stepped down as president of Perot Systems Government Services last month after five years with the company, he could look back on a period of rapid growth for the Unit, which currently accounts for more than $550 million of annualized revenue and employs more than 3,300 associates.

But, as Ballard pointed out in the news release announcing his retirement, the Government Services Division is in highly capable hands with Eugene “Lee” Carrick taking over as president. While Carrick most recently served as EVP for National Security at Perot Systems, he brings plenty of Federal experience to bear after 26+ years working in the intelligence, defense and civilian markets.

Carrick can point to his success directing the $480 million federal IT division at Northrop Grumman as indication of the growth and financial results he expects to deliver in his new position.

Lawrence “Larry” B. Prior III – Chief Operating Officer, SAIC
Assumed Role: October 2007

With more than 11,000 employees, the Intelligence, Security and Technology Group that Prior led before becoming COO is not only the largest line organization at the San Diego-based company, but one of the largest support organizations in the entire intelligence community.

Now, as COO, Prior elevates to the company’s highest-ranking Washington, DC-area executive position, where he will focus on delivering top- and bottom-line growth and to fulfill the goals set out in the initial public offering. With a strong background in financial controls and functions, Prior will seek to extend the results he achieved for the Intelligence, Security and Technology Group across the entire 44,000-employee organization.

Duane Andrews – Chief Executive Officer, QinetiQ North America
Assumed Role: June 2006

While Prior is ascending the ranks at SAIC, the man who had previously occupied that very COO seat is now CEO of QinetiQ North America, an international defense and security technology company spawned in 2001 from the British government’s Defence Evaluation and Research Agency.

Since Andrews took over North America operations – which are run out of McLean, Virginia – QinetiQ has become an increasingly familiar name attached to large contract wins. The firm’s public sector business has grown both organically and through acquisition – most notably Apogen Technologies, Westar Aerospace & Defense Group and Foster-Miller, and former CIA Director George Tenet joined its Advisory Board in October 2006.

Paul Cofoni – Chief Executive Officer, CACI
Assumed Role: July 2007

One could argue that a successor’s ability to execute quickly and effectively is tied to the quality of the succession plan put in place. CACI Chairman and former CEO Jack London understood this better than most, which is why he devoted tremendous time and energy to identifying the right leader to carry CACI forward when he stopped down last year.

For London, that leader was Paul Cofoni, and the two men worked hand in hand for the two years after Cofoni arrived from CSC in 2005. CACI – like many other contractors – aspires for the tier one status. And since arriving from CSC, Cofoni has led that charge, eschewing smaller deals in favor of $100m+ contracts and working to ensure that CACI assembles the resources and personnel required to service those large bids.

Walt Havenstein – COO, BAE Systems plc
President and CEO, BAE Systems, Inc.
Assumed Role: January 2007

In his role as CEO for the $27 billion global aerospace and defense company; in addition to serving as President and CEO for the Company’s wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary that employs 53,000 employees, there is little doubt that Havenstein taps into every bit of his 24 years of experience in the defense industry. As referenced, BAE Systems recently got even bigger with the acquisition of MTC Technologies, which allows the firm to expand its service lines and grow business in six core markets.

Stacy Mendler - Chief Operating Officer, Alion Science and Technology
Assumed Role: September 2006

In what can be the clubby, male-dominated world of government contracting, Stacy Mendler has stood out – not for her gender but for her genuine accomplishments. Mendler, the company’s first COO, has managed execution of corporate strategy for the company through tremendous growth achieved organically and through acquisitions of firms such as Anteon and LogConGroup.

Mendler – and Alion – moved front and center in 2007 with numerous awards and contract wins. The employee-owned technology solutions provider has grown significantly since its formation in 2002 when roughly 1,600 employees of the IIT Research Institute (IITRI) - founded in 1936 - purchased the majority of assets of IITRI, creating a 100% ESOP-owned company. By the end of 2006 the company registered over one-half billion in revenue and the employee head count totaled 3,500.

Ed Casey – Chairman and CEO, Serco Inc. (North America)
Assumed Role: January 2006

There are many roads that lead to the C-Suite of government contractors, and as Ed Casey has proven, not all take a long and winding path through the Defense, Federal and Intelligence communities. Casey joined Serco after 25 years as a growth-oriented business executive and entrepreneur. As a managing director with UBS Warburg and at a private equity fund, Casey brought in the financial chops to assemble a financially-sound, growth-oriented business plan – and he has been executing it ever since (no surprise that Serco ranked #10 in price-to-earnings ratio for the Washington Technology 2007 Top 100 List).

Serco provides IT services to civilian and defense agencies that often go beyond the traditional contractor work, and Casey’s focus has been on not only integrated previous acquisitions, but pushing the company’s revenues well beyond the roughly half-billion mark it stood at when he came aboard.

Based on the size of the companies they now lead and the executives they succeed, the ten individuals on this list are not ones to shy away from a challenge. While there are certainly a few viable candidates who didn’t make the list, these are our picks for the ten “New at the Top” executives who will be driving innovation and making news in 2008.

ExecutiveBiz recently asked government contracting leaders their predictions in their industries for 2008. Here are their responses:

“Flawless execution and systems integration and engineering will define the hallmarks for 2008 in our marketplace. The need for effective partnership with our government customer will be of paramount importance. An increased emphasis on stability in requirements and funding will be complemented by the need for value-driven solutions!”

– Deb Alderson, President of System and Network Solutions Group, SAIC

“The close of 2007 saw an improvement in award activity that gives the industry confidence for a robust 2008. We continue to believe shifting government priorities caused by an increased focused on the intelligence community combined with BRAC and the return of some forces from Iraq will create higher funding opportunities for federal civilian agencies, department of defense, and the intelligence community.”

– Brad Antle, President & CEO of SI International

“Agencies will place more emphasis on exploiting HSPD-12 identity management card benefits for applications like secure physical and logical access, collaboration, productivity and worker mobility. Also, outdated ERP installations will drive demand for applications modernization initiatives as requirements for business agility, information sharing, and productivity become more pressing across government.”

– Dennis Stolkey, Vice president and general manager of the U.S. government unit, EDS

“In 2008, I expect government spending in IT hardware, software and services to remain relatively flat compared with 2007. I predict that contracting vehicles such as the GSA schedules will remain the primary way to procure commodity-like technology products and services.”

– Peter Ostrow, President and CEO of Technical Communities

“The trend toward the use of government-wide acquisition and ID/IQ contracts will continue. Since there is a shortage of the number of contracting officers within federal agencies, these contracts help streamline the competitive process and can help agencies get work initiated more quickly.”

– Stacy Mendler, Chief Operating Officer of Alion Science

“In 2008, government will be gripped by mandate-mania, as agencies race to meet looming deadlines to become COOP-ready and IPv6-enabled. Of course, meeting the mandates is important, but we should also be mindful they will help prepare the country to compete globally and ensure government continuity in case of a disruptive event.”

– Haywood Talcove, vice president, Public Sector Americas, Juniper Networks

“Dollars will become stretched as agencies hold off on the results of the election, and as our military presence in Iraq continues. Tier 1 and 2 providers will execute on strategies to secure small business dollars through means other than M&A. M&A deal flow will remain soft due to the SBA recertification rule that took effect last summer.”

– Raymond Roberts, CEO of Citizant

“With National elections coming up and the end of an administration, we believe agencies will stay the course with programs currently underway. New contracts will likely be limited to those with bipartisan support, with the remainder sliding to the right. We also expect qualified talent to remain a scarce resource both for government agencies and the contractors who support them.”

– Jim O’Neill is the president of Northrop Grumman’s Information Technology sector

“2008 will be another year of gridlock for contractors…

- Presidential election year politics in full display
- Legislative “one-upmanship” the order of the day
- Costs of the war will continue its ripple effect across the entire budget
- Reality of re-certification regulation will increase the chasm between small and large companies.”

– Bill Hoover, CEO of American Systems

“Homeland security, infrastructure, health, and ageing issues constitute the top priorities for our nation in the years ahead. We will need to find new and innovative ways to link the public, private, and civil society sectors, as a Megacommunity, to address the challenges that we collectively face together.”

– Mark Gerencser, Managing Director of Global Government Business, Booz Allen Hamilton