From the web-enabled transformation of government to the promotion of greater collaboration between the public and private sectors, Aneesh Chopra has his work cut out for him as the country’s first-ever federal chief technology officer. To get a sense of how Chopra might fare in his new role, we asked some of the area’s CTOs for their take. Here’s what they’re saying:

“The political, economic, and demographic changes in the US are apparent. These changes are expected to dramatically impact how federal government agencies expend resources to meet their respective mission objectives. It is refreshing to finally have a national CTO who can strategically bring innovation and technology to address some of the most significant challenges our country faces, like healthcare and security. Aneesh has the pedigree and relevant experience in the public sector to make an immediate impact to modernize how our government leverages technologies to deliver services to its citizens. His challenge will be to promote ways the government can do this in a cost effective manner, while keeping our country safe.”
— Yogesh Khanna, Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, CSC

“We’re excited to see Aneesh as the federal CTO. His experience on behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia in implementing technologies that align with the state’s business needs is just what’s needed on the federal level. Aneesh’s capacity to leverage technology from a federal enterprise perspective will be helpful in solving many of our country’s most pressing issues, from cybersecurity — particularly within the civilian government — to the expansion of information-sharing initiatives that support homeland security.” — Mike Kushin, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, ManTech International

“The appointment of Aneesh Chopra as the nation’s CTO is a very positive step forward for the nation.  As CTO, Aneesh will provide the technical insight and direction needed to ensure that the US maintains a seat at the table of global technology initiatives. The CTO will also facilitate a bridge in communications among the federal, academic, and commercial entities — all of whom play a major role in the nation’s technology landscape. Aneesh Chopra brings leadership experience and an impressive resume to the table, so the confidence level is high. The nation’s technical community stands ready to assist him in this effort.”
— Jake MacLeod, Principal VP, CTO, and Bechtel Fellow, Bechtel Communications

“The appointment of Chopra is truly a reflection of the administration’s commitment to transformation of the government through innovation. Selecting Chopra demonstrates that the administration “gets it” about what a CTO is supposed to do for their client’s business in terms of understanding that business and leading it to better results through visionary technology development and
innovative implementation.”
— Mars Mariano, Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, ACS Federal Solutions

“Being a CTO and resident of the State of Virginia myself, I have witnessed firsthand the value of a strong, effective technology leader. I think that Aneesh will work in a very complementary role to Vivek Kundra, Obama’s newly appointed CIO,  in tackling the president’s very ambitious and aggressive technology agenda, focusing on efficiency, connectivity, and transparency. I predict that Aneesh will be able to leverage experience and ingenuity to build a national strategy of  technology and innovation that will transform the federal government,  just as effectively as his vision made the ‘digital commonwealth’ one of the revered leaders in technology efficiency and management.”
— Brian Neely, Chief Information Officer / Chief Technology Officer, AMERICAN SYSTEMS

It’s an interesting time to be a CTO in the federal marketplace. As the needs of government clients increase, so does the need for vendors to provide the most robust and cost-effective solutions. That takes innovation — and collaboration. In the spirit of that collaboration, ExecutiveBiz went looking for some of the area’s top CTOs. Hailing from small to mid to large-scale companies,  these business and technology innovators offer their tech forecast for the year ahead — and thoughts on where to place your bets along the way.

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