While CompuDyne and Siemens are well known to the inside-the-beltway crowd, perhaps fewer are intimately familiar with The Gores Group, a private equity firm with ownership stakes in 15 portfolio companies and a focus on high technology investments.

One of The Gores Group’s portfolio companies is CompuDyne, an industry leader in advanced technology integration for the Homeland Security market with more than 900 employees worldwide. In July of this year James O’Neill - formerly president of Northrop Grumman Corporation’s $4.5 billion Information Technology sector - took over as CEO of CompuDyne. And while the CompuDyne opportunity no doubt appealed to O’Neill, one could gather from his interview with ExecutiveBiz shortly after taking the helm that it was the entrepreneurial mission of The Gores Group and management style of Founder, Chairman and CEO Alec Gores in particular that O’Neill found most compelling.

The admiration appears to be mutual, as O’Neill’s role with The Gores Group is about to get a whole lot more interesting. Earlier this month O’Neill was named CEO at Siemens Enterprise Communications, a newly-created joint venture between The Gores Group and Siemens AG. With the move, O’Neill will continue to play a vital role within The Gores Group, and his decades of experience leading complex organizations will be put to work heading up the firm’s largest and most significant acquisition to date.

3001: The Final Odyssey is a science fiction novel published in 1997 (the final book in the Space Odyssey series) that centers around the evolution of intelligence, aliens, earth domination and, well, you get the picture. And while not bent on global domination, 3001 Inc., a leading provider of geospatial data production and analysis, and Northrop Grumman have embarked on their own odyssey with today’s announced definitive merger agreement.

Is it just me or is “odyssey” one of those words that just doesn’t look like its spelled right? Something about the letter sequence looks out of place. And what does that have to do with today’s announcement? Nothing really, but I like to insert a random tangent once and a while just to see if everyone is paying attention.

While not always known as 3001, the company has been around for more than 40 years, and the company assumed its 3001 name in 1998 to convey its position as “the leading-edge geospatial provider of choice today and for the next millennium.”

The company is owned by its management and CM Equity Partners, and counts federal customers that include National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Navy Facilities Command, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 3001 also has numerous contracts supporting state and local governments.

For Northrop Grumman and Linda Mills, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman IT, the transaction, “will significantly complement our current core geospatial business,” adding in the press release that, “Its strong geospatial data collection, processing and production capabilities help us further address the critical needs and priorities across civilian, defense, intelligence, homeland security, energy and environmental business areas, from both domestic and international perspectives.”

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed; the transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2008 and 3001 will become part of Northrop Grumman’s Information Technology (IT) sector. 3001 CEO Bart Bailey will continue to lead 3001 as part of Northrop Grumman.

Linda Mills has an impressive track record with Northrop Grumman. These days, as Corporate Vice President and President of Northrop Grumman IT, Mills oversees the company’s $4.5 billion information technology unit in McLean, Va. While times are uncertain for many in the government contracting space — due, in large part, to shrinking federal budgets and a looming presidential election — Mills is successfully leading the IT services component of the largest, fastest-growing division of the company. In an exclusive interview with ExecutiveBiz, Mills shares some key strengths that have helped her navigate her past and current roles, and how she’s making sure her unit’s technological initiatives stay relevant — and meet the challenges — in areas such intelligence, military, health care, and homeland security.

Your background speaks to a diverse array of business and management accomplishments — can you share a few highlights of your career before you joined Northrop Grumman in 2002?

Linda Mills: I have been fortunate to have held a variety of positions at Northrop Grumman — in both staff and operational roles — at corporate and sector levels, and on the east and west coast. This experience gave me an understanding of the breadth and depth of the capabilities of Northrop Grumman and its predecessor companies. One of the early development programs was a Navy Command and Control program which although bid out of our Space Park facility in California, was performed here on the east coast. Subsequent to this program, we established our sector headquarters for a sister sector that we now call Mission Systems, here in Virginia. It was exciting to be a part of seeing the whole company blossom and grow from its heritage and roots on the west coast to the east coast. It was history in the making.

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He’s known for his long and storied career in the federal IT community. For over five years, Jim O’Neill worked at Northrop Grumman, where he managed more than 18,000 employees in the company’s IT sector. Then, three months ago, O’Neill let the DC business community know it was time for a change; he promptly settled into a new role as CEO of CompuDyne, an industry leader in advanced technology integration for the Homeland Security market with more than 900 employees worldwide. In an exclusive interview with ExecutiveBiz, O’Neill shares the latest on his new position — and his excitement over the opportunities he sees ahead.

You left Northrop Grumman about 3 months ago. What are you doing now?

Jim O’Neill: I am now the CEO of CompuDyne at Gores Holding Company.

Can you tell me why you chose this opportunity?

Jim O’Neill: The reason I took Gores Group was because they were very entrepreneurial, with a focus on high technology in the public sector.

Can you tell us how the Gores Group is involved in CompuDyne?

Jim O’Neill: Gores owns CompuDyne, it is one of 15 portfolio companies that they own and it’s the only one in the public sector.

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Six months ago IT veteran Jim O’Neill was managing more than 18,000 employees as Northrop Grumman Information Technology sector’s corporate vice president and president. Three months ago that number dwindled to zero after O’Neill stepped down from his position at Northrop on the heels of a long and successful career in the industry. Today, however, O’Neill seems to have opted for a happy medium; recently settling into the role of CEO at CompuDyne, an industry leader in advanced technology integration for the Homeland Security market with more than 900 employees worldwide.

There is a popular saying from Irish-born playwright George Bernard Shaw: “Man can climb the highest summits, but he cannot dwell there long.” Perhaps O’Neill, also born in Ireland, had those Irish countryman’s words in his thoughts when deciding to join CompuDyne and lead a company that has continued to grow impressively both organically and through acquisition since its founding in 1952.

Roughly one year ago, CompuDyne announced it would go from public to private after agreeing to be acquired by a group of private investors for $59 million and change. As O’Neill eases his way into the new position (he recently spoke at a “Visionaries in IT Lecture” at UMBC), it is safe to say that we will be hearing more from CompuDyne. O’Neill, an ExecutiveBiz “Beltway Game Changer,” remains an active and influential member of the Federal IT community: he served as the 2007 chairman of the Professional Services Council; is on the Board of Directors of Lee Technologies; and is a board member of the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Security Affairs Support Association.

It’s no secret these are uncertain times for many in the government contracting space. With the upcoming U.S. presidential election, many companies are holding their breath, wondering how a change in administration will affect their budgets and staff. Weathering the uncertainty is no easy task. But many of the areas top CFOs and finance executives are up for the challenge. ExecutiveBiz went looking for the Washington, D.C. area’s top 10 finance executives — some CFOs, some not, but all showcasing the kind of leadership skills and eye for strategy to move their companies forward. What we found across the board was a compelling track record for overseeing their companies continued growth, now and well into the future.

He’s only been with the CACI a little under two years but Tom Mutryn already has a lot to show for it. As executive vice president and chief financial officer and treasurer of the company, Mutryn is helping CACI stay on the fast track as an aggressive IT industry operation and consolidator in the M&A market. Under Mutryn’s watch, CACI completed four acquisitions in 2007, raising the company’s revenue total to $1.94 billion for the year. That level of financial leadership also landed Mutryn another key distinction, when he was recently named the Corporate Executive Dealmaker of the Year by the Association for Corporate Growth. “We are very proud of Tom and his exceptional accomplishments in sustaining CACI’s role as a trusted national asset to the U.S. federal government,” says CACI president and CEO Paul Confoni. “[Tom’s] essential contributions to our mergers and acquisitions have enabled us to expand the solutions we provide to help our federal clients solve their most challenging problems in defense, intelligence, homeland security, and government services.” Mutryn’s strengths with mergers and acquisitions was on prominent display with CACI’s recent purchase of Dragon Development Corp. “Tom’s leadership, savvy, credibility and professionalism under pressure was instrumental in keeping all the complicated pieces together to get the deal into the end zone,” says Bob Kipps, managing director of KippsDeSanto & Co.

Look around ManTech International Corporation and you’ll see that Kevin Phillips has played an integral role in the company’s growth and acquisitions over the past several years. Phillips brings over 18 years of experience in government contracting to his work as executive vice president and chief financial officer of ManTech, and has led many crucial aspects of its financial and organizational growth. That expertise comes backed by seven years of executive management experience with CTX Corporation, which was later acquired by ManTech in December 2002. He has also held other key roles, including controller positions with IT providers to the government. These days, ManTech is abuzz with excitement born of vision — and a strong balance sheet. “We are excited about the prospects of our business as we are operationally well positioned for continued growth in revenues and profits, supported by our strong balance sheet and cash flows,” said Bob Coleman, president and COO of ManTech in an interview last year with Fair Disclosure Wire. And since ManTech went public, focusing on high-end intelligence and mission critical support, Phillips’ financial and strategic vision is helping keep the momentum going even stronger.

What a difference two years can make. When Joe Ragan, senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer, started with GTSI in 2006, the company was experiencing a short-term period of what Ragan calls “distress.” “There was some difficulty implementing a new ERP system,” he says, adding, “we had to recover … by recapitalizing and refinancing the company.” The company went through a restatement in 2006, and restated 15 quarters of prior results. But by 2007, Ragan had already helped rebuild the company, establishing new lines of credit just as it transformed itself from a traditional government reseller of IT products into a total solutions provider. Today, GTSI has over $300 million in debt capacity — compared to nearly zero in 2006. Scott Friedlander, GTSI president and COO, credits Ragan, who has more than 20 years experience in global finance and accounting, with providing the company a “steady hand” at a time when creditors and banks were concerned about the company’s viability. “His demeanor and steady approach to solving our problems not only got us through the very challenging first 8-plus months, but has provided a financial path for us to do even better in our transformation,” says Friedlander.

Tough yet fair-minded, he’s been called the kind of professional you’d want to see across the negotiating table. With over 25 years experience in the government contracts industry, Gary Shankman has been credited with focusing on the “real value drivers” in his role as senior vice president finance and group controller of Science Applications International Corporation’s Defense Solutions Group, headquartered in McLean, Virginia. “When you see Gary at the table, you know you’re in for a tough negotiation, but one where everyone is likely to come out ahead,” says Peter K. Wong, sector director of strategic development for Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. That ability to benefit all parties was evident when Science Applications International Corporation and Northrop Grumman recently restructured their AMSEC LLC joint venture. “Gary was integral in helping the teams through this complex transaction,” says Wong. “His expertise and professionalism were instrumental in our being able to pull apart a $500 million business and then successfully reintegrate the pieces back into our respective companies,” adds Wong.

When it comes to a strong background in business growth, few can beat Bernie McVey. Since he joined Northrop Grumman in 1978, McVey has steadily risen through the ranks of the company’s financial and business management sector. Among other key roles he has served in the company’s electronic systems sector as vice president and business manager for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and naval systems. Today, McVey serves as vice president of business management and chief financial officer for Northrop Grumman’s IT sector. As vice president of business management, McVey leads all aspects of the business management organization’s strategy. McVey also oversees contracting, pricing, procurement, resources planning, facilities, and an ever-crucial financial reporting and forecasting, while reporting to Northrop’s corporate CFO. “During his tenure at Northrop Grumman he has not only succeeded in business, but he is also an exceptional mentor and leader with a terrific sense of humor,” says Linda A. Mills, president of Northrop Grumman’s Information Technology (IT) sector. “I have received tremendous feedback from Bernie’s direct reports and colleagues that he constantly engages them in business decisions, thinks out of the box, challenges the status quo and is a trusted advisor … he is a vital member of Northrop Grumman’s IT’s executive organization, and is helping to ensure our organization delivers on our aggressive goals and expectations.” McVey’s sound business wisdom has been recognized beyond Northrop’s doors. Just ask T.W. Scott, vice president and CEO of Raytheon Information Solutions. “Bernie possesses a knack to quickly engage and provide solid business wisdom in a manner that is extremely agile,” says Scott. “He handles tough topics and challenges in a manner that is highly respectful and very inclusive of all audiences and situations. It is always a pleasure to have an opportunity to work with him because he gives 125 percent and strives to make a difference for customers and partners alike.”

Throughout his career, Jeff MacLauchlan has led several high-stakes initiatives for Lockheed Martin. The results speak for themselves. Among other achievements, MacLauchlan led the acquisition of 12 businesses, valued altogether at $2 billion. Serving as vice president of finance and later president of Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications, MacLauchlan also oversaw the corporation’s exit activities, which generated over $2 billion in cash flow. In March 2007, MacLauchlan was tapped as vice president of finance and business operations for Lockheed Martin’s Information Systems and Global Services (IS&GS). In this role, MacLauchlan is responsible for all of IS&GS’ financial strategies, and works with the leadership team and corporate CFO to grow the business, expand market share, and improve cost competitiveness, among other responsibilities. “Jeff Maclauchlan is an exceptional leader who focuses his financial and business management expertise to ensure the success of our customers, employees and shareholders.,” says Linda Gooden, Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services.

He’s been called a “can-do” CFO, and “true professional.” Backed by 29 years experience, Steve Hughes serves as chief financial officer and executive vice president of operations for SRA International, a Fairfax- based company which focuses on providing technology and services to support homeland security, defense, and global health. Since joining the SRA team in 1981 Hughes has held a diverse range of positions including systems analyst, accounting manager, controller, vice president, and senior vice president of finance. But his most high profile role came in 1996, when he was tapped as CFO. Hughes has since been credited with overseeing SRA’s astronomical growth. “Steve has made a huge impact on SRA’s ability to execute its growth strategy, co-leading the acquisition and integration of eight companies to date,” says SRA President and CEO Stan Sloane. That professionalism is recognized beyond the halls of SRA. “I have known Steve since SRA was a $100 million company,” adds Rick Knop, Co-CEO, Windsor Group LLC, whose firm has closed several transactions with SRA, including Galaxy Scientific and ERA. “He has been a key, if not the lead, SRA executive in every major capital acquisition transaction of SRA for the past 10 years,” adds Knop.

Meet Mike Garrity, General Dynamics’ “secret weapon.” As vice president of finance and administration for General Dynamics Information Technology, Garrity oversees all facets of the Fairfax-based company’s financial, facilities and information technology sectors. “Mike Garrity balances a unique entrepreneurial instinct with a seasoned pragmatic approach to financial operations that make him an extraordinary CFO,” says Ray Whitehead, vice president of business development at General Dynamics. In his current role, Garrity oversees the company’s ISO-9001 Registered Quality Management System. Beforehand, he was the program manager for GTE Government Systems Corporation, and the contract compliance council chairman for the organization, Cost Accounting Standards.

Over the last eight years, BAE Systems, a $14 billion global aerospace and defense company, has grown by leaps and bound — ten times, to be exact. And BAE credits Bob Murphy, senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer for the company’s U.S.-based operating groups, for much of that growth. “Bob’s contribution as a CFO and sector president has been a significant factor in BAE Systems’ growth,” says Walter Havenstein, president and CEO of BAE. An active participant in all merger and acquisitions at the company, Murphy led the acquisition of the former Armor Holdings last year — at more than $4 billion, it became the largest acquisition by BAE Systems to date. Murphy first came to BAE in 1999 as vice president of finance and chief financial officer. Prior to his current position, Murphy served as president of BAE Systems Technology Solutions Sector, a provider of technical and professional services solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, federal civilian government, and Homeland Security sectors.
Marilyn Crouther has come a long way since her days as an accountant for an oil and gas company in Houston. In 1989, she began working for EDS, a global business and technology services company, in Plano, Texas. The rest, as they say, is history. Beginning as an analyst with the Corporate Shared Financial Services group, she spent the next eight years in various EDS industries, in positions such as financial analyst and manager. In 1997, she rose to the level of strategic business unit controller for the EDS Health Care Industry organization, then moved to the Government Group in Herndon as industry controller for Medical Information Solutions. Then, in 1999, she became CFO for EDS’ U.S. government business. “Marilyn plays a critical role in my organization,” says Dennis Stolkey, vice president and general manager, EDS U.S. Government and Public Sector. “She is an outstanding person, a trusted advisor and a highly valued business partner who contributes significantly to the strategic direction, growth and success of our U.S. Government organization.” Somehow Crouther also finds time to volunteer for worthy causes, such as the Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund.

“Marilyn is a fantastic example of a business community leader dedicating her time in such a heartfelt way,” says Susie Kay, founder and president of HDSF. “Marilyn recently shared her story of life perseverance and dedication as a featured speaker in our monthly mentoring session … from her days as a student at Mississippi State University through her climb up the EDS corporate ladder, it was indeed such an honor to have Marilyn again giving up her time to speak to our future Washington, D.C., leaders and community members — showing our students that their hard work and perseverance will impact their lives and successes in the future.”

From strategy to service, dedication to varied experience, every one of these executives exemplifies the strengths needed to keep the area’s businesses strong. ExecutiveBiz salutes their hard work, and is proud to have them on a list of top government contracting finance professionals in the D.C. area.

Northrop Grumman’s Hugh Taylor has recently been named one of 2008’s Most Important Blacks in Technology by the editors of U.S. Black Engineer and Information Technology magazine.

Taylor is the former Northrop Grumman Chief Information Officer overseeing more than $1 billion in IT assets, processes and personnel. Now, in his role as Interim President of the Civilian Agencies business group, Taylor provides IT services to federal agencies such as Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security.

This is not the first technology award for Taylor, who has been working at Northrop Grumman for over twenty years. At the 2007 Black Engineer of the Year conference, he received the Technical Sales and Marketing award, which acknowledges exceptional leadership in the development, marketing and sale of cutting-edge technologies.

Read the full U.S. Black Engineer and IT Magazine here.

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.

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