Govini brings aboard new CEO, founder moves to executive chairman role

Public sector market research provider Govini has appointed government services veteran and former Mission Essential CEO Chris Taylor as chief executive to succeed founder Eric Gillespie.

Gillespie will transition into a new role as executive chairman of Govini’s board of directors. Govini started in 2013 and its investors have included Silicon Valley identities such as Accel Partners, Salesforce Ventures and Symphony Technology Group.

Taylor is currently an adjunct professor of national security studies at Georgetown University. His other current memberships include the Council on Foreign Relations, Atlantic Council and the board of trustees for American University of Afghanistan.

He also has led the Harvard Defense & Security Initiative and is a former member of the Defense Leadership Project at Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership.