Synergy hires ICF vet as chief executive

Synergy Business Innovation & Solutions, a midsized federal technology integrator, has hired three-decade public sector market veteran J.C. Chidiac as chief executive.

Chidiac joins Synergy to lead its push to expand across the government's entire digital modernization landscape and is the company's second major hire alongside Byron Caswell, who joins as chief strategy officer.

Both are former senior vice presidents at ICF, while Caswell most recently was president of Regent Solutions. Chidiac led ICF's digital modernization line of business prior to his appointment at Synergy.

“J.C. and Byron’s appointment marks a transformative moment for Synergy,” co-founder and board chair Chandan Mukhopadhyay said in a release Thursday. “Our focus has always been on equipping our customers with the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics to enhance national security and improve citizen services."

Mukhopadhyay and his colleague Sam Sarkar started Synergy in 2005 as a provider of commercial-like IT services and solutions to federal agencies. Synergy partners with many of the world's largest technology companies to bring their cloud-based offerings into government environments.

The company has recorded approximately $151.2 million in unclassified prime contract revenue over the trailing 12 months. The departments of Agriculture and Homeland Security represent Synergy's largest clients at 51% and 38% of the obligations respectively, according to USASpending.gov figures.

Chidiac joined ICF in 2020 through its acquisition of ITG, where he was chief operating officer before that transaction. His career also includes leadership roles at QinetiQ's U.S. subsidiary and CACI International.

Caswell has led multiple technology startups, both as founder and chief product officer. While at ICF, he managed the company's digital transformation portfolio for health and defense accounts.