Tech, growth and delivery leadership roles across the market
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By
Ross Wilkers
One company featured in this newest roundup of executive hires and promotions is getting ready for its initial public offering.
Amentum
Michele St. Mary has joined as chief legal officer and general counsel, a role she brings 25 years of GovCon and legal experience to.
She previously spent 19 years at L3Harris Technologies and its legacy companies that concluded with a stint as vice president, deputy counsel and assistant secretary.
St. Mary succeeds the now-retired Stuart Young, who worked for Amentum and legacy companies for the past 30 years.
Auria Space
Dave Hansen has moved up to chief technology officer at the space software development specialist and brings 20 years of experience to the role.
Hansen joined Auria in the midst of its construction by the investment firm Enlightenment Capital, which unveiled the company in January 2024.
He worked at Ascension Engineering Group prior to its absorption into what is now Auria. His career also includes roles at Northrop Grumman and in the military space community.
Boeing
Jeff Shockey is now the airplane making giant’s top lobbyist amid an ongoing turnaround effort there, which also involves work to reassure both regulators and its government customers.
Shockey’s start date is Monday with the official title of executive vice president of government operations, global public policy and corporate strategy.
This marks a return for Shockey, who is also a former vice president of global sales and marketing for Boeing’s defense and space business.
Chenega Corp.
Terry Nihart has elevated to president of the security strategic business unit, a move that follows the retirement of Tim Lamb.
A nearly three-decade defense sector veteran, Nihart most recently worked as senior vice president of operations and business development for the Chenega SSBU. He first joined Chenega in 2020.
Prior to Chenga, he served as an Army military police officer for 25 years.
Chesapeake Technology International
Steve Kropac has joined this defense- and intelligence-focused software integrator as chief technology officer, a role he brings 25 years of experience to.
Kropac most recently worked as a vice president in the cybersecurity business of CACI International, which he joined in 2019 via that company’s acquisition of LGS Innovations.
CTI is backed by the private equity firm Bluestone Investment Partners.
Chugach Government Solutions
Christopher Buffoni has joined the federal facility management and maintenance services provider as chief financial officer, a role he brings 30 years of experience to.
Buffoni most recently worked as CFO at Cherokee Federal for three years in a tenure that saw the company double in size.
His career also includes senior finance leadership roles at both Leidos and the pre-2013 split Science Applications International Corp.
Client Solution Architects
Thomas “Matt” Matthews has moved up to the chief delivery officer position at this provider integrated technology and operational support services.
Matthews has been with CSA for 10 years and most recently worked as vice president for a business unit. In that role, he focused on operations and training services for defense and national security agencies.
CSA cited Matthews’ background as also including program delivery and market growth functions, among others.
ECS
Jeff Lau has joined the ASGN-owned government technology company as vice president of defense and intel solutions, a role that covers the delivery of solutions to the military service branches and combatant commands.
Lau most recently worked as a senior strategic adviser and product line lead at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. That role put him in charge of systems and investments related to artificial intelligence, cloud computing and cybersecurity.
The 20-year tech veteran’s government career is also a former deputy director for USPTO’s office of enterprise infrastructure delivery and has served as acting chief technology officer for the Commerce Department.
Intelligent Waves
Rudy Martinez has joined the defense and national security IT integrator as vice president of growth, a role that involves leadership of the overall business development and relationship function.
The 20-year federal market veteran most recently worked as a vice president at LTS and before that was a VP at Ipsos Public Affairs.
His career also includes roles at Atlas Research and Booz Allen Hamilton.
Leidos
Jason Albanese will move up to the chief growth officer position on March 3 and succeed Gerry Fasano, whose retirement was previously announced in January.
Albanese is currently senior vice president of growth for Leidos’ national security segment and will also hold a corporate executive VP title with his promotion. He joined Leidos via its merger with the Lockheed Martin IS&GS services business.
Leidos has tasked Albanese with helping implement its new NorthStar 2030 strategy that CEO Tom Bell unveiled pieces of in a mid-February earnings call.
ManTech
John Lossing has joined as vice president of industry compliance, a role that places him as the company’s main point person to the Defense Contract Audit Agency and Defense Contract Management Agency.
DCAA’s duties include financial and accounting advisory services connected to the negotiation, administration and settlement of defense contracts and subcontracts. DCMA is responsible for administrating the contracts themselves.
A 25-year market veteran, Lossing most recently worked as VP of compliance at Health Net Federal Services. His career also includes roles at Northrop Grumman, Mission Essential and General Dynamics.
Voyager Technologies
In the midst of its prep work to go public, the defense tech and space solutions provider has promoted two executives to lead a pair of its business segments.
Matt Magaña is now president of the defense and national security segment, while Marshall Smith holds the same duties for space solutions.
Magaña joined Voyager in October following a stint as CEO of RTX’s Blue Canyon Technologies subsidiary, while Smith has been with Voyager since 2021 and most recently was its chief technology officer.
Voyager confidentially filed its draft registration statement in October, a step that begins its process to undertake an initial public offering.