Operations, tech and talent leadership moves across the market

AAR Corp.

Dylan Wolin will rejoin the aviation services provider as chief financial officer on Feb. 23 following a two-year stint as president of Federal Signal Corp.’s specialty vehicle businesses.

He previously worked at AAR from 2017 to 2024 as leader of its corporate development function in a tenure that included the acquisitions of Trax and Triumph Product support.

Wolin’s nearly three-decade finance career also includes roles at Boeing and Deutsche Bank.

AE Industrial Partners

Jon Luszakoski has moved up to the partner ranks at this private investment firm focused on the aerospace, defense and industrial services verticals.

Luszakoski first joined AE Industrial in 2018 after five years as a lead engineer at Williams International. He helped lead AE Industrial’s backings of Calca Solutions and Firefly Aerospace, plus the pending acquisition of majority ownership of the Rocketdyne business of L3Harris Technologies.

AE Industrial’s other senior leadership promotions included Matthew Friendly to general counsel and chief compliance officer, Tess Sprechman to managing director and head of investor relations, and Megan LeFebre to head of human resources.

Alyssa Goessler, Adrian Lee, Tucker Long and Dave Paolantonio have moved up to the vice president ranks.

Advanced IT Concepts

Laura Faulkner-Rodahaver has moved up to chief human resources officer at this provider of technology and professional services, which she first joined in the spring of 2024.

The two-decade industry veteran leads all aspects of Advanced IT’s HR function including labor negotiations, workforce planning, organizational design and leadership development.

Her career prior to Advanced IT includes leadership roles at HDT Global, Domo Tactical Communications and Water Oak Development Group.

Akima

Marcus Lopez has joined the technology and professional services provider as chief operating officer, a role he brings three decades of government and commercial experience to.

Lopez most recently worked as president and chief growth officer at Cognizant’s Belcan subsidiary, where he oversaw efforts to bring its commercial IT offerings into the government landscape.

His career also includes a senior leadership role at ManTech and service as a Navy officer.

Aptive

Dr. Adi Gundlapalli has joined the technology and public service delivery support provider as chief medical officer, a role he brings two decades of public health experience to.

Gundlapalli will provide clinical and scientific leadership for Aptive’s health portfolio that includes programs in public health, federal health and health informatics.

He most recently served as a senior adviser in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology. He is also a former chief public health informatics officer for CDC and before that served in leadership roles in the Veterans Affairs Department.

BAE Systems Inc.

Mona Bates has joined the defense company’s U.S. subsidiary as chief information and digital officer, a role she brings two decades of IT and business experience to.

She will work with CEO Tom Arseneault and other “Inc.” leaders on carrying out the company’s technology and digital strategies, plus lead the overall IT function.

Bates most recently worked as chief digital officer at Collins Aerospace, a business unit of RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies).

Battelle

Becky John has joined the nonprofit science and technology company as a vice president of business development, a role she brings 15 years of experience to.

She will lead BD efforts for Battelle’s environment and infrastructure organization that includes work on energy, transportation and other related research efforts.

John most recently worked as a senior VP at SMX. Her career also includes leadership roles at ECS, CGI Federal and BAE Systems.

BWX Technologies

Kurt Bender has moved up to chief digital officer at the supplier of nuclear components and fuel, where he oversees the overall IT strategy in support of global operations.

The 22-year industry veteran first joined BWXT in 2023 as director of IT following roles at companies such as BAE Systems Inc., L3Harris Technologies and its heritage Harris Corp., and ITT Corp.

Bender moves into the role formerly held by Omar Meguid, who was appointed in 2023 as BWXT’s first-ever chief digital officer.

Dynanet

Joey Pahira has moved up to president at the IT and professional services firm, where he works with CEO and Founder Sean Peay on the long-term strategy and corporate vision.

Pahira most recently worked as vice president of healthcare at Dynanet, which he first joined in December 2022.

His 15-year career in industry also includes roles at Steampunk, Guidehouse and PwC.

Forward Edge-AI

Rodney Couick, formerly a General Services Administration official focused on tech transition efforts, has taken up a vice president position at this company focused on cybersecurity and quantum-resistant solutions.

At GSA, he served as a senior adviser for that agency’s involvement in Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.

His new title at Forward Edge-AI is VP of federal programs and SBIR commercialization within its customer operations department, where he will lead efforts to scale and commercialize SBIR-funded tech.

General Dynamics IT

Rebecca McHale has joined the defense company’s IT services business unit as senior vice president of human resources and communications, a role she brings 24 years of industry experience to.

McHale’s areas of responsibility at GDIT include people management and development, talent acquisition, benefits, compensation, global mobility, corporate giving as well as employee engagement and internal communications.

McHale most recently worked as chief HR officer at Peraton and succeeds Tammy Kness, who announced her retirement in a LinkedIn post.

General Dynamics Mission Systems

Ron Moore has moved up to chief information officer at the defense company’s technology product business unit, where he also holds the title of vice president of IT.

Moore first joined GDMS in 2015 and worked as deputy CIO since 2023. He has also worked as chief information security officer and director of cybersecurity for GDMS.

Prior to GDMS, he worked at EY for a decade in IT and cybersecurity leadership roles. He is continuing as CISO until the business hires his successor.

Herrick Technology Laboratories

Shane Sims has joined this maker of software-defined radios as chief growth officer, a role he brings nearly three decades of military and industry experience to.

Sims will lead HTL’s efforts to expand the reach of its signals intelligence and electronic warfare products to the U.S. military and allied forces. His career prior to HTL includes roles at Parsons Corp. and L3Harris Technologies, as well as service in civilian leadership roles at the Army.

In the spring of 2024, HTL received a $25 million investment from the venture firm Blue Delta Capital Partners to aid its efforts in accelerating the development of next-generation radios.

Heven AeroTech

Dr. Karen Swider-Lyons, a former Naval Research Laboratory official, has joined the drone maker as vice president of hydrogen and brings two decades of experience to that role.

“We look forward to her helping to accelerate the evolution of our hydrogen ecosystem: strengthening how energy generation, storage, and platform performance come together to enable long-endurance, real-world operations,” Heven AeroTech wrote in a LinkedIn post on her hire.

At NRL, she served as director of its laboratory for autonomous systems research. She most recently worked as a senior principal engineer at Plug Power.

HumanTouch

Kelly Bent has moved up to president at the IT consulting and digital transformation services provider, where she will work with CEO and Founder Moe Jafari on the company’s long-term strategy and vision.

Bent first joined HumanTouch in April 2022 as a senior vice president and is a two-decade public sector veteran. Prior to HumanTouch, she worked as a director in Grant Thornton’s public sector practice.

Her career in government also includes roles at the U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of Management and Budget, and Interior Department.

ICF

Kyle Wiggins has moved up to senior vice president of the technology and advisory services company’s energy, environment and infrastructure operating group that represents about half of overall annual revenue.

The two-decade energy sector veteran first joined ICF in 2019 and has led its utility program and services division within the EEI group ever since. This portfolio includes government clients, utility companies and other commercial entities.

Wiggins moves up to the role formerly held by Anne Choata, who moved up to president at the start of this year.

Industrial Security Integrators

Andrew Lotwin, formerly a senior executive at the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, has joined this provider of compliance support to other defense companies as senior vice president of federal.

Lotwin will lead ISI’s efforts to build more relationships across the federal government, where he most recently served as deputy assistant director for industrial security at DCSA.

The three-decade public sector veteran’s career prior to ISI includes roles at Deloitte, CACI International and Booz Allen Hamilton.

KeyLogic

Michael Miller has joined this provider of analytic and digital technology services as senior vice president for energy programs, a role he brings 35 years of experience to.

Miller spent 27 years at Booz Allen Hamilton prior to this appointment.

KeyLogic is a subsidiary of System One, which acquired the company in 2023 to further grow across the federal landscape.

Merlin Cyber

Kristin Groth has joined this public sector-focused company as vice president of people and culture, a role she brings 15 years of cyber and workforce experience to.

Groth most recently worked as chief of cybersecurity operations at Accenture Federal Services, where she led large-scale cyber delivery and workforce initiatives.

Her career in government prior to industry includes workforce roles at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, plus the departments of Defense and Homeland Security.

OBXTek

Clayton Crosby has moved up to senior vice president of operations at this technology and professional services provider, which he first joined in the summer of 2023 as a VP.

The three-decade industry veteran oversees the delivery of OBXTek’s digital modernization, acquisition and mission support offerings for agencies.

Crosby’s career prior to OBXTek includes roles at Empower AI, Leidos and Lockheed Martin.

Omni Federal

Tim Coffin has joined the defense software integrator as vice president of strategic growth and will focus on efforts in the space domain.

Coffin is a retired Army brigadier general whose military career includes service as commanding general for White Sands Missile Range. His private sector experience includes a managing director post at Mitre Corp.

Now at Omni, he will lead its efforts to position the company for growth in areas where national security and space intersect. Omni is backed by Madison Dearborn Partners.

Reveal Technology

This veteran-founded defense tech company has added four new people to its senior leadership team on the heels of an acquisition and a $30 million Series B capital raise.

Niko Hughes has joined as chief growth officer from Kagwerks, which he led from startup to acquisition by Codan Limited in December 2024.

Cale Teeter has joined as senior vice president of federal and public safety, a portfolio that includes intelligence work. He is a retired special operations officer whose career in industry includes roles at GoTenna, Kagworks, EF Johnson and SecureCo.

Reveal also has brought in Padden Guy Murphy as chief marketing and communications, along with Christopher “Chris” Booth as director of special missions.

SAP NS2

Prasanna Srinivasan has moved up to chief technology officer at this subsidiary of the Germany-headquartered software conglomerate that works in the classified realm.

Srinivasan first joined SAP NS2 as a vice president in the fall of 2020 after 15 years at Oracle. At SAP NS2, he helped lead efforts to build core platform foundations for cloud and other offerings.

“This brings me to the most exciting part of my new role: embedding intelligence directly into the platforms that enable our customers, so AI becomes a native part of how services are built, deployed, and experienced,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post on his new role.

Ursa Major

Jason Siebert has joined the rocket propulsion system manufacturer as chief operating officer amid efforts to further evolve the company from development programs to full-scale production.

Siebert most recently was COO at ArmorWorks. The two-decade industry veteran has also held executive roles at companies such as Firefly Aerospace, BAE Systems Inc., Magellan Aerospace and Honeywell Aerospace.

Ursa Major also has hired Jason Meredith as president of solid missile systems. The two-decade industry veteran’s career includes executive roles at Northrop Grumman, Orbital ATK and Pratt & Whitney.

Xcelerate Solutions

Danny Olmes has moved up to president of the aviation security business unit at this technology integrator, which he first joined in the summer of 2021 as president and chief operating officer.

Olmes also works as chief risk officer and executive vice president of government affairs at Xcelerate, which is backed by McNally Capital.

The 25-year industry veteran founded and led Hellen Systems before joining Xcelerate.

Eutelsat Network Solutions

Jill Singer, a senior executive at AT&T’s public sector division, has been elected chairman of the board of directors at the global satellite operator’s subsidiary for the federal market.

Singer succeeds the late Pamela Drew, who was board chair through the combination of Eutelsat America Corp. and OneWeb Technologies Inc.

Eutelsat Network Solutions’ board also has elected a new member in Jim Slife, a former Air Force vice chief of staff and retired general.