Sue M. Gordon is regarded as one of the most accomplished leaders in the history of national security, having served as the country’s number two ranking intelligence official and a trusted advisor to our nation’s key decision makers. As the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence (PDDNI), she co-led the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and oversaw the entire Intelligence Community (IC), comprised of over a dozen agencies that collect information on threats against the United States. In particular, Gordon’s transformative leadership focused on integrating intelligence across the organization, expanding outreach and partnerships, driving innovation, and advancing diversity and inclusion throughout the Community.

The Honorable Juan Zarate is the global co-managing partner and chief strategy officer for the consulting firm, K2 Integrity. He is also the co-founder and Chair of the Board of Consilient, an innovative new fintech company.

Zarate is the chairman and co-founder of the Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP) at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies; senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); and the Class of 1971 Senior Fellow at West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center. He is an advisor to the National Security Institute, the Harvard National Security Journal, FDD’s Center on Cyber & Technology Innovation, and a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.  He was a visiting lecturer on law at the Harvard Law School for eight years and is a published author, including his books “Treasury’s War” and “Forging Democracy.”

Zarate is a Trustee, board member, and Audit Committee Chair for Northwestern Mutual. He serves on the board of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED); the board of Guardian Space Technology Solutions, and since 2014, Mr. Zarate has served as an independent adviser to Coinbase, the largest U.S. virtual asset service provider.

Pope Francis appointed Zarate twice to serve on the board of the Vatican’s Financial Information Authority. He sat on the boards of Boston Dynamics, Cambridge Quantum Computing North America, and HSBC’s Financial System Vulnerabilities Committee.

Zarate has served on multiple commissions and task forces, including the CSIS Commission on Countering Violent Extremism; CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security; the Council on Foreign Relation’s Independent Task Force on North Korea; the Center for A New American Security’s Future of U.S. Sanctions Task Force; and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council Subcommittee on Countering Violent Extremism.

Zarate served as the Deputy Assistant to President Bush and Deputy National Security Adviser for combating terrorism from 2005 to 2009, the country’s fifth “counterterrorism czar.” He was the first-ever Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for terrorist financing and financial crimes, where he was responsible for the national security mission and established the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. He was a federal terrorism prosecutor prior to 9/11.

Zarate is magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College and a cum laude graduate of the Harvard Law School. At Harvard College, he won the John P. Reardon Award, as the top male student athlete. He was a Rotary Scholar at the Universidad de Salamanca, Spain.

Spencer R. Fisher is the Chief Counsel for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Prior to joining CISA, Mr. Fisher served as a Chief Counsel with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Office of General Counsel. In this position, he managed a team that supports the Directorate of Mission Integration including the Deputy DNI for Mission Integration, the DNI’s principal advisor on all aspects of intelligence, the President’s Daily Brief staff, the National Intelligence Council and the National Intelligence Managers including the Cyber, Economic Security/Financial Intelligence, Election Threats/Foreign Malign Influence, and Space Executives. He provided legal counsel to senior Intelligence Community (IC) leadership on key intelligence and surveillance legal issues including intelligence activities, analysis, and production under applicable Executive Orders, Presidential directives, and other laws and policies.

In 2019 and 2020, he served on a Joint Duty Assignment as a Deputy Legal Advisor at the National Security Council, Legal Affairs Directorate (NSC Legal). At NSC Legal, he provided legal counsel on national security and foreign relations issues to the Cybersecurity, International Organizations and Alliances, African Affairs, International Trade and Economic Affairs, and Strategic Planning Directorates. From 2017 to 2019, Mr. Fisher was assigned as Chief Counsel for the National Counterintelligence and Security Center where he provided legal advice and analysis on key counterintelligence and security issues, including critical infrastructure security, to the Director of National Counterintelligence and Security. Mr. Fisher’s work in the Intelligence Community began in September 2015, initially serving as legislative counsel at ODNI where he was responsible for coordinating the development of the IC’s legislative program.

Prior to joining the IC, Mr. Fisher served as a Trial Attorney with the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). While at DOJ, he litigated several major federal voting rights cases on behalf of the United States, including Texas v. Holder (2012) and United States v. North Carolina (2015). Mr. Fisher has served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve for over 22 years (currently a Chief Warrant Officer 4). He is assigned to the Marine Innovation Unit in New York and is also a distance education student at the Marine Corps University Command and Staff College. He has held numerous leadership positions in the Marine Corps Reserve including as a Ground Combat Element Project Officer at the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia and as an Executive Officer and Platoon Commander in the 6th Engineer Support Battalion in Wilmington, Delaware.

Mr. Fisher has also worked as an Adjunct Professor of Law at George Washington University Law School and clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Mr. Fisher received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Lesley Anne Field is the Deputy Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy in the Office of  Management and Budget (OMB), Executive Office of the President, and is currently serving as the Acting Administrator – a role she has had periodically since 2008. Her office is responsible for developing and implementing government wide regulations and policies to support over $470 billion in federal contracting each year, and she leads initiatives to strengthen the acquisition workforce, leverage the government’s buying power, and improve transparency. Prior to joining OMB in 2001, Lesley served at the U.S. Department of Transportation as a contracting officer and policy analyst in the Office of the Secretary.

Lesley is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and was recently recognized by FCW and 1105 Media with their top 2017 President’s Award as part of this year's Fed 100 awards. Lesley was also named as one of the Top Women in Technology 2017 by FedScoop Magazine, and was a 2008 winner of the Fed 100 Award. She received her Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the University of Virginia, her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Virginia Tech, and she completed the Senior Executive Fellows Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University

Corey Nickens serves as the AAS Innovation Client Executive within Assisted Acquisition Services’ (AAS) portfolio, housed under GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) organization. AAS provides buying platforms and acquisition services to federal, state, and local governments. Nickens is formerly the Deputy Assistant Commissioner for
AAS and previously served as FEDSIM's Acquisition Quality Director overseeing acquisition lifecycle activities.

Nickens is a member of various professional organizations that work to increase collaboration between public and private sector organizations. These include the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC), the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA), and the National Contract Management Association (NCMA).

He held leadership roles in ACT-IAC’s professional development programs, as well as the Executive Leadership Conference (ELC). He received the inaugural Federal Computer Week (FCW) Rising Star award. 
Nickens holds a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Drexel University, and a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC).

Daniel Hoffman is a retired senior clandestine services officer with the Central Intelligence Agency, where he served as a three-time station chief. Hoffman led large-scale HUMINT (human intelligence gathering) and technical programs and his assignments included tours of duty in the former Soviet Union, Europe, and war zones in the Middle East and South Asia.  Hoffman served as Chief of the CIA's Near East Division and was an associate professor, adjunct member of the faculty at the Army Command General Staff College.  He is currently an independent consultant and national security analyst with Fox News.  Hoffman speaks Estonian, Russian, Finnish, and Urdu. He is the proud father of two sons. 

Hoffman is an advocate for the Jessie Rees Foundation, PSC's Annual Conference charity.

Karla Smith Jackson is the Senior Procurement Executive, Deputy Chief Acquisition Officer, and Assistant Administrator for the Office of Procurement at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In this role, she provides senior executive leadership and oversight of NASA’s procurement functions, policy, and initiatives to an acquisition workforce of over 4,300 personnel. 

Ms. Smith Jackson serves on the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) Board of Directors, the world’s leading association in the field of contract management, where she shares responsibility for setting the strategic direction of the organization, ensuring its financial stability, and overseeing the development and delivery of member services and educational programs. She also serves on the Federal Acquisition Institute Board of Directors and on the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council. She is one of only three signatory authorities that can execute procurement policies and procedures on behalf of the United States Federal Government. In addition, she represents NASA’s enterprise procurement organization across the Federal Government, industry, and international organizations.  

A seasoned acquisition professional with over 30 years of extensive experience, Ms. Smith Jackson previously served as the Acting Director for Acquisition at the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). As the senior advisor and authority on all aspects of acquisition, contract planning, and management she provided guidance and oversight to programs that successfully integrated a single missile defense system into a layered missile defense capability. From 2016 to 2020, she served as the Director of Contracts at MDA, responsible for all agency contracting actions. 

In 1991, Ms. Smith Jackson began her federal service career as an Acquisition Management (AM) intern at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, formerly the Defense Nuclear Agency. After graduation, she joined the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO), which later became the Missile Defense Agency, as a senior contract specialist. During her tenure at BMDO, Ms. Smith Jackson held several positions, including, Director of Technology, Test, and Targets Contracting and Director of Contract Policy, Pricing, and Review. She then went on to serve as the Director for Acquisition Policy and Legislation in the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In this role, she managed the development and promulgation of Government-wide acquisition regulation and policy and represented DHS on all acquisition legislation decisions. Previous assignments include Chief/Deputy Chief of Contract Operations for the U.S. Coast Guard, Chief of Staff/Executive Officer to the Director of Acquisition at MDA, Chief of Acquisition Operations at the Headquarters of the Defense Logistics Agency, and Deputy Executive Director for Contracts at the Headquarters of the Defense Contract Management Agency. 

Ms. Smith Jackson holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Hampton University and a Master of Science degree in contract and acquisition management from the Florida Institute of Technology. She also holds a Master of Science degree in national resource strategy with a concentration in acquisition from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (Defense Acquisition University). She became a Certified Professional Contracts Manager in 1997 and is Level III–certified in the Contracting (Acquisition) Career Field. She is a graduate of the Department of Defense Executive Leadership Development Program and the Defense Leadership and Management Program. 

Ms. Smith Jackson has been featured in numerous publications, such as the NCMA Contract Management Magazine article “A Passion for Innovation,” the Space Foundation’s Space Report, “Procurement Chief Open to New Ways to do Business with NASA,” and the Partnership for Public Service’s article, “Collaborate to Innovate—Four Pillars of Federal Procurement Transformation.” She has also been a guest speaker on the GovCast Podcast episode “New Acquisition Framework Makes NASA’s Procurement Process Thrive.” 

Known as a global speaker, Ms. Smith Jackson has spoken at international forums and conventions such as the DefenseIQ’s Space Operations Summit in London, England, and the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber’s CelebrASIAN Business + Procurement Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has been invited to speak on panels such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s International Women’s Day panel—Navigating Change in 2023 and Beyond, and the 2022 Federal Acquisition Conference. 

As the recipient of numerous awards, Ms. Smith Jackson has received the Presidential Rank Award, the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service, the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service, and the OSD Medal for Humanitarian Civilian Service. She was also recognized as one of WashingtonExec’s Top Contract Execs to Watch in 2023. 

While holding numerous titles and positions, two of Ms. Jackson’s most important titles are wife to her loving husband and mother to her incredible daughters. 

Mr. David McKeown serves as the Deputy DoD Chief Information Officer for Cybersecurity (DCIO(CS)) and the DoD’s Senior Information Security Officer (SISO) per 44 USC 3544. In this role he provides expert policy, technical, program, and defense-wide oversight support to the DoD CIO on all cybersecurity matters. He is responsible for leading the DoD-wide cybersecurity program and associated governance processes. He partners with industry to improve cybersecurity and information sharing through the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) and represents the Secretary of Defense and DoD CIO in international discussions and negotiates cybersecurity topics in both bilateral and multi-lateral (alliance and coalition) channels. He leads the development of the cybersecurity investment priorities for the Department and provides planning guidance to Components.

Mr. McKeown has over 35 years of experience in the Department of Defense having served 27 years in the Air Force and 8 years as a government civilian. He spent 21 years as an Air Force Cyberspace Operations officer skillfully leading numerous organizations and high-visibility initiatives to include the Air Force Cybersecurity Program as a member of the Air Staff.

He served as the Director of Enterprise Information and Mission Assurance for the United States Army Information Technology Agency and as the Cybersecurity Center Chief and Enterprise Services Center Chief for the DISA Joint Service Provider in the Pentagon. He led the Pentagon Computer Incident Response Team (PENTCIRT) providing twenty-four-hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week network security monitoring and intrusion detection, attack sensing and warning, and incident response and handling for the Department of Defense's key leadership and staffs.

Mr. McKeown most recently led the Department of Justice’s Service Delivery Staff where he was responsible for the acquisition, development, deployment, operations, and maintenance of Department IT as well as delivery of high quality, customer-centric services to ensure the success of the DOJ and its component organizations.

Paige Smith is an Assistant Director at the U. S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Ms. Smith joined GAO in 1991. As part of GAO’s Financial Markets and Community Investment team, she has led engagements covering a wide range of programs, including programs administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In the small business area, Ms. Smith has led work on contracting opportunities for businesses that have outgrown small business size standards and become mid-sized businesses and SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program. She earned an M.B.A. with a concentration in finance and accounting and a bachelor’s degree in history from Vanderbilt University.

Conrad Stosz is the Director of Artificial Intelligence in the Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer (OFCIO) at the White House. Conrad is focused on developing and issuing policy to advance federal agencies’ use of AI to improve customer experience and support agency missions, while protecting the public from AI risks. Previously, he was an AI Policy Advisor for the Office of the Secretary of Defense and oversaw a multi-billion dollar intelligence program for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and developed legislation specific to Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Geospatial Intelligence. He also served as a policy fellow for the Defense Innovation Board and built data science tools for the Open Source Enterprise within the Central Intelligence Agency’s Directorate of Digital Innovation. Before entering government service, Conrad held a number of leadership positions in the private sector where he managed teams of software engineers as they built cutting-edge AI tools and received recognition from Massachusetts’s Institute of Technology’s Start Up Exchange as one of 25 “industry ready” start ups poised for significant growth. Conrad holds an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University and a B.A. in International Relations from Boston University.

An award-winning CEO and wellness strategy consultant, Fran has established a 20+ year track record as a business leader, publisher, speaker and tech innovator. In 1997, Fran founded Aerobodies Inc., as a provider of health, program management and facilities support services for government and commercial agencies.  Under her leadership Aerobodies has developed several proprietary health technologies and program innovations.  Fran currently leads a nationwide team serving an impressive list of corporations, federal and state agencies and nonprofits. Fran earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from George Mason University and is also a certified Executive Leadership Coach through Georgetown University.  She is a nationally recognized speaker and the host of The Optimized Workplace Podcast focusing on the trend and best practices in employee experience and workplace culture. Fran has served as a Board Member for the National Contract Managers Association (NCMA), the Northern VA Technology Council (NVTC), the International Well Building Institute (IWBI) and is a member of the Professional Services Council.

Jeff Chiow, Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig's Global Government Contracts Practice, advises and represents clients in litigation, investigations, and deals involving public contracts, including bid protests with tens of billions of federal dollars at issue. Leveraging the firm’s global resources, he helps clients with complex matters implicating export controls, foreign ownership control and influence (FOCI), CFIUS review, and various procurement, small business, and other federal regulations.

Jeff has deep experience in space, aerospace, defense, and national security matters. His prior service as a U.S. Marine Corps weapons and sensors officer in the F/A-18D Hornet informs Jeff’s work with cutting-edge technology: aerospace systems, cloud computing, drones, satellites, defense platforms, IT and AI/ML systems, etc. He helps navigate cyber and supply chain requirements, including DoD’s CMMC initiative. He is a founding Co-Chair of the Veterans@GT affinity group.

Jeff has handled grant fraud allegations, DOJ Civil Fraud investigations, and Inspector General and qui tam suits alleging hundreds of millions of dollars in false claims. He conducts sensitive internal compliance investigations and counsels clients about potential civil and criminal liability and related disclosure obligations.

Eric Crusius is a Tysons attorney who focuses his practice on a wide range of government contract (GovCon) matters, including bid protests, claims and disputes, compliance issues and sub-prime issues.

Mr. Crusius has extensive experience in government contract litigation, including successfully prosecuting and intervening in numerous bid protests before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (USCFC), U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), boards of contract appeals and other federal agencies. He counsels clients regarding the Service Contract Act (SCA) and other labor issues, domestic preferences, export controls, cybersecurity, subcontracting and teaming agreements, and compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and other agency regulatory requirements such as the Defense Federal Acquisition Supplement (DFARS). Mr. Crusius also represents contractors in investigations, suspension and debarment proceedings, and in federal and state courts. He also supports the firm's corporate practice and performs due diligence and compliance reviews for acquisitions and sales of entities and business units in the defense and civilian space.

Mr. Crusius also draws on his previous experience representing internet-based companies across the globe and focuses on cybersecurity issues particular to government contractors, including counseling contractors regarding cybersecurity compliance obligations, specialized breach response requirements required by various federal agencies (including the DOD), and certifications such as the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) and Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). He is an industry thought leader with respect to these issues having appeared on Government Matters, Federal News Network and featured at conferences to provide insight to the greater contractor community.

Mr. DiMaggio is President of BrainGu, a technology company focused on secure software development platforms and critical mission applications that is rapidly approaching a size where it will no longer qualify as a small business.  Previously, he was a founder and chief executive officer of The Tauri Group, a professional services firm focused on protection against bio-threats and emerging diseases.  He guided that firm from startup in 2001 to a successful exit as a mid-tier company in 2019.  Prior to that, he led national security teams at several large government contractors and was the principal strategic defense analyst at the Congressional Research Service. 

Mr. DiMaggio understands the importance of vision, culture, focus, and mutual respect in starting and transforming organizations.  He is particularly adept at developing business strategy, processes, and infrastructure necessary to attain high-performance. 

Mr. DiMaggio serves on six corporate advisory boards and is Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan School of the Arts.  He holds a Master of Science degree in Public Policy Analysis and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Planetary Geology, both from the University of Rochester. 

Barbara Hoey is a Labor and Employment partner at Kelley Drye and Warren. In her third decade of practice, Barbara’s experience includes counseling clients in all areas of employment law, and defending single-plaintiff, multi-plaintiff and class action litigation.  She is focused on delivering strategic legal counsel that addresses each client’s complex employment problems.  

Along with her robust counseling work, Barbara routinely represents clients in high-profile litigation.  She has litigated and won more than a dozen jury and bench trials involving claims arising under Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as the False Claims Act, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), New York State Whistleblower Law, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).  She has also litigated cases involving breach of non-compete contracts and theft of trade secrets.

Barbara is known by clients and peers as a pragmatic yet tough litigator and dynamic and persuasive trial attorney.  She is consistently recognized in Chambers USA as among the “best of the best,” where she is described as “extremely good at negotiating,” “tenacious” and has a “laser-like focus. Click here for her full bio. 

Mikhail Grinberg is a Partner at Renaissance Strategic Advisors where he consults corporate and financial sponsor clients in the aerospace, defense, and government services industry in corporate strategy and M&A due diligence. Mikhail leads Renaissance’s strategy, government services, and advanced technology practice areas. 
Prior to joining Renaissance, Mikhail worked at Jane’s Information Group and Deloitte Consulting, where he supported the DoD and the IC. Mikhail has done extensive research and writing on defense procurement reform, innovation, and technology management.
Mikhail serves as an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). He was one of the founders of The Strategy Bridge and serves on the Board of Globally. Mikhail holds a Master’s in International Security and a Bachelor’s in Political Science and History.

A visionary who started her now award-winning, multi-million-dollar business with a personal investment of $500, Ms. LaJuanna Russell has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of business operations and government contracting. She is particularly practiced in the areas of human resource management and process improvement and is a sought-after speaker on topics such as Future of Work, leadership, diversity and inclusion, entrepreneurship, and women in government contracting.

Being a business owner has provided her the opportunity to speak out on the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC and to provide a speech on the hardship of sequestration and the government shut-down that is aired on CSPAN’s website to this day. She has also had the honor to stand with President Obama in the White House Garden during a speech on the Affordable Care Act.

In addition to her certification as a Six Sigma Green Belt, Ms. Russell holds a BA in Communication Studies from Virginia Tech and an accelerated MBA with concentrations in International Business and Finance from George Washington University.

Kara counsels and represents government contractors of all sizes on all aspects of government contracting. Kara’s practice focuses on representing government contractors in connection with suspension and debarment matters, both before and after exclusion from contracting, ethics and compliance matters, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) mandatory disclosure issues, and internal investigations. Kara also actively litigates a variety of cases from bid protests and claims to disputes between contractors.

Mehul Sanghani is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Octo. Since launching the firm alone at age 30, he has grown Octo around the foundational belief that advancing customer missions matters most. Leading IT strategy and business transformation initiatives for corporations and Federal Government agencies, Mehul has guided Octo through tremendous growth, all while expanding capabilities and solutions that enable customers to solve complex problems and meet critical missions that impact the nation and the world.

Under his leadership, Octo has won several awards for innovation and has regularly been named a top workplace. Octo was recognized as the #23 fastest growing private business in the country by Inc. Magazine, received an Inc. Hire Power Award for job growth and creation, won a Vanguard Award from the Virginia Chamber of Commerce as the #1 fastest growing business in the Commonwealth of Virginia, was ranked the #2 business on a Washington Technology Magazine Fast 50 list of fastest growing Federal Contractors, won a Fairfax Chamber of Commerce award for GovCon Contractor of the Year, and has taken home dozens of other prestigious industry awards. Mehul, who has received his own share of awards personally, has worked hard to cultivate a unique corporate culture that has achieved widespread recognition. Octo was featured in Washingtonian Magazine’s “50 Best Workplaces” and was ranked the #11 best workplace in the Commonwealth by Virginia Business Magazine. The firm has been recognized by the Washington Post and Washington Business Journal’s as a top workplace six times combined.

Because Mehul believes in the power of supporting community and growing professionals capable of serving the Federal Government and the public, Mehul and Octo have been recognized for philanthropic efforts. In April 2020, Mehul and his wife Hema made an historic $10 million gift to their alma mater Virginia Tech; $1.5M of the gift was allocated to establish The Market at Virginia Tech, a first of its kind food pantry to combat student food insecurity. The gift also endows the groundbreaking Sanghani Center for Artificial Intelligence & Data Analytics at Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia Innovation Campus. The center focuses on next-generation research, policy, and technology and received national recognition, as well as funding from DARPA and IARPA. The Sanghani family’s contribution also supplies scholarships for “Sanghani Scholars,” minorities and other underrepresented students in need who are pursuing graduate education in the field of Artificial Intelligence. With direction from Mehul, Octo itself maintains a thriving Corporate Social Responsibility Committee. The company has been a four-time finalist for the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce Corporate Citizenship Awards for philanthropy and was recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a Corporate Philanthropist of the Year for metro D.C.

Mehul earned three bachelor’s degrees from his alma mater: Industrial Systems Engineering, Finance, and Psychology. Appointed by former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, he serves on Virginia Tech’s Board of Trustees/Visitors. Mehul also serves on the board for the Pamplin School of Business at Virginia Tech and is a Board Member of the Northern Virginia Technology Council.

Jeffrey Shen, President of Red Team Consulting, brings over 25 years of proven leadership and expertise in federal contracting, corporate strategy, and business development. Since joining the company in 2006, Mr. Shen has been responsible for overseeing the company’s corporate growth strategy while providing federal contracting expertise to hundreds of government contracting firms every year. His career in management and consulting includes working with U.S. corporations, federal integrators, and U.S. government agencies in the areas of strategic growth, capture management, and acquisition planning. 

Prior to Red Team Consulting, Mr. Shen delivered business strategy and technology solutions to the U.S. Federal Government and Fortune 500 companies worldwide on contracts totaling over $50 billion. He previously acted as Vice President of Sales for a small business where he increased company revenue by nearly 300% within two years and drove the recognized revenues of the company to $250M over a three-year period.  

Mr. Shen earned his bachelor’s degree from George Mason University and currently sits on the George Mason University Honors College Advisory Board. He is also on the Greater Washington Advisory Board for Truist Bank. Mr. Shen regularly works with senior government executives and acquisition officials and has been a featured speaker at various summits and conferences in the past on topics such as Acquisition Strategy, Proposal and Capture Management, and Business Growth.

Jean is a Managing Director in Baird’s Global Technology & Services team and Co-Head of the Baird Government & Defense Investment Banking practice. She joined Baird in 2018 from Houlihan Lokey, where she was a founding member of their Aerospace, Defense & Government Services (ADG) Group. Jean has expertise advising industry-leading companies on mergers and acquisition (M&A), capital-raising, and other key corporate strategies. She has deep experience in working with companies in a broad range of technology and services sectors, serving clients of founder-owned businesses, private equity-owned companies, and U.S. and international corporate divestitures. Jean is a Board Member and Executive Committee Member of the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC). She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Duke University and studied at the London School of Economics. 

Bhavesh Vadhani is a principal and the global leader of CohnReznick’s Cybersecurity, Technology Risk, and Privacy Practice with over 25 years of experience in the field of information risk management, security consulting and privacy advisory services. He is intimately familiar with regulatory requirements and standards, including, but not limited to, CMMC, NYDFS, DFARS, Sarbanes-Oxley 404 (SOX), OMB A-123, PCI-DSS, GDPR, 201-CMR 17, Red Flags, FedRAMP, StateRamp, and FISMA. He has led and managed such engagements as CISO advisory services, Cybersecurity Board Governance, cybersecurity and privacy strategy and program development, privacy assessments, information technology (IT) controls assessments, vendor security assessments, independent IT, security, and privacy compliance assessments, IT risk assessments, security incident response and recovery services, information assurance, IT strategy, IT portfolio management, and project management and quality assurance reviews.
In his current role, Bhavesh works with organizations in different industry verticals including government contracting, technology, financial services, health care, consumer product and retail, manufacturing and distribution, and state, local, and federal government. He helps organizations adopt industry best practices and frameworks to enhance their overall security posture, increase efficiencies in day-to-day processes, reduce the total cost of compliance, and identifies IT governance initiatives that help corporations and organizations enhance their existing IT environment. He assists executives with connecting the dots between their security and privacy initiatives and their strategic business goals and objectives while keeping in mind their organization’s overall risk profile and appetite.
Bhavesh’s designations include Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified in Risks and Information Systems Controls (CRISC), Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT), Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE), and CMMC Registered Practitioner (RP). Bhavesh has been recognized by many professional organizations for his contributions to the cybersecurity domain and has been identified twice (2021 and 2022) by The Consulting Report as a top 50 cybersecurity leader.

Susan Wedge is the Managing Partner, US Public & Federal Market, at IBM Consulting. In this role, she leads a team of over 6,000 US-based consultants focused on transforming how government, healthcare, and life sciences clients deliver mission outcomes using the leading technologies of our time. She delivers integrated solutions that leverage IBM and ecosystem partner technologies, coupled with deep industry and domain expertise across strategy, design, technology, and operations. Susan and her team have helped countless clients navigate disruptive changes and improve the quality, cost, and speed of operations. ​

Susan has dedicated her nearly 30-year career to solving client challenges across complex, regulated organizations. She is a recognized and eminent leader in the government industry, speaking and authoring thought leadership about creating value through technology for her clients and the people they serve. During her 21-year tenure at IBM, Susan has designed break-through industry solutions, built and developed diverse teams, and delivered accelerated growth for the company.  She believes that the exponential shifts in technology create an existing opportunity for the future. ​