BigBear.ai’s Kevin McAleenan Wins Third
Wash100 Award for Strengthening Homeland Security
Executive Mosaic is elated to honor Kevin McAleenan, BigBear.ai CEO, as a three-time Wash100 Award winner for his leadership in strengthening U.S. homeland security and expanding the company’s military capabilities.
McAleenan is a dedicated public servant with extensive federal experience and private sector success. He spent nearly 16 years at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, with almost two years as commissioner. McAleenan also served as acting Department of Homeland Security secretary in 2019. He spent a year as BigBear.ai president before becoming CEO in January of last year.
The 2026 Wash100 Award popular vote competition is now open! Vote for Kevin McAleenan and other top GovCon leaders today at Wash100.com.
Why Is Kevin McAleenan Winning a 2026 Wash100 Award?
Influential Industry Collaborations
McAleenan orchestrated multiple industry collaborations that grew BigBear.ai’s stature in GovCon. The company and DEFCON AI are working together on technologies that should improve situational awareness and military readiness through data analytics. The partnership has a goal of providing integrable and scalable services to the defense sector’s most critical readiness and logistics challenges.
BigBear.ai, in October of last year, announced a teaming relationship with Tsecond to integrate BigBear.ai’s ConductorOS platform with Tsecond’s BRYCK system to accelerate and strengthen AI deployment for mission-critical operations. The joint capability targets streamlining AI deployment and management at the tactical edge without having to depend on cloud computing or continuous connectivity.
McAleenan led BigBear.ai to a strategic partnership with C Speed to provide real-time threat detection and decision support for worldwide defense and homeland security customers. The companies will integrate BigBear.ai’s ConductorOS with C Speed’s software-defined Lightwave Radar system to better secure complex borders and high-consequence environments.
Signature DOW Contracts
McAleenan guided BigBear.ai to a significant contract award in support of the Department of War Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Directorate for Force Management. This 3.5 year, $13 million sole source contract will provide and maintain the J-35’s ORION Decision Support Platform, which produces automated force management capabilities and data analytics to the DOW’s joint planning and execution community.
“We’re thrilled to award Kevin a Wash100 Award for 2026,” said Jim Garrettson, Executive Mosaic CEO and founder of the Wash100 Award. “Kevin is mission-focused on analytics and AI and has quickly made an impact on BigBear.ai’s growth since becoming CEO in January of last year. He expanded the company’s military offerings through a partnership with DEFCON AI to combine their expertise in data integration, analytics and AI.
“Kevin landed a signature contract from the DOW to further develop the company’s Virtual Anticipation Network prototype. His acquisition of Ask Sage, a growing generative AI platform, demonstrates vision and foresight in a competitive market. Congratulations to Kevin on his Wash100 Award, we expect him to build on his strong 2025 with an even more successful 2026,” Garrettson continued.
Who Is Kevin McAleenan?
Kevin McAleenan is an accomplished GovCon executive with a distinguished career spanning federal service and the private sector. He’s been an operational partner at AE Industrial Partners for the last six years, advising on technology, aviation and the government services markets. He’s also been a board member at Steampunk, an IT services and consulting firm.
BigBear.ai participated in support of Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet during the UNITAS 2025 maritime exercise, recognized as one of the world’s most prestigious naval training events. BigBear.ai’s technology was integrated across unmanned systems and hybrid fleet assets to develop a common operating picture for exercise participants.
“Our participation in UNITAS 2025 underscores BigBear.ai’s commitment to equipping U.S. and allied forces with mission-ready AI that delivers real impact where it’s needed most,” McAleenan said. “In complex maritime environments, where illicit trafficking, illegal arms smuggling and other transnational threats strain limited resources, our AI-driven insights can provide operators with enhanced situational awareness and the advantage needed to achieve mission success.”
What Are Kevin McAleenan’s Recent Career Achievements?
McAleenan in 2025 grew BigBear.AI’s technologies to homeland security. The company in August announced it had finished testing a new airport security technology in tandem with Smith Detection’s computed tomography screening systems.
Pangiam Threat Detection is a computer vision decision support and screening system developed to aid baggage inspection and broader airport security operations. The end product should speed up threat detection and consolidate screening workflows.
BigBear.ai’s VANE prototype is a cutting-edge technology that leverages AI-powered news analysis to boost national security. Through its contract with the DOW’s chief digital and AI office, VANE will identify emerging topics and trends about possible foreign adversarial regions of interest, allowing department leaders to make educated evaluations of media information critical to national security.
What Does Kevin McAleenan’s Success Mean for GovCon?
The government contracting industry can expect McAleenan to continue landing impressive DOW contracts for BigBear.ai’s AI technologies while expanding the company’s offerings in homeland security realms like border and port security technology and biometric identity systems.
Congratulations to Kevin McAleenan on his 2026 Wash100 Award!
Cast your vote for McAleenan in the 2026 Wash100 popular vote competition.