- The 2026 Wash100 class includes first-time honorees and repeat Wash100 winners
- AI and cybersecurity emerged as the defining themes
- The Department of War produced the most number of winners
From national security to technological modernization, every initiative advancing federal missions requires extraordinary leadership. Executive Mosaic’s Wash100 Award is a celebration of the prominent individuals whose vision and guidance propel the government forward.
Before the current season comes to a close, let us take a look at the numbers behind the 2026 winners to get insight into critical industry trends and the leaders influencing federal policies and strategies.
Get to know the government and industry leaders forging the future of government contracting at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 FedCiv Summit on Oct. 29. The event will feature executive-level discussions on how to transform agency priorities to mission outcomes. Get your tickets here!
How Many Are First-Time & Returning Wash100 Winners?
The 2026 edition of one of the most prestigious awards in GovCon has seen 44 first-time winners and 56 who have appeared in the annual list before, both reflecting the enduring leadership excellence of Wash100 winners throughout the years and highlighting the industry disruptors who are bringing fresh ideas and novel technologies to the federal market.
Of the repeat winners, seven executives won their 10th, 11th and 12th Wash100 awards this year:
- Amentum CEO John Heller — 10 awards
- Northrop Grumman Chair, CEO and President Kathy Warden — 10 awards
- CACI President DeEtte Gray — 10 awards
- Guidehouse CEO Scott McIntyre — 10 awards
- Veritas Capital CEO Ramzi Musallam — 11 awards
- Iridium CEO Matt Desch — 12 awards
- Carahsoft President Craig Abod — 12 awards
Equally impressive are winners who have won the esteemed recognition less than a year after securing their leadership role. A total of 26 winners have held their roles for one year or less, including Hung Cao, who was confirmed as under secretary of the Navy in October 2025 and appointed acting secretary of the Navy in April 2026. The 2026 Wash100 popular vote winner secured his first Wash100 after only a few months in office for strengthening warfighter readiness and driving enterprise-wide reform within the sea service
Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic and founder of the Wash100 Award, characterized Cao’s win as “a meaningful signal of the confidence leaders across government and industry have in his ability to help shape the Navy’s future through innovation and mission-focused impact.”
Cao delivered a keynote speech at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Navy Summit, where he called on industry to ramp up the production of weapon systems and help the Navy try new things to keep pace with China.
Who Are the Leaders With Military Backgrounds?
Leaders who have military backgrounds performed well in this season’s Wash100, with 33 Wash100 winners bringing armed forces backgrounds to their roles.
Pete Hegseth, secretary of war; Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations of the U.S. Space Force; Daniel Driscoll, secretary of the Army; Troy Meink, secretary of the Air Force; Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Michael Guetlein, director of the Department of War’s Golden Dome initiative; Samuel Paparo, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; Michele Bredenkamp, director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; and Vice Adm. Stephen Tedford, director of the Defense Contract Management Agency are among the featured military and civil leaders from the federal government space.
However, many industry leaders also have experience serving in the armed forces. Matthew Tait, CEO of MANTECH; Amy Gilliland, president of General Dynamics Information Technology; Andy Green, executive vice president of HII and president of HII’s mission technologies division; Tom Vecchiolla, president and CEO of QinetiQ US; and many other executives have military backgrounds before joining the private sector.
How Many Winners Founded Their Organizations?
The 2026 Wash100 list features five winners who founded or helped establish their organizations. These honorees represent a new standard for market disruption, bringing cutting-edge technologies to the public sector and increasing competition to deliver value to defense and civilian government customers.
The winners who have founded or helped build their respective companies are:
- JD Parkes of Parry Labs
- Peter LaMontagne of SMX
- Craig Abod of Carahsoft
- Greg “Fitz” Fitzgerald of ITC Federal
- Jake Frazer of Precision Talent Solutions
Who Are the Leaders Driving Cyber & AI Innovation in GovCon?
Cybersecurity and artificial intelligence emerged as defining themes of the 2026 award season, underscoring GovCon’s top priorities. In this year’s Wash100 class, 47 executives directly manage cybersecurity, while 44 oversee AI initiatives.
Among the winners of the 2026 Wash100 Award is Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd, who, in his dual-hatted roles of commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency, is responsible for defending critical government and military networks and carrying out cyber operations against adversaries.
In the field of AI, Michael Obadal, the under secretary of the Army — and, as of this week, potential next secretary — is scaling automation and AI initiatives to reduce administrative burden and increase mission focus.
Other winners from government whose roles primarily involve cybersecurity or AI include: Gregory Barbaccia, federal chief information officer; Kirsten Davies, chief information officer of DOW; Cameron Stanley, chief digital and AI officer at DOW; Justin Fanelli, chief technology officer of the Department of Navy; Dawn Zimmer, chief information officer of the Department of Energy; Lt. Gen. Paul Stanton, director of the Defense Information Systems Agency and commander of the DOW Cyber Defense Command; Sonny Bhagowalia, assistant commissioner for information and technology and chief information officer for the Customs and Border Protection; Dr. Kelly Fletcher, CIO of the Department of State; and Pavan Pidugu, chief digital and information officer at the Department of Transportation.
From industry, cyber- and AI-focused winners include David Wajsgras, chairman and CEO of Everfox; Brian Kesecker, executive director of U.S. government business and strategy at Kpler; Greg Fitzgerald, CEO of ITC Federal; Stephanie Mango, outgoing president of CGI Federal and incoming chief administrative officer for CGI; Rick Wagner, CEO of Agile Defense; Phil Carrai, president of space, training and cyber at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions; Carey Smith, chair, president and CEO of Parsons; Damian DiPippa, CEO of Auria Space; Mark Peters, president and CEO of MITRE; Kevin McAleenan, CEO of BigBear.ai; Kathryn Wang, principal of public sector at SandboxAQ; Rohit Gupta, CEO of Aretum; Craig Halliday, CEO of Unanet; Brandon Daniels, CEO of Exiger; and David Levy, former Amazon Web Services VP and current Google executive.
AI adoption among federal civilian agencies will be a key theme at the 2026 FedCiv Summit. Join the event’s AI-focused panels, featuring experts from government and industry, to explore AI as a force multiplier in the government workforce, the impact on modernization and federal missions, and interoperability through AI. Sign up today to secure your seat!
Which Organizations Earned the Most 2026 Wash100 Awards?
The 2026 Wash100 Award also highlights the most influential organizations in GovCon, with many companies and agencies appearing repeatedly in the list.
The Wash100 class of 2026 recognized 34 government leaders, with the DOW leading the public sector representation with nine honorees across defense agencies and military branches.
Among these defense leaders, the Navy accounted for three winners, followed by the Air Force and Army with two each. Single awards were also given to leaders from the Defense Innovation Unit, DCMA, USPACOM and National Reconnaissance Office.
Several federal civilian agencies were also represented with one 2026 Wash100 awardee each, underscoring the transformative leadership of top officials across the broader government.
Senior leaders from DOT, Small Business Administration, Department of Labor, Department of the Interior and other agencies will convene at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 FedCiv Summit on Oct. 29 to discuss the most urgent challenges facing the federal civilian market. Gain insights on acquisition priorities, evolving policy requirements and shifting digital transformation strategies and engage with the GovCon executives delivering next-generation capabilities. Get your tickets today!
On the industry side, SAIC and Leidos lead the pack with the highest number of 2026 Wash100 awardees, closely followed by AT&T and CACI with two winners each.
The winners from SAIC are:
- Vinnie DiFronzo, executive vice president of the Air Force, Space and Intelligence Business Group
- Barbara Supplee, EVP of Navy and Army Business Group
- Srini Attili, EVP of Civilian Business Group
The winners from Leidos are:
- Tom Bell, CEO
- Roy Stevens, corporate executive vice president and president of the homeland sector
- Cindy Gruensfelder, president of the defense sector
The winners from AT&T are:
- Wes Anderson, president of public sector and corporate officer
- Tang Pham, vice president of defense and homeland
The winners from CACI are:
- John Mengucci, president and CEO
- DeEtte Gray, president of U.S. operations
Who Should Win the 2027 Wash100 Award?
With just a few months left in the 2026 award cycle, preparations for the 2027 Wash100 Award are officially in motion.
Each year, Executive Mosaic honors 100 visionaries and trailblazers who are sparking innovation, accelerating technology adoption and supercharging transformation across the federal landscape. The annual list spotlights the military and agency officials, C-suite executives, technologists and policymakers who are setting the standard for excellence in GovCon.
Winners are chosen based on proven track record and future contributions to modernization, cybersecurity, warfighter readiness and other critical government priorities.
Nominations for the 2027 Wash100 Award will open in November.
Get to know the government and industry leaders forging the future of government contracting at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 FedCiv Summit on Oct. 29. The event will feature executive-level discussions on how to transform agency priorities to mission outcomes. Get your tickets here!
