- Wash100 winners are at the forefront of the fight against increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks
- Winners from the 2026 class of Wash100 hail from industry and government
- The Wash100 Award recognizes leaders advancing federal missions and revolutionizing GovCon
Adversaries are targeting American systems to steal sensitive data, disrupt critical infrastructure and undermine national security, and as the use of artificial intelligence proliferates, cyberthreats have become exponentially more sophisticated and pervasive.
In a complex cyber landscape where AI has supercharged the speed and scale of adversary attacks, these 2026 Wash100 winners are rising to the challenge by innovating and delivering cutting-edge new technologies that safeguard the systems and networks Americans rely on.
Who Are the 2026 Wash100 Winners From the Cyber Sector?
Dawn Zimmer
Chief Information Officer
Department of Energy
Zimmer earned a spot in the Wash100 class of 2026 for her exceptional leadership in strengthening cybersecurity governance across the DOE’s mission-critical energy, nuclear, science and national security systems.
As CIO of DOE, a role she has held since November 2025, Zimmer oversees enterprise IT infrastructure and drives strategies to ensure systems across the agency remain secure, efficient and innovative.
She has over 25 years of experience in government, academia and the private sector. Before joining DOE, she spearheaded initiatives to enhance user experience and digital service delivery as executive director of IT engagement and experience at Virginia Tech.
In government, she held senior leadership roles at the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Justice.
Her private sector experience includes positions at Gartner Group, GE Capital and Ulticom, according to her LinkedIn.
Zimmer will keynote the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 FedCiv Summit on Oct. 29. As DOE’s top tech leader, she is expected to discuss department-wide cybersecurity strategies, enterprise IT consolidation and AI initiatives, including the Genesis Mission. Sign up here to secure your seat!
Amy Gilliland
Executive Vice President, President
General Dynamics Information Technology
Gilliland is a familiar presence in the Wash100, having won the prestigious GovCon award nine times. Her 2026 win is a recognition of her work in expanding GDIT’s capability to provide mission-critical technologies to federal customers and advancing government modernization initiatives, including strengthening cybersecurity.
The executive has been with General Dynamics for more than 20 years, 10 years of those she spent in leadership roles at GDIT.
GDIT, under her leadership, continues to pioneer advanced cybersecurity capabilities designed to counter evolving threats.
In November, the company launched the VENIN Full-Spectrum Cyber Digital Accelerator, an AI-powered platform designed to strengthen cyber threat response in government. GDIT also collaborated with IonQ to develop quantum processing and networking applications and Everfox to enhance insider threat detection.
The company has also won major contract awards to strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity. In early 2026, GDIT secured a $120 million task order to provide its Everest Zero Trust Digital Accelerator, a cybersecurity platform, to Air Force bases worldwide.
Rick Wagner
CEO
Wagner is a long-time technology executive who has won the Wash100 seven times. His 2026 win recognized his efforts to expand his company’s capabilities to support Department of War and federal civilian missions.
Agile Defense is innovating and strengthening federal cybersecurity by leveraging advanced automation and AI capabilities to safeguard digital infrastructure and support operational agility. In 2025, the company received a $25 million Small Business Innovation Research Phase III contract from the Department of State’s Office of Open Source Intelligence to provide open-source training, automation tools and threat detection services in support of diplomatic security operations.
Agile Defense also provides the Defense Information Systems Agency with security and performance support of critical defense information systems under the Systems Engineering, Technology and Innovation Unrestricted contract vehicle. Under the deal, the company supplies cyber systems and cyber operations support and intelligence to ensure that the agency can stay ahead of digital threats.
Prior to joining Agile Defense in 2023, Wagner held senior leadership roles at Microsoft Federal, MANTECH and TASC.
Sonny Bhagowalia
Chief Information Officer
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Bhagowalia earned the 2026 Wash100 Award for leading the digital transformation of CBP. As CIO, he oversees the agency’s IT infrastructure and is responsible for securing mission-critical systems from cyberthreats.
Under his leadership, CBP became one of the first agencies to integrate post-quantum cryptography to harden the security of its systems. The CBP Office of Information and Technology has taken action to strengthen PQC encryption and protect data from harvest-now-decrypt-later attacks.
Bhagowalia has over four decades of experience in senior technical, managerial and executive leadership roles in government and industry. Before joining CBP, he served as senior adviser on technology and cybersecurity at the Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s Office of the Commissioner. He also held the role of deputy assistant secretary for information systems and CIO at the Treasury Department from 2014 through 2017.
His distinguished public service career includes serving as the state of Hawaii’s inaugural CIO, where he helped modernize the state’s outdated technology infrastructure. His federal leadership spans roles at the General Services Administration, Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the FBI.
Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions at Boeing, where he also supported IT modernization of federal customers.
Modernizing border security operations will be one of the key topics that CBP leaders will discuss at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 10. The event will feature senior officials from the Department of Homeland Security and its components to discuss the advanced technologies being deployed to secure the border and mitigate domestic threats. Tickets are now available here!
Tom Bell
CEO
Bell received his first Wash100 Award in 2026 for leadership excellence. Since taking the helm of Leidos in 2023, he has steered the company toward growth. Leidos continues to win major federal agency contracts to support modernization.
The company also continues to make investments to strengthen its cyber capabilities. In 2025, under Bell’s leadership, Leidos acquired Kudu Dynamics, a provider of automated targeting, non-kinetic effects and cyber capabilities to the Pentagon. The $300 million acquisition of Kudu is expected to enable Leidos to rapidly scale AI-powered cyber capabilities to support intelligence, defense and homeland security clients.
Cyber is one of the pillars in Leidos’ NorthStar 2030 strategy. Bell previously described cyber as “one of the golden bolts” that the company has been investing in as a core competency. He also noted that the company’s cyber and zero trust expertise remain primary drivers behind major contract wins.
Bell is a veteran industry executive who has previously held leadership roles at Rolls-Royce and Boeing.
Tom Arseneault
President, CEO
Arsenault secured a spot in the Wash100 Award class of 2026 for his leadership in expanding BAE Systems’ cybersecurity portfolio and advancing defense modernization.
Under his leadership, BAE Systems launched Velhawk, a next-generation cybersecurity framework designed to strengthen resilience, speed up incident response and reduce staffing burdens for government customers. Velhawk utilizes autonomy and AI to improve detection and improve response to evolving threats.
BAE Systems also continues to secure major government contracts. The company received a $172.4 million task order from the Air Force Research Laboratory in 2025 to provide development, integration and transitioning of capabilities that address air, space and cyber mission requirements.
Arsenault has been with BAE Systems for over 25 years. He was appointed president in May 2019 and then CEO in April 2020.
What Is the Wash100?
The Wash100 Award is a prestigious honor conferred on the 100 most influential figures in the government contracting industry. Established by Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic, in 2014, the recognition celebrates the vision, leadership and innovation of individuals from the public and the private sector. The award does not just measure recent accomplishments; it anticipates an honoree’s future impact on the GovCon community.
