Cameron Stanley, chief digital and artificial intelligence officer at the Department of War, has received the 2026 Wash100 Award, recognizing his leadership in advancing applied AI and driving operational adoption across the department.
Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic and founder of the Wash100 Award, presented the honor to Stanley onstage at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 18, prior to his keynote address.
Why Did Cameron Stanley Win the 2026 Wash100 Award?
Stanley earned his first Wash100 Award for accelerating DOW’s applied AI agenda and translating strategy into operational capability.
In his role as CDAO and senior official for the applied AI critical technology area, he is responsible for leading the adoption of data, analytics and AI to deliver mission advantage across domains.
His leadership comes as the War Department sharpens its focus on rapidly fielding AI capabilities, with an emphasis on moving solutions from concept to deployment through targeted “sprints.”
Garrettson highlighted Stanley’s forward-looking leadership and ability to see beyond immediate challenges.
“CDAO Stanley’s energy and strategic clarity that he will bring to the Department of War was the inspiration for his debut among the most celebrated group of GovCon executives. He has excellent forward, as well as peripheral vision and the ability to grasp the big picture beyond where most people lose their technological sight,” Garrettson said.
Garrettson also pointed to Stanley’s growing influence across government and industry.
“CDAO Stanley played a significant role at Amazon Web Services in advancing mission-focused capabilities and strengthening partnerships, including teaming with Lockheed Martin to demonstrate advanced cloud-based communication technology for military networks. His thoughtful and customer-centric leadership style balances accountability with forward-looking vision, helping ensure programs deliver real operational value. This first Wash100 honor reflects the growing influence CDAO Stanley has within GovCon and points to an exciting future of continued impact in federal contracting and national security,” he added.
Who Is Cameron Stanley?
Stanley currently serves as CDAO at the War Department, where he leads efforts to integrate data, analytics and AI into defense operations.
Prior to this role, he was national security digital transformation lead at Amazon Web Services, supporting defense customers in adopting cloud and AI capabilities and strengthening industry collaboration.
Earlier, he served as chief of Project Maven, overseeing the department’s flagship AI algorithm development and deployment initiative, managing a cross-functional team and significant research and development resources.
He also held roles supporting AI development and oversight for the under secretary of war for intelligence and security, in addition to earlier positions at U.S. Southern Command, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Stanley most recently was a member of Executive Mosaic’s 4×24 Leadership Program, an elite network of senior executives shaping the GovCon landscape.
What Is the Wash100 Award?
Since 2014, the Wash100 Award has recognized the most influential leaders shaping the government contracting landscape. Recipients are selected based on their leadership, strategic direction, impact on the federal market and potential to drive industry trends in the year ahead.
Executive Mosaic congratulates Cameron Stanley on his 2026 Wash100 Award.
Vote for Stanley in the 2026 Wash100 popular vote contest.
