Leidos’ Cindy Gruensfelder Wins 1st Wash100 Award for Mission-Driven Defense Innovation
Executive Mosaic is pleased to announce the selection of Cindy Gruensfelder, president of the defense sector at Leidos, as a recipient of the 2026 Wash100 Award, an honor given yearly to the 100 most influential personalities in government and the government contracting industry. Gruensfelder is receiving her first Wash100 Award for her leadership in advancing defense technology innovation.
“Cindy’s first Wash100 Award is an exciting and well-earned accomplishment, marking her debut among GovCon’s most respected leaders. At Leidos, Cindy has built a reputation for thoughtful, mission-driven leadership by championing innovative solutions. This is personified by the company’s new Sea Dart adaptable unmanned undersea vehicle that strengthens national security and delivers real results for government customers,” remarked Jim Garrettson, Executive Mosaic CEO and Wash100 Award founder.
“Cindy brings a steady strategic perspective along with the energy to turn transformative ideas into impact. This inaugural Wash100 recognition not only celebrates what Cindy has accomplished so far, but also signals the bright future and continued influence she is poised to have across federal contracting,” Garrettson added.
Join the 2026 Wash100 Award popular vote competition and choose Cindy Gruensfelder as one of your favorites!
Who Is Cindy Gruensfelder?
Cindy Gruensfelder serves as president of Leidos’ defense sector, leading a workforce of over 9,000 professionals who develop advanced aerospace, airborne, land and maritime systems, supporting national security missions across diverse threat environments.
She joined Leidos after a 35-year career at Boeing and its heritage company, McDonnell Douglas, where she held a series of leadership roles overseeing major defense initiatives and strategic portfolios.
Gruensfelder was vice president and general manager of the Missile and Weapon Systems division within Boeing Defense, Space & Security, guiding the long-term strategic direction of a portfolio that included Ground-based Midcourse Defense, the Missile Defense National Team and Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile efforts.
She also served as VP of weapons, leading Boeing’s weapons portfolio, and previously directed the company’s direct attack programs.
Earlier in her tenure, she managed Boeing’s Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike program, now known as the MQ-25A, and served as deputy program manager for advanced air dominance initiatives, including Next Generation Air Dominance.
Why Is Cindy Gruensfelder Winning the 2026 Wash100 Award?
Executive Mosaic has named Gruensfelder a Wash100 Award recipient this year for her role in driving defense technology innovation that enhances national security and military readiness for the U.S. and its partner nations.
Driving Growth in Integrated Air & Missile Defense
This impact is demonstrated by significant contract wins in 2025, including a delivery order for 18 Indirect Fires Protection Capability Increment 2, or IFPC Inc 2, launchers awarded by the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office-Missiles & Space in April. The launchers, designated for Guam Defense System deployments, will work to strengthen air and missile defense capabilities in strategically critical regions.
“Our 2019 acquisition of Dynetics has significantly enhanced our manufacturing capabilities. Not only are we delivering software and signal processing breakthroughs, we’re also rapidly delivering hardware and integrated systems to the warfighter at speed,” said Gruensfelder.
Momentum continued in July, when Dynetics secured a $264.6 million Army contract to support the IFPC’s weapon system requirements.
In December, the company was selected as one of the principal contractors for a potential $3.73 billion foreign military sales package to Denmark, which includes $3 billion worth of Integrated Battle Command System and IFPC components.
That same month, the Missile Defense Agency included Leidos in the second tranche of awards under the $151 billion Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense contract vehicle, expanding the competitive pool of companies supporting homeland missile defense initiatives.
Advancing Autonomous & Hypersonic Capabilities
Another factor behind Gruensfelder’s Wash100 win is her role in accelerating advanced weapons, including autonomous systems and hypersonic testing capabilities, within Leidos’ defense portfolio.
In March, the company announced that it had completed a guided flight test of its Small Cruise Missile, known as Black Arrow, from an AC-130J aircraft. The demonstration highlights progress in precision strike and networked weapons integration.
Leidos also expanded its maritime autonomous offerings with the launch of Sea Dart, a high-performance, low-cost and adaptable uncrewed undersea vessel designed to support Navy and commercial missions.
The company’s investments in high-speed weapons development were further underscored in May, when a Leidos-led industry team completed two reusable and recoverable hypersonic flight tests under the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed, or MACH-TB, program. The initiative is intended to accelerate hypersonic testing by leveraging commercially available launch systems.
What Is Leidos?
Founded in 1969 by J. Robert Beyster, Leidos is an innovation-driven company advancing capabilities in national security, healthcare, engineering and infrastructure, strengthening readiness, resilience and mission outcomes across government and commercial sectors.
Executive Mosaic congratulates Cindy Gruensfelder and her team for this major achievement. Visit Wash100.com to vote for Cindy Gruensfelder as one of your favorite 2026 Wash100 Award winners.