The Top 50 Government Consultants and Leaders of 2023

The Consulting Report is pleased to announce The Top 50 Government Consultants and Leaders of 2023. Increasingly, there is a growing demand for governments to adopt a more proactive stance in reforming social and economic support systems, addressing the changing requirements of their citizens. To address this demand, government agencies must swiftly acquire new skills, novel approaches, and adapt to a changing landscape. Consultants, who possess a deep understanding of government operations and relevant public sector expertise, play a pivotal role in this essential transformation.

Notably, the work of consultants in this sector encompasses collaborating with central agencies on comprehensive government-wide initiatives to enhance leadership capabilities, conducting in-depth analysis for state and territory line agencies to inform policy formulation, and revamping services to align with contemporary standards and public requirements. The recipients of this year's awards have rightfully earned their places on our list due to their exceptional expertise and unwavering commitment to innovation within various domains, including modernizing IT infrastructure and workflows, transforming financial management practices, designing growth strategies, and numerous other specialties.

Among this year's recipients of awards are distinguished professionals. Brenda Walker, the Global Government Sector Head at KPMG, stands out as a remarkable leader with over three decades of experience. She has not only overseen one of the largest sectors within KPMG but has also been at the helm of the expansive KPMG Women's Network.

Vincent Chin, recognized for his exceptional contributions, is the Global Vice Chair of BCG's Public Sector practice and concurrently holds the position of Asia Pacific Leader for the Social Impact Practice within the firm. Known for his visionary thinking, Chin has authored numerous reports on public and social media, providing invaluable insights to guide his clients. Last but not least, Amanda Bonser, who serves as the Public Sector Industry Leader at Huron, has been instrumental in the remarkable growth of the team's client portfolio, which now spans over 22 agencies and continues to diversify under her capable leadership.

Please join us in celebrating The Top 50 Government Consultants and Leaders of 2023.

 

1. Judith Dotson
Company: Booz Allen Hamilton
Title: President

Judith Dotson is a President of Booz Allen Hamilton’s Global Defense Sector. Trusted to transform missions with the power of tomorrow’s technologies, Booz Allen Hamilton advances the nation’s most critical civil, defense, and national security priorities. With more than 32 years of experience in consulting services, Dotson is well-versed in leading diverse teams with deep mission understanding. She currently oversees teams that provide the Department of Defense (DOD) with functional expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, next-generation data solutions, cyber, advanced software development, and more. Prior to her current role, Dotson led the firm’s National Security Sector leading teams.

Earlier in her career, Dotson led the firm’s work with the Joint Combatant Commands (JCC). Her clients included the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), the Chief Information Officer (CIO), the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), and the Combatant Commands. In addition, Dotson has held several internal leadership roles including serving as a member of the Booz Allen Excellence Awards Committee, the Partnership for Public Service Executive Committee, the Facilities Governance Board, and the Women's Golf Network Sponsor. She received a BS in computer science from the University of Maryland.

 

2. Emma Parry
Company: McKinsey & Company
Title: Partner

Emma Parry is a Partner of McKinsey & Company, one of the largest global management consulting firms in the world. They work with leading organizations across the private, public and social sectors. Notably, Parry leads McKinsey’s Strategy & Corporate Finance Practice in the United Kingdom and coleads their work on carbon removals. Her client work improves the performance of a variety of enterprises in the public and private sectors, and she often works with clients to help manage complexities at the intersection of the two. She is passionate about helping institutions set and deliver sustainable strategies and modernize organizations and has worked with companies around the world across a diverse set of industries, as well as institutions in the public and social sectors.

Most recently, Parry’s work in the private sector focuses on transforming utilities in the United Kingdom and helping innovative leaders as they scale-up carbon-removal businesses. She regularly works with government agencies to inform strategic decisions and deliver ambitious agendas. Parry’s insights on strategic topics have been published in McKinsey Quarterly, Harvard Business Review, and others. She contributes to the McKinsey Center for Government and McKinsey Sustainability research. She has also written on advancing women’s equality in the United Kingdom through the McKinsey Global Institute. Parry first joined McKinsey as a business analyst in London. Parry graduated from Columbia Business School with an MBA and from the University of Cambridge with a MEng in manufacturing engineering.

 

3. Richard Crowe
Company: Booz Allen Hamilton
Title: President

Richard Crowe is the President of Booz Allen Hamilton’s Civil Sector. Trusted to transform missions with the power of tomorrow’s technologies, Booz Allen Hamilton advances the nation’s most critical civil, defense, and national security priorities. Crowe drives growth by modernizing and transforming missions across federal civilian departments and agencies. In his 17 years at Booz Allen, Crowe has led some of the firm’s largest programs supporting challenging client missions across the business. Previously, Crowe was Booz Allen’s chief growth officer, building a best-in-class business development organization aligned to the firm’s business strategy and growth. He also led Booz Allen’s Health business; and presided over the firm’s entire portfolio of work supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Crowe has more than 30 years of strategy development and technology delivery experience – and in 2021 won WashingtonExec's Pinnacle Award for Business Development Executive of the Year. Before joining Booz Allen in 2004, he was the chief technical officer at PlasmaSol Corp. Crowe is the author of seven patents related to the method and application of non-equilibrium plasmas. He has a BE in electrical engineering from State University of New York Maritime College and an MS in technology management from Stevens Institute of Technology.

 

4. Vincent Chin
Company: Boston Consulting Group
Title: Managing Director & Senior Partner; Vice Chair, Public Sector Practice

Based in Singapore, Vincent Chin currently serves as Global Vice Chair of BCG’s Public Sector practice and is concurrently the firm’s Asia Pacific Leader for the Social Impact Practice. This follows his transition from a six-year tenure as the global leader of BCG’s Public Sector Practice, during which time the business grew exponentially. Prior to this, Chin led the firm’s South East Asia region. Chin recently featured in The Business Times to discuss his leadership style, highlighting the importance of cultural connections and the human touch, which is a thread that runs through his approach to clients, colleagues, leadership, and life.

A bold thinker, Chin has authored numerous reports on public and social media to inform his clients on how to tackle these most urgent and complex issues. He has called out a new age that we are entering: one necessitated by climate change, enabled by digital technologies with an imperative for the public, private and social sectors to deliver both economic and social value. To help government leaders grapple with challenges to secure future social and economic stability and progress, Chin and the team at BCG are guided by the tried-and-tested mantra: “Think big, start small, and scale fast” which ensures that governments can plan long term and yet reach impact in the short term.

 

5. Patrick Roche
Company: Boston Consulting Group
Title: Senior Partner & Managing Director

Patrick Roche is a Senior Partner and former Managing Director of Boston Consulting Group's London office. BCG partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. The firm was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, it works closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders—empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.

Roche has extensive experience working across industries and geographies on all aspects of strategy, transformation, digital, organization, and operations--and specializes in strategy, transformation, and large-scale change. Roche works primarily in the public sector, health care (biopharma, medtech), and infrastructure. He co-leads the Public Sector practice for the UK, and is the global lead for public sector transport, cities, and infrastructure. Prior to BCG, Roche served as a consultant for Deloitte. He earned a Master of Engineering in engineering science from the University of Oxford.

 

6. Julia Harrison
Company: FTI Consulting
Title: Senior Managing Director

Julia Harrison is a Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting, a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations manage change, mitigate risk and resolve disputes: financial, legal, operational, political & regulatory, reputational and transactional. Their professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges and make the most of opportunities. Notably, Harrison is the Global Head of Global Public Affairs & Government Relations and is based in Brussels. She works in the Strategic Communications practice.

A political communications specialist, Harrison specializes in board-level advice and was previously CEO Europe of an international consultancy. She has 30 years public affairs experience and has worked at the highest level across sectors and industries. She is also a founding board member of the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society. Harrison has held various Non-Executive Director and leadership roles and was Vice Chair of Downing College Campaign Committee and their successful £20 million fund raising campaign. Harrison is British and has an MA Cantab in English literature from Downing College, Cambridge.

 

7. Petter Kilefors
Company: Arthur D. Little
Title: Managing Partner

Petter Kilefors is a Managing Partner at Arthur D. Little in the Nordic region. As people, organizations and societies embrace change at pace, its leaders must anticipate, innovate and transform ever faster. They help their clients overcome today’s most pressing challenges and seize tomorrow’s most promising opportunities. Notably, Kilefors is a member of the global Strategy & Organization Practice, globally responsible for Private Equity with industry affiliation to the TIME, Health Care & Life Sciences, and Public Services Practices.

His professional focus is on strategy & organization, advice to private equity and industrial investors pre- and post-transaction (e.g. due diligence, valuation, strategy, change management, post-merger integration), and governance issues faced by corporations, investors, governments and multilateral organizations. Kilefors holds a Master’s in Economic Science and Business Administration from the Stockholm School of Economics and the Rotterdam School of Management.

 

8. Bryan Zumwalt
Company: FTI Consulting
Title: Senior Managing Director

Bryan Zumwalt is a Senior Managing Director in the Strategic Communications segment at FTI Consulting and is based in Washington D.C. With more than 7,800 employees located in 31 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges and make the most of opportunities. Zumwalt is the Head of the Government Affairs practice and is a skilled, tested leader with substantial experience in executing public affairs initiatives and advocacy campaigns. Through his work, he has achieved regulatory and legislative victories that have impacted the bottom lines of some of the world’s most iconic companies.

Prior to joining FTI Consulting, Zumwalt was Executive Vice President for Public Affairs at the Consumer Brands Association (“CBA”). Previously, Zumwalt was Vice President of Federal Affairs at the American Chemistry Council, where he was responsible for developing and leading comprehensive advocacy campaigns across a broad range of issues impacting the chemical industry. In this role, Zumwalt led all lobbying initiatives, successfully executing on some of the most difficult public policy issues, including the reform of the U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”). Zumwalt graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a JD in law and from University of Idaho with an undergraduate degree in business and marketing.

 

9. Michael Carrasco
Company: Alvarez & Marsal
Title: Managing Director

Michael Carrasco is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal’s Public Sector Services in Houston. With over 8,000 people across six continents, they deliver tangible results for corporates, boards, private equity firms, law firms and government agencies facing complex challenges. Their senior leaders, and their teams, help organizations transform operations, catapult growth and accelerate results through decisive action. He specializes in organizational transformation advice and oversight, IT strategy, program design, risk management, complex investigations and the adoption of technology to enable wholesale organizational change.

With more than 22 years of experience, Carrasco has been an impactful leader in the Departments of Defense, Justice and State on matters affecting U.S. national security; provided management consulting services to multiple U.S. and foreign government agencies; and delivered legal advice to private sector clients around the world. Throughout his career, he has focused on solving problems with a practical and client-centered approach to accelerate value realization. Prior to joining A&M, he served as Managing Partner with a world-leading technology consulting business. Carrasco earned a bachelor’s in politics and law from the State University of New York at Binghamton and a JD from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a member of several state and federal attorneys’ bars.

 

10. Charles Kozel
Company: Huron
Title: Managing Director

Charles Kozel serves as the Huron Market Leader for the VA, delivering top-tier innovative solutions to the VA and other government clients and significantly contributing to record growth for Huron in this sector. He is responsible for setting Huron’s strategy, achieving market growth, and ensuring high quality results are delivered to clients that help them achieve their mission. Under his leadership, the team’s portfolio with the VA has nearly doubled and continues to diversify by bringing industry leading capabilities in healthcare, digital and organizational transformation to the VA. Building on his almost 20 years of experience across healthcare and government, he has focused on thought leadership and shaping the agency’s future around key topics such as intelligent automation, large-scale transformation, workforce engagement, and customer experience.

In addition to his client work, Kozel is passionate about giving back. He is involved in multiple employee resource groups at Huron, having served as sponsor of the working parent’s group for several years and a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Council. He is a work-life balance advocate and is a member of Huron’s women and veterans’ employee resource groups, having played a large role in many increases to parental leave for Huron employees. Outside of work, Kozel is involved with numerous local service organizations.
Prior to joining Huron, Kozel was a revenue cycle analyst with McKesson Provide Technologies working with various health systems to improve revenue cycle operations and performance. He holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration in finance from the University of Georgia and is Six Sigma green belt-certified from Georgia Tech University.

 

11. Steven Haley
Company: Kroll
Title: Managing Director

At Kroll, Steven Haley is a Managing Director and Head of the Government Solutions practice. As the leading independent provider of risk and financial advisory solutions, Kroll leverages its unique insights, data and technology to help clients stay ahead of complex demands. Kroll's team of more than 6,500 professionals worldwide continues the firm’s nearly 100-year history of trusted expertise spanning risk, governance, transactions and valuation. Haley is based out of the New York office. Prior to the acquisition of Verus Analytics by Kroll in July 2020, Haley served as the COO of Verus, where he oversaw all the business and data-related aspects of the company’s services.

Haley has managed the performance of hundreds of complex examinations, with a focus on processing and evaluation of all data and processes. He partnered with technologists and developed innovative data analysis methodologies. He has also served as the COO of Kroll’s Governance Risk Advisory practice. Prior to joining Verus, Haley was a member of KPMG’s National Unclaimed Property practice, advising clients on their unclaimed property procedures and reporting obligations. Inc. Haley received a BS in business management and finance from Salve Regina University.

 

12. Amanda Bonser
Company: Huron
Title: Managing Director

Amanda Bonser serves as the Public Sector Industry Leader for Huron, delivering top-tier innovative solutions to government clients and achieving record growth for Huron in this sector. She is responsible for setting Huron’s government strategy, achieving market growth, and ensuring high quality results are delivered to clients that help them achieve their mission. Under her leadership, the team’s portfolio of clients has expanded to over 22 agencies and continues to diversify by bringing industry leading capabilities in healthcare, digital and organizational transformation to the government. Building on her almost 20 years of experience across healthcare and government, she has focused on thought leadership and shaping policy around a wide range of key topics.

In addition to her significant career accomplishments, Bonser is passionate about giving back. For over a decade she has worked to bring greater equity to the workplace, co-chairing Huron’s Diversity and Inclusion Council and sponsoring their employee resource group that helps advance women in the workplace. She championed Huron’s first Women in Leadership Summit; and serves on the Host Committee for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, passionately giving back to military and Veteran caregivers in our community. Her achievements in the consulting industry have been highlighted by her being named one of Consulting magazine’s Women Leaders in Consulting. Bonser earned an MBA and a BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

 

13. Daniel Kaniewski
Company: Marsh McLennan
Title: Managing Director, Public Sector

Daniel Kaniewski is a Managing Director, Public Sector at Marsh McLennan, the world’s leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people. The Company’s more than 85,000 colleagues advise clients in 130 countries. With annual revenue of over $20 billion, Marsh McLennan helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment through four market-leading businesses. In this role, Kaniewski leads enterprise-wide initiatives that deliver breakthrough perspectives and innovative solutions for public sector challenges.

Prior to joining Marsh McLennan in February 2020, Kaniewski was Deputy Administrator for Resilience at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He was also Chair of the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) High Level Risk Forum. He previously led the resilience mission area at a homeland security research and development center. Earlier, he was Assistant Vice President and Deputy Director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University. He holds a doctorate in Public Policy and Administration from George Washington University, an MA in National Security Studies from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, and a BS, magna cum laude, in Emergency Medical Services from George Washington University.

 

14. John Wolff
Company: Kearney
Title: Partner

John Wolff leads Kearney’s global Aerospace and Defense practice, serving Government and industry defense clients around the world. Wolff is now in his 26th year with the firm, and after working across multiple industries for eight years he began working with the US DoD in 2005. He has been in the practice lead role since 2020, achieving unprecedented growth and rapidly expanding the firm’s presence to multiple countries’ Defense Agencies and industrial bases. Building upon a wide range of strategic operations and organizational improvement capability, under Wolff’s leadership the practice has pressed into several new areas, including advanced analytics, adoption of Industry 4.0, and development of AI tools for supply chain risk management and resiliency.

Wolff also helps spearhead Kearney’s current work with the World Economic Forum on the Airports of Tomorrow initiative. Previously, he helped expand Kearney’s Women in Aerospace, Defense and Security network, which has hosted events around the world that promote interaction and advancement of female executives across the sector. Wolff has served on Kearney’s Global Partner Selection committee that elects new Partners, and the Global Talent Team that oversees broader Partner development and career track. He also led Kearney’s Washington DC office for four years. Wolff earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, graduating with High Distinction.

 

15. Jeff Bankowski
Company: Guidehouse
Title: Partner

Jeff Bankowski is a Partner in Guidehouse’s Detroit office and a senior leader within the State and Local Government practice. With more than 30 years of experience, Bankowski is well versed on all aspects of public sector strategy and operations. During his career, he has worked with more than 20 state governments as well as some of the largest cities and counties in the United States. Notably, he has advised Governors and senior public officials and presented to various legislative committees on grants management, enterprise risk, operational efficiency and digital transformation. Prior to joining Guidehouse, Bankowski served as the Chief Performance Officer for the State of Michigan.

In addition, Bankowski is a national thought leader on government finance and innovation and has taught at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. He was the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) national award winner for his outstanding leadership. Currently, he serves as a senior advisor to the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) on its Committee on Governmental Budgeting and Fiscal Policy. Bankowski holds an MBA in change management consulting from DePaul University and a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and accounting from the University of Michigan.

 

16. George Atalla
Company: EY
Title: Partner, Global Government & Infrastructure Leader

George Atalla is EY’s Global Leader for Government and Infrastructure, which includes more than 22,000 professionals across developed and emerging markets providing consulting, strategy, assurance and tax services. Since 2014, Atalla has overseen a year-on-year double-digit growth of EY’s large government business, and worked on expanding its service offerings, global scale, and recognition as a preeminent advisor to governments around the world. Notably, Atalla has worked in over 60 countries, helping governments solve their most challenging problems. His expertise includes: technology enabled transformation, public private partnerships, business outsourcing, restructuring, organizational transformation, policy reform and investment prioritization.

Working with clients and EY teams worldwide, Atalla leads the development of services and solutions in digital government, public finance management and smart cities. He has authored several papers and insights that position EY as a thought leader in government policy and modernization. Prior to joining EY, Atalla was Vice President & Partner at Booz & Company (now Strategy&, the strategy consulting business unit of PWC). A licensed professional engineer, Atalla has earned graduate degrees in engineering and business administration from Northwestern University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and George Washington University.

 

17. Alessandro Massa
Company: Kearney
Title: Partner at Kearney Middle East & Africa and Global Public Sector Practice Lead

As a Partner at Kearney Middle East & Africa and Global Public Sector Practice Lead, Alessandro Massa advises senior leaders in public and private sector organizations. He has over 20 years of consulting and industry experience starting in Europe before moving to the Middle East in 2011. He is one of the founding members of Kearney’s Public Sector business in the Middle East & Africa region. Massa’s expertise covers national social & economic development, industries localization, economic diversification and institutions capability building, with a primary focus on achieving the expected benefits from governments’ visions and ambitions.

Notably, Massa established and led a center of excellence on Human Capital Development, which served regional stakeholders on national priorities including human capabilities development, talent attraction, labor localization and education quality enhancement. Prior to his move to Kearney in the Middle East & Africa, Massa worked across Europe serving leading Financial Institutions. He studied Economics, Finance and Financial Management at University of Rome Tor Vergata.

 

18. Kristen Soles
Company: CohnReznick
Title: Managing Partner

Kristen Soles is a Managing Partner of CohnReznick. With over a century’s worth of experience, nearly 4,300 global team members, and 30 locations including global subsidiaries, their firm serves clients in 30 different industries through an integrated team of advisory, assurance, and tax professionals. As the leader of both the Global Consulting Solutions practice and Government Contracting Industry, Soles Soles provides industry-specific risk management, operational, and strategic consulting services to CohnReznick clients. In this role, she leads a large, integrated team of advisory and government contracting professionals in delivering services that include: cybersecurity and data privacy, CFO advisory, enterprise technology solutions, compliance and government audits.

Soles works with the Firm’s Construction and Not-for-Profit Industry practices on government contracting issues related to grants, A-133 audits, and U.S. Department of Energy 316 audits. CohnReznick was awarded blanket purchase agreements to perform incurred cost audits and business system audits for a number of civilian agencies and Soles is one of two partners who is responsible for performing and managing these audits. Her duties include communicating with the contracting officer and ensuring the audits are performed in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards (GAGAS) and with the Defense Contract Audit Agency’s (DCAA) audit program. Soles graduated from the University of Mary Washington with an undergraduate degree in accounting.

 

19. William Choi
Company: AlixPartners
Title: Partner & Managing Director

William Choi is a Partner & Managing Director of AlixPartners. AlixPartners has worked with clients around the world for more than forty years, helping businesses respond to challenges when everything is on the line—from urgent performance improvement to complex restructuring, from risk mitigation to accelerated transformation. Notably, Choi assists organizations and governments in solving complex and challenging issues in the marketplace and the courtroom. He has testified on economic damages, market competition, econometric methods, and statistics.

Additionally, Choi has been engaged on matters related to antitrust, securities, finance, intellectual property, and assessment of classwide damages. He also assists clients on matters related to competition and data analysis, including pricing, competition, market impact, and forecasting. Previously, Choi was an economist at Econ One Research. Before that, he served as a senior consultant and director at Micronomics/InteCap. Earlier in his career, he worked with Duke University as a teaching and research assistant. Choi has a doctorate in economics from Duke University and has authored articles published in economics and law journals. He is a Certified Licensing Professional.

 

20. Oliver Elirani
Company: Ollen Group
Title: Managing Partner

Oliver Elirani is a Managing Partner of Ollen Group. He has more than 13 years of institutional and entrepreneurial experiences in different industries and capabilities, mainly in agribusiness, consumer goods, food & beverage, healthcare. government and public sector. Early in his career, he had several roles in the banking industry, working for the Bank of Beirut and Banque BEMO sal, managing risk and credit portfolios reaching up to $1 billion. He went on to become a senior manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) Middle East, where he served in the Beirut, Riyadh, and Dubai offices across different practices, from CIPS and government consulting to deals transaction services and corporate finance.

Most recently, Elirani served as the Deputy CEO of one of the leading Agtech companies in the MENA region, and currently sits on the board of several companies directly involved in National Food Security and sustainability in the GCC mainly operating in agribusiness and food & beverage sectors. Elirani is a CFA Charterholder and Certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM), Six Sigma Black Belt, and Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA). In addition, he holds a bachelor's in business & finance from the Lebanese University and has completed several specialization programs in strategy, innovation, entrepreneurship, data science, and artificial intelligence from global universities and organizations.

 

21. Daniel Sheils
Company: Accenture
Title: Managing Director, Public Service Industry Lead

Daniel Sheils began his professional career 30 years ago. Today, he is Accenture’s Public Service Industry Lead for EMEA. Notably, Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud, and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, they offer Strategy and Consulting, Technology and Operations Services, and Accenture Song—all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers.

An industry veteran, Sheils has been with Accenture for more than three decades, including over 25 years working across multiple industries and clients. This includes previously leading Accenture’s Health & Public Service practice in Ireland. Sheils graduated from University College Dublin with an undergraduate degree in civil law.

 

22. Vikki Tam
Company: Bain & Company
Title: Partner

Vikki Tam is a Partner of Bain & Company, a global consultancy that helps the world’s most ambitious change makers define the future. Across 65 cities in 40 countries, they work alongside their clients as one team with a shared ambition to achieve extraordinary results, outperform the competition, and redefine industries. Notably, Tam is a leader in their global Social Impact practice. With a distinct focus on economic development, Tam spearheads their partnerships with Endeavor and Acumen, as well as several other nonprofits around the globe. Tam joined their firm in 1998 and was formerly a partner in their Shanghai office. She has advised clients across multiple locations in the Asia-Pacific region, including Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney.

While in China, Tam led Bain's Greater China Telecom, Media and Technology practices as well as the Organization practice. She advised multinational and local companies on growth, market entry, sales and marketing strategy, organizational design and performance improvement. In particular, she has led multiple telco transformation efforts across various Asia-Pacific locations. In addition to her corporate client work, Tam also led a multi-year relationship with One Foundation, China's first non-government public foundation. Tam earned an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Pennsylvania where she received a BS in Economics.

 

23. Mandy Wheat
Company: RSM US
Title: Partner

Mandy Wheat is a Partner of RSM US. RSM is the leading provider of assurance, tax and consulting services to the middle market. With over 13,000 professionals across the U.S. and Canada and a global presence in 123 countries, their purpose is to deliver the power of being understood to their clients, colleagues and communities. As first-choice advisors, they are focused on developing leading professionals and innovative services to meet their clients’ evolving needs in today’s ever-changing business environment.

Wheat has 19 years of experience, having begun her career in 2004. Before joining RSM US, she was an audit senior at PKF Witt Mares. Wheat graduated from Strome College of Business with an MA in accounting and from Elon University’s Martha and Spencer Love School of Business with an undergraduate degree in accounting and business administration.

 

24. Bryce Pippert
Company: Booz Allen Hamilton
Title: Executive Vice President

Bryce Pippert is the senior leader of Booz Allen’s Domestic Resilience practice within the Civil business. He and his teams help clients in global and national priority missions—climate and infrastructure, immigration and migration, and law enforcement – predict and plan for change, ensure the integrity of critical infrastructure, assess and respond to threats, and accelerate transformations. He helps clients respond to their most pressing challenges and threats, while staying ahead of emerging technologies (AI/ML, biometrics for identity vetting and validation, quantum computing). During his 14 years with Booz Allen, Pippert has helped clients implement changes from major federal reform and legislation, including the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, among others.

Pippert’s federal clients include the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Energy, State, and Transportation, along with other departments and agencies. He also serves on the Advisory Boards for the Border Patrol Foundation and The Center for Open Data Enterprise. He has also held past leadership roles in technology startup companies, including XBRL Solutions, Inc. and UBmatrix Inc. (now part of Donnelley Financial Solutions), and at ManTech International Corporation. Pippert has an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in philosophy and political science from Wheaton College.

 

25. Marc Reinhardt
Company: Capgemini
Title: EVP, Public Sector Global Industry Leader

Marc Reinhardt is the Public Sector Global Industry Leader of Capgemini, a global leader in partnering with companies to transform and manage their business by harnessing the power of technology. The Group is guided everyday by its purpose of unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future. It is a responsible and diverse organization of 350,000 team members in more than 50 countries.

In his Life Science/Healthcare role, he advised companies and government institutions to take advantage of the breakthroughs in Genetics in the early 2000s, and helped governments deal with budget crises and demographic challenges by digitizing citizen services as well as internal administrative processes. During the most recent crises he and his teams have developed responses to migration crises, the pandemic as well as the climate emergency for governments and agencies at local, state, federal and international levels. He has built and run Public Sector businesses during his tenure at Capgemini. Over the last 15 years he has established a Public Sector unit in Germany and brought it to market leadership – he currently is driving the move of Capgemini in replicating the firms European leadership position in the Public Sector to the global level. Reinhardt graduated from the University of Hohenheim.

 

26. Horace Blackman
Company: CGI
Title: Senior Vice President

Horace Blackman is a Senior Vice President at CGI. Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest IT and business consulting services firms in the world. Notably, Blackman leads the Defense, Intelligence and Space Business Unit. In this role, he is responsible for strategy development and delivering business and information technology solutions to a diverse set of clients within this market. For over twenty years, Blackman has worked with government and public sector organizations to support their missions and deliver impactful change through business and information technology solutions. This includes supporting mission-critical programs within the DOD and Intelligence sectors.

Prior to joining CGI, Blackman held leadership roles focused on business development, program execution and strategic planning at major defense contractors. Additionally, he spent six years in various IT leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Blackman earned a BA from George Mason University, double majoring in American studies and English. He also earned an MBA in management from the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia.

 

27. James Kessler
Company: Publicis Sapient
Title: North America, SVP, State & Local Public Sector Industry Lead

James Kessler is the North America, SVP, State & Local Public Sector Industry Lead of Publicis Sapient. Publicis Sapient is a digital business transformation company. They partner with global organizations to help them create and sustain competitive advantage in a world that is increasingly digital. Notably, Kessler has devoted his entire consulting career to helping his clients harness the business power and customer impact of digital technologies. For over a quarter century at Publicis Sapient, Kessler has played the roles of software engineer, project manager, digital product owner, account director, client partner, business unit executive, and Boston office leader.

Currently, Kessler is the national business lead for Publicis Sapient’s State and local government industry. In that role, he brings his decades of experience across digital business transformation. Before Sapient, Kessler received a BS in Electrical Engineering from Trinity College in Hartford, CT. Concentrating his studies in the emerging field of digital systems engineering, Kessler received an Sc.M. from Brown University. During his 27-year consulting career, Kessler pursued an MBA at Boston College in Chestnut Hill and studied Digital Government Transformation at the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge.

 

28. Stefan Becker
Company: CGI Federal
Title: Senior Vice President and Business Unit Leader

Stefan Becker leads the Regulatory Agency Programs (RAP) business unit within CGI Federal, a wholly-owned U.S. operating subsidiary of CGI Group, Inc. In this role, Becker oversees the development and execution of the business and solution strategy across a diverse portfolio of client organizations. Becker joined CGI in 2004 through the merger with American Management Systems, where he began his career in 1994. Becker has held a range of leadership roles guiding client engagements and CGI strategic initiatives in Europe and North America, spanning both the public and private sectors.

Becker’s passion for innovation keeps him at the forefront of emerging technologies. His areas of expertise include the design and implementation of transformative IT and business initiatives with a particular focus on digital transformation, process optimization and data analytics. Based on his knowledge of both public and private sector market dynamics, Becker offers innovative insights to apply commercial practices to the unique needs of government clients. Becker is a member of CGI’s Global Operations Team. He received a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems from George Mason University. He also holds a post-graduate professional certificate in Organization Development and Change Management from Georgetown University.

 

29. Dominique Gautier
Company: Roland Berger
Title: Senior Partner, Montreal Office, North America

Dominique Gautier is a Senior Partner, Montreal Office, North America of Roland Berger, the only strategy consultancy of European origin with a strong international presence. As an independent firm owned exclusively by their partners, they have 51 offices with a presence in all major markets. Their 3,000 employees are characterized by a unique combination of analytical thinking and an empathetic mindset.

Gautier joined Roland Berger in 2000 and leads the firm’s Government and Public Sector Practice for the Southwest region. A specialist in Public Policy, he has worked with several international institutions and governments serving clients in several industries (TMT, Process Industries). He entered the management consulting industry after doing publishing work for the Lagardère Group. Previously, Gautier was a principal at A.T. Kearney. He graduated from HEC Paris and holds degrees in Philosophy and Geopolitics.

 

30. Michael Flynn
Company: Deloitte
Title: Global Infrastructure, Transport & Regional Government Leader

Michael Flynn is the Global Infrastructure, Transport & Regional Government Leader for Deloitte. In this role, Flynn leads the global teams focused on public sector investment in Infrastructure, Transport & Mobility, Regional & Local Government (including cities) and Climate & Environment. He is also the EMEA Infrastructure & Capital Projects Leader with a particular focus on funding/financing public & private infrastructure projects. Through his global roles, Flynn has worked with Deloitte teams around the world advising public, private and banking sectors on government and infrastructure (including PPP), Real Estate, Project Finance and public sector related transactions.

Flynn’s roles also involve advising on business case development, value capture, new financing, refinancing and restructuring of funding positions in corporate and infrastructure projects. He has advised across a variety of sectors including energy, renewables (wind, biomass, solar and storage), education, healthcare, transport, water, waste & energy, regeneration, smart cities and real estate. Flynn is a member of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) PPP Business Advisory Board and an elected Irish council member of the International Project Finance Association.

 

31. Tobias Aebi
Company: Arthur D. Little
Title: Principal

Tobias Aebi is a Principal of Arthur D. Little. He first joined the company in 2015 as consultant. In his 8+ years of strategy consulting across the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and North America, Aebi has developed strong expertise in advising energy and aerospace & defense clients on their most pressing strategic and organizational issues to make them fit for the future.

Notably, Aebi has particular experience in defense, the space industry as well as across all life-cycles of nuclear power, where he recently led multiple assignments. He earned a master's in international management from CEMS - The Global Alliance in Management Education, an MSc in finance and CEMS international management from Esade and an undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of St.Gallen.

 

32. Michael LaRouche
Company: SAIC
Title: President of National Security and Space Sector

Michael LaRouche, the President of the National Security and Space Sector of SAIC, is a recognized business leader in space, defense, national security and cyber. In his current position, LaRouche is focused on transforming his organization into a growth-oriented industry leader. Under his leadership, the NSS team includes thousands of employees uncompromisingly dedicated to delivering strategic technology solutions for space organizations, the intelligence community, the U.S. Air Force, the combatant commands and other Department of Defense offices and agencies.

Prior to joining SAIC in 2019, LaRouche led multiple large business units at Raytheon, where he served as vice president for 11 years and led the delivery of new cyber and C4ISR innovations to U.S. and international customers. Earlier in his career, LaRouche served in leadership positions with Lockheed Martin and Hughes, pioneering advanced technical solutions. LaRouche has a strong technical background with a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan and a master’s in electrical engineering from the University of Colorado.

 

33. Kevin Bryant
Company: Marsh
Title: Managing Director, US Public Entity Practice Leader

Kevin Bryant is a Managing Director, US Public Entity Practice Leader at Marsh, the world’s leading insurance broker and risk advisor. With over 45,000 colleagues operating in 130 countries, Marsh serves commercial and individual clients with data-driven risk solutions and advisory services. He is responsible for the operational, colleague, client and market excellence for the Marsh US Public Entity Practice. He brings more than 30 years of experience in the insurance brokerage industry, with particular expertise in assisting clients with property, casualty and employee benefit strategies with an emphasis on cost containment.

Bryant began his career with Mass Mutual and achieved Life Member status for the prestigious Million Dollar Roundtable (MDRT), an international, independent association of the world’s most successful life insurance and financial services professionals. Additionally, Bryant was the first dual winner of Mass Mutual’s Calbert L. Dings and Philip Howerton Awards. He was also one of only 20 US individuals selected to reside within Aon’s Elite Council. Because of his exceptional sales acumen, he also was a leader within the “Delivering Aon United” model to support enterprise wide growth within Financial Institutions, particularly with the Professional Services Group. Bryant earned his BA in Political Science from Furman University, Greenville, SC.

 

34. Orson Porter
Company: Teneo
Title: Senior Managing Director

At Teneo, Orson Porter is the Founder, Lead Principal, and Senior Managing Director for the advisory firm’s Washington D.C. office. Since launching Teneo in 2011 to establish the firm’s government affairs capacity, Porter has assembled and led a senior team of global government affairs experts with a proven history of advancing public policy priorities and stakeholder relations. Before Teneo, Porter served for 12 years as the U.S. Director of Government and Public Affairs for Nike, Inc., the world’s largest fitness company.

While at Nike, Porter devised and led Nike’s corporate strategy on policy priorities, including international trade, brand campaigns and activations, corporate responsibility, and supply chain sourcing and crisis management. Before joining Nike, President Clinton appointed Porter as Special Assistant to the President and White House Midwest Political Director. He advised the President, Vice President, and senior staff and managed the White House’s posture on national and local issues in the Midwest. Porter attended the University of Wisconsin, where he majored in journalism and communications.

 

35. Chaitra Chandrasekhar
Company: Oliver Wyman
Title: Partner

Chaitra Chandrasekhar is a Partner at Oliver Wyman, a global leader in management consulting with offices in more than 70 cities across 30 countries. Notably, Chandrasekhar has been advising senior decision-makers for nearly two decades on strategy, digital transformation, public policy, and data-driven innovation initiatives. Her clients include: global firms, private investors, development banks, international organizations, government and supranational entities across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Chandrasekhar is a thought leader, speaker, and industry expert on delivering impact centered around customers to drive business growth and transformation.

An elected member of the firm’s global Partnership Committee and executive sponsor for Oliver Wyman’s racial and ethnic diversity group, Chandrasekhar also serves as an International Council Member with the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center. Earlier in her career, among other jobs, she worked with Merrill Lynch as an analyst. Chandrasekhar received a Master of Engineering, and a BS in Computer Science and Engineering degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – as well as a BS in Management from the Sloan School of Management. Additionally, she also holds a Diploma in Wines & Spirits from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET).

 

36. Christine Trunnell
Company: Baker Tilly
Title: Partner

Christine Trunnell, a Partner with Baker Tilly, has been with the firm since 2002 – and is a leader in the business information systems practice. She specializes in enterprise solution integration, system and process optimization. Trunnell, notably, has over 15 years of professional experience working with government contractors, professional services and not-for-profit organizations to deliver complex business solutions to improve their enterprise systems and core financial business processes.

Baker Tilly US, LLP (Baker Tilly) is a leading advisory CPA firm, providing clients with a genuine coast-to-coast and global advantage in major regions of the U.S. and in many of the world’s leading financial centers. Baker Tilly is an independent member of Baker Tilly International, a worldwide network of independent accounting and business advisory firms in 145 territories, with 41,000 professionals and a worldwide revenue of $4.7 billion. Trunnell got her start in 1999 as a senior accountant at Arthur Andersen. From there, she went on to EY as a senior accountant. Trunnell graduated from Virginia Tech with an undergraduate degree in accounting.

 

37. Brenda Walker
Company: KPMG
Title: Partner, Global Head of Government

Brenda Walker is a Partner, Global Head of Government of KPMG, one of the world’s leading professional services firms and the fastest-growing Big Four accounting firm in the United States. With 75+ offices and more than 40,000 employees and partners throughout the US, they’re leading the industry in new and exciting ways. Walker has more than 30 years of experience in accounting, financial management and business transformation in the government and public sector, including 25 years of Defense consulting for military services and agencies. Previously, she led and built the largest sector in KPMG in the US's Government practice, managing defense and intelligence clients. She also served as the US firm's Advisory Federal Industry Leader.

Walker is also dedicated to taking care of their people and clients. She led one of the largest KPMG Women’s Network with over 800 members. She is a role model to other women and has built a strong team of KPMG partners who lead some of the largest priority. She served on the Board of Directors of the International Alliance for Women (TIAW) as the VP of Finance with a charter to advance economic growth by empowering women. Furthermore, Walker is active in the defense community, including the Women In Defense organization, the American Society of Military Comptrollers and the Association of Government Accountants. Walker earned an undergraduate degree in accounting from Minnesota State University Moorhead.

 

38. Wendy Morris
Company: BDO USA
Title: Principal, BDO Public Sector, Civilian Services Leader

Wendy Morris is a Principal with BDO Public Sector, LLC and serves as the leader for the firm’s Civilian Services Vertical. Across the U.S., and in over 160 countries through their global organization, BDO professionals provide assurance, tax and advisory services for a diverse range of clients. In her current role, Morris is responsible for the development of all personnel as well as creating innovative solutions for the practice and clients. She has more than 27 years of financial management and internal control experience – and has successfully led large project teams addressing high-profile and complex federal and commercial projects.

Moreover, she is deeply experienced with OMB Circular A-123, including Appendix A, B, C and D, enterprise risk management and improper payments, audit remediation, risk assessment, internal controls over operations, internal audit, COSO, GAO internal control framework (Green Book), and FMFIA. During her lengthy career, Morris has attained extensive experience supporting many civilian federal agencies in solving complex challenges, including: the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, FEMA, FCC, ICE, NASA, FBI, as well as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, among many others. Morris graduated from the University of Maryland with an undergraduate degree in accounting.

 

39. Paul Nedzbala
Company: General Dynamics Information Technology
Title: SVP, Federal Civilian

Paul Nedzbala is GDIT’s Senior Vice President for the federal civilian division, reporting to President Amy Gilliland. General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; and technology products and services. Nedzbala leads the strategic direction, growth, planning and performance of teams responsible for delivering mission-critical IT solutions and professional services to federal civilian agencies.

Prior to GDIT, Nedzbala served as executive vice president for the health and civil group at CSRA and SRA International. He also served as chief operating officer for the health sciences business unit at Constella Group – as well as various leadership roles at United Information Systems and the Washington Consulting Group. Nedzbala earned a bachelor’s in management science from Virginia Tech.

 

40. Sharad Maheshwari
Company: HCLTech
Title: Vice President

Sharad Maheshwari is a Vice President for HCLTech, where he is focused on the Aerospace and Defense (A&D) industry and the U.S. State, Local, and Education segment for business acquisition, industry research, and go-to-market (GTM) strategy. With more than 20 years of experience, he has rich expertise in supporting A&D clients with business consulting services (Model Based Enterprise 2.0, MRO Advisory, A&D Taxonomy for Parts, Project Accounting), SAP led business transformation (IP & Products) with benefits realization, Intelligent Process Engineering for A&D Business Value Chains, manufacturing shop floor software engineering, enterprise analytics, digital workplace, Hybrid Cloud (GOV/FedRAMP Authorized), Networks, and Cybersecurity & IT managed services.

On top of that, Maheshwari has worked on internal HCLTech projects in partnership with export compliance teams that were focused on ensuring its U.S. Global Delivery Centers’ ITAR Compliance, ISO 27001/DFARS 252.204-7012/CMMC certification, and Data Sovereignty needs. Away from HCLTech, he has served as a volunteer for nonprofit organizations (Chicagoland area hospitals and charity groups) and has supported orphaned children in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Maheshwari earned a master’s in marketing management and a bachelor’s in instrumentation engineering from the University of Mumbai.

 

41. Kam Bhatoa
Company: BJSS
Title: Head of Government

Kam Bhatoa is the Head of Government at BJSS, a global IT consultancy recognised for delivering advanced technical solutions. Bhatoa’s professional journey, spanning over a quarter of a century, is distinguished by 15 years dedicated to innovating within the public sector. Before her impactful tenure at BJSS commenced in 2014, she honed her expertise at PwC. Her client portfolio reflects her meticulous approach, encompassing collaborations with entities such as the Home Office, DVSA, Central Government, Defence, and various pivotal government agencies. A vocal advocate for cross-government synergy, she strategically aligns various departments, capitalizing on BJSS's deep reservoir of experience to facilitate efficient and impactful solution delivery.

Bhatoa’s adeptness is particularly pronounced in complex, multi-vendor landscapes, but it is her global engagement that truly distinguishes her. A steadfast believer in technological inclusivity, she champions initiatives promoting accessibility. Recognizing the evolutionary nature of transformative change, Bhatoa firmly believes that industry leaders bear a significant responsibility to collaborate closely with governmental bodies, ensuring optimal results that serve the broader community. Within BJSS, Bhatoa is not merely a functional leader; she represents the epitome of professional excellence: ceaselessly driving initiatives to ensure comprehensive, inclusive, and globally relevant solutions.

 

42. Jeff Shockey
Company: Raytheon Technologies
Title: Senior Vice President, Global Government Relations

Jeff Shockey is a Senior Vice President of Global Government Relations at Raytheon Technologies, the world's largest aerospace and defense company. Shockey leads Global Government Relations for RTX. He is responsible for working with governments at the international, federal and state levels – and for communicating the company’s business interests to policymakers and other organizations. Shockey, who has held multiple senior staff positions in the U.S. House of Representatives, has more than 30 years of experience in government and government relations.

Previously, he also served as Boeing’s VP of Federal Affairs and International Policy for Government Operations – and most recently as its VP of Global Sales and Marketing for Defense, Space & Security and Global Services’ Government Services portfolio. Shockey also has served as staff director of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, staff director and deputy director of the House Appropriations Committee, and legislative director for former U.S. Rep. Jerry Lewis. Additionally, he co-founded the public affairs and government relations consultancy S-3 Group. He was also a partner at Copeland, Lowery, Denton, Shockey & White. Shockey holds a bachelor’s in political science and a master’s in public administration from California State University at San Bernardino.

 

43. Natalia Sokolova
Company: Curzon Consulting
Title: Partner, Public Sector

Natalia Sokolova is a Partner, Public Sector at Curzon Consulting, an award-winning management consultancy that delivers tangible and enduring results for its clients. They were established in London in 2003 as ‘Curzon & Company’. Since then, they have supported business leaders across Financial Services, Infrastructure, Manufacturing & Engineering, Healthcare and Public Sector with major challenges.

Sokolova first joined the company in 2022. Previously, she was a Partner at the Chaucer Group, an organization she spent more than 17 years at. Before that, she served as a business development & sales manager for emerging markets at Norbar Torque Tools Ltd. Sokolova earned an MBA in management from the University of Bath and an MA in Applied Linguistics from the Linguistics University of Nizhny Novgorod (LUNN).

 

44. Andrew Sherman
Company: Segal Company
Title: SVP, National Director Public Sector

Andrew Sherman is a SVP and the National Director of the Public Sector market for Segal Company, a leading benefits and HR consulting firm that has released an innovative cybersecurity risk subscription service, Segal Cyber Advisor, to help organizations manage and mitigate evolving cybersecurity risk. Based in both the Boston and Washington, DC offices Sherman has over 30 years of experience in the Northeast and throughout the U.S. as a benefits consultant working with plan sponsors on a wide range of employee benefit issues and opportunities including plan design, benefit strategies, funding and plan management. Notably, he served as a member of The Segal Group’s Board of Directors from 2007 to 2016; and from 2019 to present.

Sherman provides consulting services to public and private health, retirement and retiree health benefit plans. Among areas of expertise, he focuses on public sector entities and consults to large public sector employee benefit plans as well as city and state health plans. His consulting expertise includes: total health management, Affordable Care Act compliance, prescription drug benefit plan design, retiree health benefit programs. Sherman holds a BA in economics, magna cum laude, from Brandeis University and a master's in public policy with a concentration in Health Policy from The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

 

45. Martin Lindsay
Company: Wipro
Title: Client Partner & Executive Director, Public Sector, Wipro

Martin Lindsay began his professional career 24 years ago. Today, he is the Client Partner and Executive Director of the Public Sector at Wipro, a leading technology services and consulting company focused on building innovative solutions that address clients’ most complex digital transformation needs. With over 250,000 employees and business partners across 66 countries, they leverage their holistic portfolio of capabilities in consulting, design, engineering, and operations.

Lindsay got his start in 1999 as a biologist at Health Canada. From there, he went on National Capital Commission, before eventually rising to senior director of sales in North America at MindBridge Ai, his most recent position prior to joining Wipro. Lindsay graduated from the University of Ottawa with an undergraduate degree in accounting and biology.

 

46. Wayne Messina
Company: North Highland
Title: Vice President and Public Sector Portfolio Lead

Wayne Messina is the VP and Public Sector Portfolio Lead of North Highland, a company that makes change happen, helping businesses transform by placing people at the heart of every decision. With their blend of workforce, customer and operational expertise, they’re recognized as the world’s leading transformation consultancy. Messina first joined the company in 2006 as manager.

With over 25 years of consulting experience, Messina specializes in helping clients successfully action complex transformations, working closely to optimize processes and collaborating with applicable governing bodies to secure appropriate funding – all while maintaining his people-first approach. Previously, Messina was a manager at Unisys.

 

47. Kay Hooghoudt
Company: Atos
Title: Global Director of Digital Transformation & Cloud in Government

Kay Hooghoudt is Global Director of Digital Transformation & Cloud in Government at Atos, a global leader in digital transformation with c.105,000 employees and annual revenue of c. € 11 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 69 countries. Notably, Hooghoudt advises governments, universities and public bodies all over the world on digital strategy and cloud adoption. He is a digital visionary, responsible for developing new themes and strategies in the public space. Having worked with public service leaders in Europe, Australia, the US, the Middle East and Asia, Hooghoudt addresses the fear in some parts of the public sector about cloud adoption.

Furthermore, Hooghoudt advises on hybrid cloud orchestration, access to legacy systems, data classification, security, scalability, resilience, cost, data protection and data sovereignty. His career includes 15 years in Senior Management positions within the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Since 2012, he was Vice-President Government & (Higher) Education, Atos International. He joined Atos in 2007 as Executive Account Director for Government & (Higher) Education in the Netherlands. Hooghoudt has a Masters degree in International Law (LLM) and a BA in Cultural Anthropology & Non-Western Sociology from the University of Leiden.

 

48. Neil Bjorkman
Company: Tata Consultancy Services
Title: Head of Government Relations, North America

Neil Bjorkman began his professional career 16 years ago. Today, he is the Head of Government Relations in North America of Tata Consultancy Services, a purpose-led organization that is building a meaningful future through innovation, technology, and collective knowledge. A part of the Tata group, India's largest multinational business group, TCS has over 500,000 of the world’s best-trained consultants in 46 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of $22.2 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, and is listed on the BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) and the NSE (National Stock Exchange) in India.

Bjorkman got his start in 2007 as a clerk to the Hon. Justice Dalveer Bhandari at the Supreme Court of India. From there, he went on to Schneider Wallace Cottrell Brayton Konecky LLP, before eventually rising to VP of legislative affairs at U.S.-India strategic partnership forum, his most recent position prior to joining Tata Consultancy Services. Bjorkman graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School with a JD in law and from Saint John's University with an undergraduate degree in Spanish.

 

49. Jamie Mangrum
Company: Slalom
Title: Senior Director of Public Sector

Jamie Mangrum is the Senior Director of the Public Sector at Slalom, a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. Since their consulting business started in 2001, Slalom has grown rapidly to 13,000+ team members in eight countries and 45 markets. They have close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, including AWS, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Snowflake, and Tableau. Mangrum first joined the company in 2018 as client service leader.

Previously, Mangrum was a VP of solutions delivery at Taborda Solutions. Before that, he served as a global security intelligence - principal engagement manager at SAS. Earlier in his career, he worked with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation as an assistant secretary of information technology. Mangrum earned an MS in management and leadership and an undergraduate degree in business management from Western Governors University.

 

50. Kate Carmichael
Company: Q5 Partners
Title: Head of Public and Non-Profit Sector

Kate Carmichael is the Head of Public and Non-Profit Sector for Q5 Partners, a global, award-winning consultancy specializing in 'organizational health'. They help clients develop organizational strategy, design operating models, develop leaders, improve their working culture, and deliver effective (and lasting) change at speed. In her current role, Carmichael is responsible for guiding their portfolio of client work across government, agencies, and not-for-profit organizations. She is a natural problem solver with over 20 years of strategic management and organization transformation experience. She joined Q5 in 2016.

Carmichael spent the first part of her career in Accenture’s global strategy practice. Prior to joining Q5, she gained an MSc in International Development and worked for the World Bank, Cancer Research UK, and ICMM – the leading organization for sustainable development in the extractives sector. There, she focused on brokering partnerships between mining company chief executives, government leaders, and civil society organizations to drive better social and economic development outcomes in mineral-rich countries – including in Peru, Zambia, Ghana and South Africa.​ Carmichael graduated from SOAS University of London with an MS in development studies and from the University of Birmingham with an undergraduate degree in geography.