Announcing the 2024 Engage Federal Financials Honorees

Across the Federal sector there are promises to break down silos; claims of greater transparency; words like collaboration, communication and trust becoming part of what is required for forward movement.    

And across the Government contracting sector, within industry and within government, there are leaders who truly understand what it takes, who are setting an example that not only encourages engagement, but also motivates and pushes others on their teams and within their organizations to do the same. These leaders are empowering and changing how government and industry can work together. and doing so selflessly, without expectation for personal gain but instead, for the betterment of the industry.   

Continuing our commitment to shine a light on the good stuff, to spotlight those that are #doingitright, we are pleased to announce the 2024 Engage Federal Financials Honorees. This list of individuals, who were nominated, evaluated, and selected by a panel of their peers, represents exceptional leaders from across government and industry who stand out from the crowd for their willingness to drive BOLD approaches and innovative engagement strategies while supporting a culture shift which values collaboration, open communication, transparency, and partnership between and across the Federal government and industry partner ecosystems across the Federal Financials sector to include Treasury, SEC, IRS, BFS, CFTC, CFPB, EXIM and more.

This year’s outstanding leaders are:  

• Susan An, CEO, SoKat
• Eric Arnold, Managing Director Enterprise Risk Management, Export-Import Bank of the United States
• Kevin Bierschenk, Vice President, Digital Modernization Sector, Leidos
• Margarita Brose, Deputy Chief Data Officer, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
• Ed Burrows, Vice President of Intelligent Solutions, Brillient Corporation
• Chris Chilbert, Chief Information Officer, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
• Todd Conklin, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Deputy Assistant Secretary Cyber, U.S. Department of the Treasury
• Jeffrey Cooper, Executive Vice President – FinTech  Chevo Consulting, LLC
• Chitra Dhayalan, Vice President, Strategic Programs at SD Solutions LLC
• Nanette Downing, Executive Vice President (EVP) Client Relations & Delivery, eTelligent
• Nicole Evans, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, U.S. Department of the Treasury
• Jignesh Gandhi, Vice President, Innovation and Engineering, FedTec
• Puneet Goel, Director, Data Delivery Services Domain, Applications Development, Information Technology, Internal Revenue Service
• Ariel Gold, Director of IRS Modernization, U.S. Department of the Treasury
• Kiran Gullapalli, Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer, Anika Systems
• Cindy Orellana Good, Director, Data Transparency, Bureau of the Fiscal Service
• Joey Hutchins, President & CEO, RightDirection Technology Solutions, LLC
• Ted Kaouk, PhD, Chief Data Officer & Director, Division of Data, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
• Courtney Kay-Decker, Deputy Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer, Internal Revenue Service
• Sarosh Khan, Founder and CEO, Peregrine Advisors
• Robin Locy Kidwell, Vice President, Client Services, FedTec
• Melanie Krause, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Operations Support, Internal Revenue Service
• Albert Lee, Senior Economist, Founding Partner Summit Consulting
• Mariano Lopez, CEO, Analytica
• Justin Marsico, Chief Data Officer, Bureau of Fiscal Service
• Helleni Moon, CEO, EIDOS Technologies
• Mike Oliver, Senior Advisor, Transformation and Strategy, Internal Revenue Service
• Brian Peretti, Deputy Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Director Domestic and International Cyber Policy, U.S. Department of the Treasury
• Ali Pourghassemi, Senior Transformation Consultant (Detail), Internal Revenue Service
• Faisal Quader, President, Technuf
• Donna Ragucci, Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Department of Treasury
• Kay Ramesh, President/CEO, Cybermedia Technologies LLC
• Gabrielle Rivera, Senior Director, Maximus
• Dr. Tiina K.O. Rodrigue, EdD, CISO, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
• Dottie Romo, Director of Procurement Operations Support, Internal Revenue Service
• Phil Sahady, President, Chevo Consulting, LLC
• Mandeep Sarkaria, PhD, President, Intellect Solutions LLC
• Gurpreet Singh, CEO, Infotrend Inc
• Harrison Smith, Acquisition Innovation Advocate, FDIC
• Susan Smoter, Vice President, Government Solutions, North America  Quantexa
• Laura Johnston Stash, EVP, iTech AG
• Srikanth (Sri) Swaminathan, Vice President, Federal Accounts at Diaconia
• Keith Taylor, CEO, 2ndWave
• Darnita Trower, Director, Emerging Programs & Initiatives, Internal Revenue Service
• Jose Vejarano, Director, Product Management/ User Experience & Design (UXD)
• Mitchell Winans, Senior Advisor, Enterprise Digitalization at Internal Revenue Service
• Jeremy Wood, Chief, Enterprise Architecture Branch, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
• Lisa Wetzel, President & CEO, Vikint Inc.
• Brian Whittaker, Chief Innovation Officer, FDIC

Congratulations to all of the honorees and thank you to all who participated in the process. 

Identified below are Six Key Characteristics that Make up an Engage FedGov Leader   

Exemplify Open Communication   

Whether through speaking at events, sharing on open platforms such as LinkedIn, or writing executive insight pieces that offer advice and insight, the engaged leader shares their thought leadership and is open to making public what they know to serve the greater good.   

Evidence of Mission Focus     

An engaged leader understands their mission focus is not turned inward to their specific organization but instead looks outward, to their stakeholders. This means taking and receiving lessons learned from others serving the same or similar communities. It means finding ways to engage stakeholders, vendors, and potential partners, to drive collaborative solutions with the users’ needs in focus.   

Execution as a Good Partner     

Engaged leaders prefer not to do a power dance, across tables or in the public eye. Being open, transparent, and authentic in who they are and what they want to achieve, these leaders demonstrate they are good and reliable partners. Being a good partner, these leaders are clear in what they say, understand their role and the roles of those around them, and they execute according to that.   

Engage with the Community     

Whether through industry days, networking opportunities, written content or collaboration in working groups, the engaged leader is part of the discussion, attending events, and being accessible and available. The expression “a rising tide lifts many boats” reminds everyone of something engaged leaders know – that there are opportunities for everyone and we do better when we work together. Whether it is as a mentor, an advisor, a board member, or a panellist, these leaders are familiar names and faces.   

Encourage Inclusivity     

Leaders who see the bigger picture are often surrounded by people who represent that bigger picture. Engaged leaders surround themselves with people who support and challenge them, with people who come from diverse backgrounds and with varied experiences. Engaged leaders encourage discussion, not for its own sake, but because they want the ideas brought forth from their diverse and inclusive team.   

Exemplify Innovation     

Whether it is through technology, culture, mission or approach, leaders that succeed do not stand still. Innovation signifies life, implies thought and forward movement, and is critical as the world becomes increasingly complex and challenging. Engaged leaders understand this, ask for big ideas and seek solutions that are focused on driving their organizations forward.    

#engagefedgov   

Meet the 2023 Engage FedGov Honorees here.

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