Executive Mosaic is excited to recognize Aaron Weis, managing director of technology at Google Public Sector, with a 2024 Wash100 Award for his success in propelling federal technology modernization efforts forward as a leader in both public and private sector organizations.
Don’t miss your chance to choose Weis as your favorite 2024 Wash100 winner! To join in on the annual Wash100 popular vote competition, visit Wash100.com.
The Wash100 Award is an honor given only to the most exceptional figures in the government contracting industry. Each Wash100 class represents the highest tier of talent in the field, and each winner is hand-picked to receive the award after an evaluation of their past accomplishments and potential to shape the future of the field.
“I’m honored to be among the Wash100 winners for the fifth year in a row! The Wash100 cohort is really the change element for technology in the government and so I appreciate the recognition in this year of change for me,” said Weis. “In 2023, I transitioned from Dept of Navy CIO to leading Technology at Google Public Sector and from this new role, I’m privileged to now have an opportunity to help all of the government continue the journey of technology modernization, gain data-driven insights at scale and harness the power of AI, through the power of Google Cloud for Public Sector.”
Throughout his distinguished career, Weis has gathered extensive experience in both government and industry organizations. Before he took on his current position with Google in March, he served as chief information officer of the Department of the Navy, a role in which he guided the department’s information technology strategy.
“Having successfully made the jump from government — where he served as Department of the Navy CIO — to the GovCon industry, Aaron has spent the last year leveraging his deep cyber and defense expertise, existing well-placed relationships, government leadership experience and reputation for getting things done,” said Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic and founder of the Wash100 Award.
Garrettson continued, “Aaron executes his knowledge of essential technological initiatives and programs — both existing and future — for Google’s public sector business and the breadth of its existing customers. Aaron’s energy is infectious, and combined with his extensive hands-on experience and knowledge, he easily guides and leads simultaneously. We look forward to covering Aaron’s irrepressible spirit and technology leadership at Google and also as an industry recognized 2024 Wash100 Award winner.”
Prior to his departure from the DON, Weis released a campaign plan designed to drive the department’s Information Superiority Vision forward. The six objectives – optimizing the DON Information Environment for cloud, adopting enterprise services, implementing zero trust, using data to fuel force readiness, being cyber ready and modernizing department-wide IT through the Cattle Drive program – set the stage for the DON’s IT transformation in fiscal year 2023.
As a private sector executive, Weis has continued to promote digital modernization. One topic he has emphasized is the growing importance of zero trust adoption.
“I do still believe that the way that the DOD and much of the government approaches the problem of cybersecurity is wrong,” Weis said in a June video interview with Executive Mosaic’s Summer Myatt.
He noted that the department sees security as a compliance problem, and this approach, he said, has “years and years of track record” that shows it is not always effective.
“Zero trust is asking every second of every day, ‘Do we trust the user? Do we trust the device? Do we trust the network? Do we trust the data that’s about to be looked at? And do we trust the application?” Weis said.
Google was an originator of zero trust, and as a member of its leadership team, Weis is excited “to be with a company that lives what I kind of was on the bully pulpit about there for the last year that I worked at the department.”
Weis has also advocated for the ethical use of artificial intelligence, which offers immense potential if used responsibly and has pushed for leaders to consider “how to apply [AI] within the ethical frameworks that Google has [developed], as well as the ethical AI use that the DOD has directed.”
Weis’ strong leadership in technology led to his appointment as chair of Executive Mosaic’s 4×24 CIO Group in August. As head of the group, he empowers GovCon IT leaders to converse about the top challenges and opportunities shaping the current federal IT ecosystem.
Commenting on his appointment, Weis said he looks forward to participating in the program, which he had engaged with while serving in government roles, as a private sector executive.
“The insights, networking and social value of these engagements can’t be underestimated!” he said. For more information on the 4×24 leadership series, click here.
Executive Mosaic congratulates Weis on his fifth Wash100 award win and looks forward to seeing his next moves as an industry leader.
