Financial services firm Baird, which has deep involvement in the government contracting community through advisements on major mergers and acquisitions deals, has announced the schedule and speaker slate for the 2024 edition of its annual Defense & Government Conference.
According to details shared with GovCon Wire, the always-vital gathering of the top performers in GovCon will assemble at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner on Thursday, Nov. 21, with a focus on both defense technology innovation and the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election and what it means for companies in the industrial base.
As always, Wash100 Award winners Jean Stack and John Song, managing directors at Baird, are the principal organizers and will be moderating multiple sessions, as well as giving their own remarks.
Stack and Song told GovCon Wire that the event is essential because “government and industry come together to talk about the key topics of the day. Today’s topic is about innovation.” They said 2024’s conference is already nearing 1,000 registrants.
Notable GovCon Speakers
Highlights of the day’s lineup include former CIA Deputy Director for Innovation and Wash100 winner Jennifer Ewbank’s overview of non-traditional players in intelligence, which she’ll follow by moderating a panel assembling leaders of such on-the-rise organizations, including Michael Southworth of Babel Street.
As noted, M&A is a Baird specialty, and the first panel they’ve put together on the subject — arranged around buyers’ perspectives — is a must-see: it includes Jacob Markish, vice president of strategy and corporate development for North America at Thales, as well as prominent representatives from SAIC, Northrop Grumman and L3Harris.
In keeping with the day’s theme of defense tech innovation, Parry Labs CEO and Co-founder JD Parkes will appear in “Transforming Warfighting: Defense Tech Disruption.” Sigma Defense President and CEO Matt Jones will continue the conversation during “Software Delivery to the Edge,” while Wash100 honoree Steve Escavarage, Booz Allen Hamilton’s executive vice president of analytics and AI, will examine the “Future of Warfighting in the Digital Battlespace” alongside reformed federal official Greg Little, who now works at Palantir Technologies.
Hot off his recent sale to CGI Federal, Ayeon President and CEO Sunny Singh will contribute to the seller perspectives M&A panel late in the day, and Wash100-recognized Scott McIntyre, whose company Guidehouse was sold by Veritas Capital to Bain Capital in late 2023, will present solo in a sure-to-be engaging talk.
Repeat attendees know to look forward to policy research analyst Daniel Clifton’s comments (Clifton hails from Strategas) and Baird Senior Research Analyst of Aerospace and Defense Peter Arment’s session “A View from Wall Street.” Both are always packed with insight and are rooted in their presenters’ unique perspectives.
Finally, don’t miss yet another Wash100 winner, Leidos Chief Growth Officer Gerry Fasano, whose discussion (moderated by Song) summarizing the overall market evolution and outlook of the defense sector will close the day’s proceedings.
If you’re interested in the conference, email [email protected]. Attendance is invite-only and limited to those who would most benefit from the event.
