Executive Mosaic is pleased to announce that Lou Von Thaer, president and CEO of global research and development organization Battelle, has been named a Wash100 awardee for 2024. The Wash100 award is an accolade conferred annually to the 100 most influential and impactful leaders within the GovCon industry.
Vote for Lou Von Thaer as one of your favorite GovCon industry leaders for 2024! The Popular Vote Competition of the Wash100 Award runs through April 30, 2024.
Von Thaer’s latest win is his ninth overall. This year, Executive Mosaic is honoring Battelle’s chief executive for having led his organization in attaining contract wins, acquiring critical talent and advancing innovation in environmental remediation.
Regarding the award, Executive Mosaic CEO Jim Garrettson said, “Lou’s nearly seven-year tenure at the helm of Battelle, one of the GovCon landscape’s most powerful scientific integrators and research pioneers, has been marked by transformative growth. Lou’s leadership in the R&D landscape is especially during a time in which the research and development ecosystem is undergoing a major transformation fueled by the competitive landscape and the country’s need for speed and capability. Lou’s infectious optimism, forged from decades of industry experience, fuels his leadership at Battelle, and it’s why he’s landed a spot on our Wash100 list for the ninth year.”
For his part, Von Thaer said, “I am honored to be included on this list with so many distinguished and visionary leaders. Navigating the federal landscape and government contracting in recent years has been both challenging and rewarding. We look forward to a bright future at Battelle as we vigorously innovate to meet the needs of our federal customers in national security, the environment and health. We are working on solutions that have the potential on the near horizon to make the world a better place.”
Under Von Thaer’s leadership, Battelle saw multiple government contract wins through 2023. These wins include the National Consensus Development and Strategic Planning for Health Care Quality Measurement contract, which called for stakeholder engagement to help the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services determine priorities for the measurement of health performance.
Battelle was also awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services a contract for Project NextGen, which seeks to develop new vaccines and therapeutics platforms. Battelle’s award calls for the advancement of chip platform technology for human lung and airway tissue.
Another noteworthy award is a five-year, $416 million deal from the National Science Foundation for the continued operation and maintenance of the National Ecological Observatory Network. NEON collects ecological data and samples and makes this information available for free.
In the area of defense, the U.S. Air Force awarded Battelle a $107 million task order under the Department of Defense Information Analysis Center multiple-award contract vehicle. The task order involves the provision of force health protection services in support of the Navy and Marine Corps Force Health Protection Command.
Battelle also received a spot on an Air Force Life Cycle Management Center contract for the delivery of systems designed to secure critical program information and technologies from tampering by adversaries. The contract has a potential maximum value of $499 million and comes with a period of performance that lasts through February 2030.
Concerning talent acquisition, with Von Thaer at the helm, Battelle was named by Columbus C.E.O. Magazine as one of the Top Workplaces in Columbus, Ohio, for 2023. The recipients of this award are determined by the results of a confidential survey of employees conducted by employee engagement technology provider Energage.
Von Thaer expressed pride at Battelle being given the award, saying, “We strive to provide an environment where our employees can thrive professionally, feel included and valued, and contribute to the greater good by tackling the most pressing scientific challenge while also giving back to the community through philanthropy and STEM education.”
Battelle’s being a top destination for the workforce is reflected by appointments and hires through 2023. The company elected to its board of directors Exelon President and CEO Calvin Butler and Installed Building Products Chairman, CEO and President Jeff Edwards.
The same year also saw the appointment of a new chief financial officer. Chris Boynton joined Battelle last May as CFO and executive vice president following a 20-year career at RTX. Von Thaer said Boynton is “a tremendous asset” and possesses all the qualities the organization sought in a CFO.
The organization also brought on board Shalene Thomas, an expert in environmental consulting and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. She took on the role of emerging contaminants program manager.
Her appointment expands Battelle’s efforts in combating dangerous substances like PFAS, work that is carried out by Battelle subsidiary Revive Environmental with innovations like PFAS Annihilator, which saw three key milestones last year.
In May, PFAS Annihilator was deployed commercially for the first time in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to address PFAS landfill leachate at a wastewater treatment facility. In July, New Hampshire approved the use of PFAS Annihilator for its AFFF Take Back Program, an effort that sought to phase out and safely dispose firefighting foams that contained PFAS.
Most notably, the Department of Defense in December selected Revive Environmental as one of ten companies to demonstrate the ability of their technologies to treat PFAS contamination. Under the DOD project, Revive will work to evaluate and determine the operational constraints of using PFAS Annihilator.
Despite being relatively new to the market, PFAS Annihilator is already the recipient of industry recognition. In May, Fast Company named the product an honoree at the 2023 World Changing Ideas Awards. And in September, Fortune named Battelle to its 2023 Change the World list for work on PFAS Annihilator.
Commenting on that last award, Von Thaer said, “This technology truly has the power to change the world as we continue to scale its commercial deployment and application, and is the latest innovation in Battelle’s nearly 100-year journey toward addressing the world’s greatest challenges through science and technology for a safer, healthier and more secure world.”
In light of Battelle’s accomplishments in the past year, Von Thaer’s inclusion in the 2024 class of Wash100 should come as no surprise. These accomplishments are indicative of the Battelle leader’s outstanding qualities, which Wash100 honors and celebrates.
Cast a vote now to select Lou Von Thaer as one of your favorite GovCon industry leaders for 2024!
