The Future of GovCon

How do you do business with NATO, and how does the Alliance defend itself in cyberspace? Dr. Manfred Boudreaux-Dehmer knows both answers. He spent five years as NATO's first Chief Information Officer and its single point of authority for cybersecurity, reporting directly to the Secretary General.Before NATO, he spent decades in industry at Compaq, HP, and Sierra Wireless, where he was CIO for 11 years. He joins Jake Frazer to explain why NATO needs cyber resilience, not just cyber security, what the Alliance learned from Ukraine, and exactly where companies should start if they want to do business with NATO.They also cover supply chain risk, faster procurement, and why AI and quantum computing are the next big shift.New episodes every week.Timestamps00:00 Intro01:18 Welcome02:31 Meeting at AFCEA TechNet Europe03:48 Industry or government next?05:24 From Bavaria to Compaq, HP, and Sierra Wireless09:02 Landing the NATO job through a LinkedIn ad11:22 Working for Stoltenberg and Rutte14:03 NATO's first CIO and cyber authority17:44 Cyber resilience, not just cyber security22:35 Keeping the cycle going23:44 How Russia's invasion of Ukraine changed the job25:46 What NATO learned from Ukraine27:31 Why industry is indispensable30:17 Suppliers as a cyber risk33:26 How to do business with NATO37:11 Can NATO buy technology faster?40:28 The 5% target and the industry view43:33 The biggest change coming: AI and quantum46:38 The magic wand question49:43 Closing thoughtsWhere to start with NATO (mentioned in the episode)NCIA, NATO Communications and Information Agency: https://www.ncia.nato.intNSPA, NATO Support and Procurement Agency: https://www.nspa.nato.intDIANA, Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic: https://www.diana.nato.intNATO Innovation Fund: https://www.nif.fundLinksConnect with Manfred Boudreaux-Dehmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manfred-boudreaux-dehmer/Connect with Jake Frazer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakefrazer/Precision Talent Solutions: https://pts.careersAll episodes: https://pts.careers/en/podcastRelated episodesMaj. Gen. (Ret.) Duane Miller, on Ukraine and the speed of learning: https://youtu.be/a_lMpVEYpuUMaj. Gen. (Ret.) Devin Pepper, on NATO and space: https://youtu.be/SBWTlSLli9wListen and subscribeApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1838189132Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0aMgbnT4lLK1BVPqqYG32A#NATO #Cybersecurity #CyberResilience #GovCon #DefenseInnovationCheck the four NATO links open before publishing.

In every first battle in its history, the US has been fighting the last war. Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Duane Miller says we won't get the time to recover next time.Duane spent nearly 40 years in the Army, from enlisted military police officer to the 19th Provost Marshal General. He came out of retirement to serve as Deputy Commanding General of Security Assistance Group-Ukraine. He joins Jake Frazer to talk about getting equipment to Ukraine, the right to repair, and why the speed of learning is now a strategic weapon.They cover what SAG-U did, how Ukraine's drone companies work alongside frontline units, what the US can learn from it, and how Duane sees the war unfolding over the next year.New episodes every week.Timestamps00:00 Intro01:20 Welcome03:35 Duane's read on Ukraine today05:33 From enlisted MP to two-star general10:10 The call to SAG-U12:00 What SAG-U did15:45 Inside the mission: requirements, delivery, and training19:36 Working with Ukraine's Ministry of Defense21:20 The case for the right to repair24:50 Speed of learning as a strategic weapon30:25 Ukraine as an R&D sandbox31:53 What Ukraine could have taught us about drones34:10 Ukrainian drone units as the red team36:46 How Duane wants to help industry39:20 How does the war end?43:05 The biggest change in the next 12 months45:10 The magic wand question46:59 Closing thoughtsLinksConnect with Duane Miller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanemillersfl/Connect with Jake Frazer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakefrazer/Precision Talent Solutions: https://pts.careersAll episodes: https://pts.careers/en/podcastRead the transcript:Listen and subscribeApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1838189132Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0aMgbnT4lLK1BVPqqYG32A#Ukraine #NATO #DefenseInnovation #GovCon #NationalSecurity

Plan Colombia helped save a democracy in South America. Could the same approach work in Venezuela?Ambassador (Ret.) Jimmy Story spent 27 years at the State Department, including five years leading US engagement on Venezuela as chargé d'affaires and then ambassador. He joins Jake Frazer to explain why the Western Hemisphere is back at the center of US policy, and what that means for government contractors.They cover lessons from Plan Colombia, why policy needs to outlast any one administration, how to enter the Latin American market, critical minerals, competing with China, and where the biggest opportunities are now.Recorded before Brazil's October 25 runoff, which Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won.New episodes every week.Timestamps00:00 Intro00:58 Welcome01:42 Home in the Lowcountry03:10 27 years at the State Department04:51 How a birthday card led to the Foreign Service07:00 From environmental policy to Afghanistan08:55 Plan Colombia and the FARC09:37 How INL relies on industry11:50 A Plan Colombia for Venezuela14:05 The Western Hemisphere back in focus16:38 Why policy needs to outlast administrations18:05 How to enter the Latin American market21:05 Critical minerals and foreign policy23:56 Who is America's strongest ally in the region?26:48 Competing with China30:10 Toward a Western Hemisphere alliance?31:52 Opportunities for industry34:15 The biggest change coming36:20 Closing thoughtsLinksConnect with Jimmy Story: [LinkedIn link]Global Frontier Advisors: https://globalfrontieradvisors.comJimmy's Atlantic Council piece on Venezuela: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/washington-needs-a-plan-venezuela-before-its-too-late/ Connect with Jake Frazer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakefrazer/Precision Talent Solutions: https://pts.careersAll episodes: https://pts.careers/en/podcastRead the transcript: Listen and subscribeApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1838189132Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0aMgbnT4lLK1BVPqqYG32A

Everyone in GovCon is talking about AI. Rohit Gupta wants to talk about everything else.Rohit, CEO of Aretum and a technologist to the core, joins Jake Frazer to walk through the technology quietly reshaping federal IT: platform engineering, software supply chain security, cloud native operations, observability, and the race to post-quantum cryptography.They also cover Rohit's path from Mumbai to founding Artemis Consulting, why Aretum built its own R&D lab years before the government asked for prototypes, the CMMC pause, whether a 9/11-scale cyber attack is coming, and why the government now wants solutions, not bodies.New episodes every week.Timestamps00:00 Solutions, not bodies01:09 Welcome03:07 Growing up in Mumbai05:32 Federal tech in the early 90s07:31 From PwC to government contracting09:55 Joining Aretum and becoming CEO11:04 Aretum's four capability pillars13:19 Life as a mid-size GovCon company14:38 Aretum Labs and prototyping18:31 Beyond AI: platform engineering20:25 Software supply chain security21:55 Cloud native operations and observability23:30 Quantum and post-quantum cryptography25:09 The CMMC pause26:37 Is a 9/11-scale cyber attack coming?28:55 How Aretum is adapting30:55 The Feinberg memo and lower barriers to entry32:02 Where Aretum is headed33:46 The biggest change coming34:51 The magic wand37:00 How it all fits togetherLinksConnect with Rohit Gupta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guptarohit/ Aretum: https://aretum.comConnect with Jake Frazer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakefrazer/Precision Talent Solutions: https://pts.careersAll episodes: https://pts.careers/en/podcastListen and subscribeApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1838189132Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0aMgbnT4lLK1BVPqqYG32A#GovCon #FederalIT #Cybersecurity #QuantumComputing #DevSecOps

About 80% of NATO's space capability comes from the United States, and the Alliance doesn't fly its own satellites anymore. So who fills the gap?Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Devin Pepper, the first US Space Force general officer assigned to NATO and former Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Policy at NATO Allied Command Transformation, joins Jake Frazer to explain where NATO stands in space, and where industry fits in.Devin went from enlisted airman to two-star general over 37 years, with stops in ICBM operations, cyber, and space. He covers what a day without space looks like, why deterrence needs a sword as well as a shield, whether an attack in space could trigger Article 5, and how commercial companies can get in front of NATO buyers.New episodes every week.Timestamps00:00 You can't deter with just a shield01:02 Welcome02:45 Colorado Springs, the home of US space05:11 First Space Force general officer at NATO06:28 From enlisted airman to two-star general10:57 A space officer on the ground in Fallujah12:34 Missile warning and the Al Asad attack15:47 Where NATO stands in space19:20 Why NATO relies on nations and commercial space21:29 How industry can support NATO in space24:57 Ukraine, Starlink, and attacks in every domain27:57 Why deterrence needs a sword30:04 Could an attack in space trigger Article 5?32:18 How the US stacks up against Russia and China36:03 NATO's commercial front door39:06 Assigning space targets to nations40:51 The biggest change coming: AI42:41 The magic wand: faster acquisition46:18 How Devin can help industry47:52 Closing thoughtsLinksConnect with Devin Pepper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maj-gen-ret-devin-pepper-9b390238/ Connect with Jake Frazer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakefrazer/Precision Talent Solutions: https://pts.careersAll episodes: https://pts.careers/en/podcastRead the transcript: Listen and subscribeApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1838189132Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0aMgbnT4lLK1BVPqqYG32A#NATO #SpaceForce #SpaceDefense #GovCon #NationalSecurity

Season 2 kicks off with the guest who kicked off Season 1.Patrick Malcor, PTS Co-Founder and Founder & CEO of Ajax Defense, returns to talk defense manufacturing: the tier 2 and tier 3 suppliers who actually make the parts for Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and BAE Systems. With Tomahawk production set to go from about 60 missiles a year to more than 1,000, Patrick explains why the supply chain has almost no room to absorb that demand, and what it will take to rebuild it.Jake and Patrick cover why the defense industrial base has 40% fewer small suppliers than it did 20 years ago, why short-term private equity thinking won't meet the moment, how Ajax is investing in people, process, and technology, and why veterans are central to its hiring. Patrick also picks a new word for the future of GovCon, and nominates who should be next in the guest chair.New episodes every week.Timestamps00:00 Season 2 kickoff02:09 What Ajax Defense does03:57 Is defense manufacturing really booming?06:07 Why supplier relationships beat badge flips07:46 40% fewer suppliers in 20 years12:51 A year of shutdowns, budgets, and acquisition change16:25 Tomahawks and the coming demand wave18:09 How Ajax is scaling22:31 Long-term capital for the industrial base25:24 Talent: the number one constraint27:41 Veterans in defense manufacturing29:15 One word, and the rise of the neo primes31:51 The biggest change coming34:27 The magic wand36:03 Budget stability and shifting priorities42:01 Who should be next?45:06 Closing thoughtsLinksConnect with Patrick Malcor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmalcor/ Ajax Defense: https://www.ajax-defense.com/ Connect with Jake Frazer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakefrazer/ Precision Talent Solutions: https://pts.careers All episodes: https://pts.careers/en/podcast Listen and subscribe Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1838189132 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0aMgbnT4lLK1BVPqqYG32A

Welcome to the Season 1 finale of The Future of GovCon, and we're closing out the season with something special: a Greatest Hits compilation featuring bold predictions from over 20 of the brightest minds in government contracting.From robotic battles in Ukraine to data wars in space, acquisition reform, workforce upskilling, European defense investment, and the rise of private equity in GovCon, our Season 1 guests didn't hold back.In this episode, you'll hear from leaders across defense tech, staffing, intelligence, logistics, cybersecurity, space, and more, all sharing where they see the industry heading and what you need to do to stay ahead.Season 2 launches next week. Subscribe so you don't miss it.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction00:28 NATO, Acquisition Structures, and the Pace of Change01:37 Speed, Partnerships, and Capability Delivery02:01 Selling Outcomes vs. Inputs: The New Business Model02:33 We Are on the Precipice of a Data War03:01 Teaching Allies to Fish: The U.S. Role in NATO03:19 Workforce Upskilling: Refreshing Talent at Every Level04:33 Following the Money: Financial Intelligence in Government04:59 Speed vs. Cost: Trade-offs in a Debt-Constrained Environment05:37 RFP Deluge Coming: Market Outlook for 2026 and 202706:35 Contested Logistics and the Future of Supply Chain07:25 DHS, Border Security, and Joint Contracting07:55 AI and Quantum: The Game Changers on the Horizon08:54 2028: Another Fork in the Road09:11 The Gulf Region: U.S. Force Presence and Energy Priorities10:34 For the First Time, Defense Is a Growth Business10:55 CMMC, Compliance, and the Cost of Getting It Wrong11:30 The Risk Gap and Private Industry's Opportunity11:56 Expendable Drones Reclassified as Ammunition12:33 Why Private Equity Is Winning in GovCon13:11 Adding More Tools Doesn't Solve the Problem14:10 Supply Chain Fragility and National Security14:48 European Capital Ready to Spend15:10 The Force of 2030: Professional Materialists, Not Pigeonholed Officers16:08 Cyber Is a Maneuver Area: Fight Your Network16:51 The Coast Guard's Unique Role in the Federal Government17:20 Ukraine's Acquisition Cycle vs. Ours: Weeks vs. Years18:18 ICE, Cyber, and Adapting to How Government Procures19:01 Generational Leadership Change in GovCon19:26 Four Adversaries Aligning: Watching a Global Conflict Take Shape20:12 Entrepreneurial Innovation Accelerating in Our Industry21:02 $1.5 Trillion: How Do You Spend It Smart?22:00 CMMC Through Three Lenses: Modernization, Intel, Insider Risk23:23 Culture, Talent, and Delivering for the Customer24:04 Teaching Allies to Lead: Shifting U.S. Role in Security24:57 The Robotic Battle in Ukraine: A Moment Unique in Human History25:21 Passing Data at the Speed of Warfare: The Alliance Challenge26:00 Mission-Oriented, Tip of the Spear: Who We Are and Why It Matters

On this episode of The Future of GovCon, Jake Frazer sits down with Julian Setian, CEO of SOSi, one of the most respected privately held mid-tier government contractors in the industry.Julian has been building SOSi for over three decades, growing it from his mother's language and linguistics business into a highly diversified national security and defense intelligence company with work spanning the DEA, COCOMs, the intelligence community, and more. He has done five acquisitions, navigated every budget cycle, and watched the industry transform from the Cold War through 9/11, two decades of deployed operations, and now what he calls the biggest structural changes he has ever seen.In this conversation he breaks down the parallel acquisition world being built around OTAs and CSOs, why the traditional M&A playbook is no longer commanding the premiums it once did, his shift toward early stage tech investments, and why companies that are not changing how they sell are simply not going to survive.🔔 Subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more people in the GovCon community find the show.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Hook: OTAs and CSOs are creating a parallel acquisition world 00:47 – Welcome and introduction 01:28 – Who is Julian Setian: CEO of SOSi, three decades in GovCon 02:18 – How SOSi maps to the arc of the entire government contracting industry 03:03 – Julian's 30 year prediction from 2019: how is he tracking? 03:42 – SOSi at an inflection point: seasoned team, great customer relationships 04:34 – Jake's history with SOSi: running supply chains at Taji, Iraq 05:01 – From narrow niche to highly diversified: one building block at a time 07:10 – Intimacy with customers: Julian personally in the field 08:22 – Was it destiny? Columbia, journalism dreams, and baseball 09:38 – Joining his mother's language business as a temporary gig 10:21 – Two years in and realizing what the possibilities were 11:09 – Working with family: sister joined from JP Morgan as Chief Administrative Officer 13:16 – CFO Bruce Krall: 26 years and a cornerstone of SOSi's success 14:14 – How the business grew: cleared linguists to federal law enforcement to defense 15:00 – Moving into Iraq and Afghanistan: hungry aggressive mid-tiers filled the gap 17:53 – Capacity building, infrastructure, overseas operations 18:41 – Transitioning from deployed operations to home base and headquarters 19:33 – First customer DEA still a customer today: maintaining core while diversifying 20:05 – External growth: five acquisitions including STG in 2019 21:43 – The STG acquisition: Simon Lee's business and the long game 22:36 – Shifting from traditional M&A to early stage tech investments 23:04 – Investing in AB Tech: AI and machine translation 23:38 – First VC-level investment: software vulnerability discovery company 24:36 – Bridging the gap for non-traditional companies breaking into government 24:51 – How SOSi manages a highly diverse agency portfolio 25:25 – The common thread: national security, defense, intelligence, law enforcement 28:00 – What is happening right now in the market 32:00 – The AI opportunity: intelligence analytics, data processing at scale 36:00 – The new acquisition landscape: OTAs, CSOs, NATO task force X 40:00 – The parallel acquisition world being built around flexible vehicles 43:00 – The blurring of traditional and nontraditional: Google, AWS, Palantir 45:00 – SBA proposal to collapse NAICS categories: good for government buyers, hard for small businesses 46:37 – If companies are not changing how they sell they will not survive 47:51 – The old M&A playbook is no longer commanding the premiums 48:41 – Sticky relationships, unique IP, and access placement technology: the new survival criteria 49:05 – One word on the future: "Limitless" 50:02 – Closing thoughts

On this episode of The Future of GovCon, Jake Frazer sits down with Major General (Ret.) Pete Andrysiak, former Chief of Staff at U.S. European Command, former DCG of the 25th Infantry Division, licensed civil engineer, 36-year Army veteran, and now Senior Vice President at Palantir focused on European defense.Pete was at UCOM when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, working alongside General Cavoli as the transformation of the entire European Command took shape in real time. He helped stand up the predecessor to the Security Assistance Group Ukraine, watched NATO fundamentally change its posture, and saw firsthand how the C2 and data integration gap was limiting what allied forces could do.In this conversation he breaks down why PowerPoint-driven headquarters is a national security problem, what it actually takes to connect data across allies and partners at the speed of warfare, how NATO is implementing Maven Smart System, and why the opportunity in European defense right now is unlike anything he has seen.🔔 Subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more people in the GovCon community find the show.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Hook: Seeing all domains, deconfliction, and passing data at the speed of warfare00:38 – Welcome and introduction01:21 – Who is MG Pete Andrysiak: UCOM Chief of Staff, 36 years, now at Palantir03:47 – What Pete is doing now: NATO Maven Smart System implementation and BD04:41 – Eastern flank focus: Romania through Poland into the Baltics05:15 – Why Palantir: the best C2 integration platform on the market06:11 – Career overview: combat engineer to operational leader07:10 – Corps of Engineers, 25th Infantry, US Army Pacific, Europe, UCOM07:45 – Why data became his passion: driven by decision quality information08:20 – The PowerPoint problem: a mediocre common operating picture09:00 – Why Palantir: integrate, move fast, leave PowerPoint behind09:45 – Engineering mindset meets innovation: process cannot stifle capability10:20 – Six months into the DCG role: Russia invades Ukraine10:55 – Standing up the CIU predecessor with General Cavoli11:30 – Cavoli's mandate: turn UCOM into a war fighting headquarters12:15 – The change management challenge of a large Cold War-era headquarters14:00 – The intelligence picture and the sensor-to-shooter gap16:00 – How data integration changes decision speed at the operational level18:00 – Maven Smart System: what NATO bought and why it matters22:00 – The NATO implementation challenge: from ACO to JFC to components26:00 – Interoperability across allies: the hardest problem in NATO30:00 – Eastern flank urgency: Romania, Poland, the Baltics, and counter UAS34:00 – UAS crossing NATO borders and the integrated air picture gap38:00 – Arctic and Indo-Pacom: Pete's geographic breadth across his career42:00 – What has changed in European defense since February 202246:00 – The monopsony problem: five primes and a single buyer48:00 – Lowering barriers vs. procurement reform: are we ready to move fast?50:00 – Measuring outcomes not butts in seats: the new contracting imperative52:00 – Ukraine in 2026: best position since 2023 but no geographic breakthrough53:45 – Palantir's role in Ukraine's C2 solution54:12 – One word on the future: "Opportunity"55:00 – The Last Supper, monopsony, and the consolidation problem56:02 – Forward deployed engineers asking: what problem do you want me to solve?57:04 – Closing thoughts

A special solo episode of The Future of GovCon with Jake Frazer, CEO of Precision Talent Solutions.This is the fifth edition of the PTS Monthly Industry Spotlight, and this month Jake digs into what he is calling the new breed of business development talent in GovCon — and why every growth leader needs to be doing something different right now.With a $1.5 trillion defense budget request on the table, DHS surging on homeland security, European defense bubbling up, and two active wars shaping procurement priorities, the way you sell to the government has fundamentally changed. The traditional long-cycle capture model is not enough anymore. And the talent set you needed two years ago on your BD team is not the same talent set you need today.Jake walks through the article from this month's Industry Spotlight, shares perspectives from Andy McWilliams on positionless basketball in BD, references insights from Tim Garnett and Jim Carroll, and breaks down the full PTS toolbox for GovCon growth leaders.🔔 Subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more people in the GovCon community find the show.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Hook: What are you doing differently to prepare for the generational investment?00:47 – Welcome and introduction to the fifth Monthly Industry Spotlight01:31 – The new breed of business development talent: the core question02:52 – What are CEOs and CGOs doing differently right now?03:12 – $1.5 trillion, DHS surge, European defense, and two active wars04:01 – Speed, AI, drones, counter UAS, and space driving procurement change04:57 – Andy McWilliams and the positionless basketball analogy05:17 – The Knicks, the championship, and what it means for GovCon BD05:43 – Topics the government is buying that did not exist ten years ago06:09 – Shortage of talent on the government side and new acquisition vehicles06:32 – Big budgets, speed, new technology, OTAs, and direct awards07:18 – The new BD cycle: know the problem, develop the solution, iterate07:50 – The new talent set: solution architects, account execs, capture folks08:09 – The seats have changed: you need to know where people are sitting08:39 – What are you doing differently on your BD team right now?09:05 – The top talent is not looking for a job — you have to go get them09:29 – PTS's track record across BD, capture, proposals, and multiple agencies09:58 – Tim Garnett episode: bring the solution, do not ask what they need11:05 – Byron Bright at Atkins: industry must partner with government11:28 – Jim Carroll at PSC: talent drain, acquisition overhaul, and what it means for BD12:16 – Big moves: Acclaim becoming Quantum, KBR spinning off into Intrinsic13:04 – PTS toolbox: how we support chief growth officers13:48 – BD talent search: the hardest labor category in GovCon14:17 – Screening tools: video interviews, personality assessment, nine block predictor14:57 – Win sheets, referral process, and finding needle moving talent15:23 – Key personnel searches: bolt on to capture teams, find non-obvious candidates16:07 – Increasing P-Win: the government is savvy to bait and switch16:41 – Precision Experts: over 100 flag officers, SES, ambassadors on the catalog17:28 – Smart ways to use Precision Experts for speed and access17:48 – Bespoke searches and temp to perm options18:07 – Career Transition Services: protect your brand when you reorganize19:32 – Our Rolodex is your Rolodex: network, events, and introductions20:17 – Closing: if you wait until 2027, your competitors will already be ahead