CGI Federal names SVP of defense, intelligence, space

Jessica Hersey has joined Fairfax County-based federal contractor CGI Federal as senior vice president of defense, intelligence and space.

Montreal-based IT and professional services consultancy CGI announced Hersey’s new role at its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary in a LinkedIn post Monday. She succeeds Horace Blackman, who became president of NTT Data Federal in April.

Before joining CGI Federal on June 15, Hersey was an executive vice president at Chantilly technology services provider Red River, where she oversaw the growth and business development of its government technology systems business unit and Red River company Invictus. Prior to Red River’s acquisition of Invictus, announced in December 2025, Hersey served as senior vice president and general manager of the government technology systems unit, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Prior to that, Hersey was senior vice president of business development in the Americas at Janes and held multiple roles at Leidos, most recently as vice president of business development and strategy in the mission solutions operation, according to her LinkedIn profile. She joined Leidos through its 2016 merger with Lockheed Martin’s information systems and global solutions business. She previously spent about two decades in leadership roles related to technology contracts at Lockheed Martin.

Hersey has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a master’s electrical engineering degree from George Washington University. She completed program management and leadership development programs at Lockheed Martin and has a program management certification from Villanova University.

Hersey is a past president of the Washington, D.C., chapter of AFCEA International (formerly the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association). She’s also a board member of STEM for Her, a nonprofit focused on encouraging and assisting girls and young women in the D.C. area to pursue STEM careers.

CGI Federal has about 8,000 employees working with federal agencies across more than 60 locations. Last week, it promoted Alisa Bearfield to president, succeeding Stephanie Mango, who is moving to a role in CGI’s global operations.