Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: CAREY A. SMITH

An engineer by training, Smith joined Fortune 1000 defense contractor Parsons in 2016 as a division head and quickly rose to president, CEO and, most recently, chair.

A five-time winner of Executive Mosaic’s Wash100 Award, she helped take Parsons public in 2019 and also led Parsons’ acquisition and integration of a string of companies, including the $400 million acquisition of Xator and, most recently, the $43 million purchase of IPKeys Power Partners. The latest acquisition bolsters the high-tech defense contractor’s capabilities in critical infrastructure protection, grid modernization and cyber-resiliency.

Before joining Parsons, Smith held executive roles at Honeywell Aerospace and Lockheed Martin. She earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Ohio Northern University.

Smith serves on the boards of Edison International, the Professional Services Council and the Intelligence and National Security Alliance.

Founded in 1944, Parsons provides technology solutions in the defense, intelligence and critical infrastructure markets. It posted $4.2 billion in 2022 revenue and has more than 17,000 employees worldwide.