Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: TOM WATSON

Watson became CEO of federal contractor Serco Inc. in September 2022, after four years as senior vice president of defense business at the North American subsidiary of British parent company Serco Group plc. He previously worked for Science Applications International Corp. for 22 years, including as senior vice president of SAIC’s Navy and Marine Corps customer group. He also served six years in the Navy.

A $6.2 billion business worldwide, Serco has more than 9,000 employees in the Americas and provides professional, technology and management services to the U.S. military, U.S. federal civilian agencies and other public and private clients. In 2021, Serco acquired Whitney, Bradley & Brown, a Reston-based federal tech contractor, for $295 million.

In February 2023, Serco announced it had won a recompete bid for a $690 million, nearly five-year contract for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to continue aiding with consumer eligibility determinations for the federal health insurance exchanges.

Watson started out as an engineering technician for Resource Consultants Inc. (RCI), which was acquired by Serco in 2005. Watson earned his MBA from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in information technology from National University.