Government Contractors | Technology 2025: PETERS, MARK

Peters succeeded Jason Providakes as president and CEO of Mitre, a not-for-profit research and development corporation that manages federally funded R&D centers, in September 2024. Mitre has more than 60 sites worldwide, employing about 8,000 workers and more than 200 labs.

Peters served as executive vice president of laboratory management and operations at Charlottesville’s Battelle Memorial Institute from 2020 to 2024. He previously directed Idaho National Laboratory and was president of Battelle Energy Alliance. He is vice president/president-elect of the American Nuclear Society’s board.

Mitre expected to lay off 442 Virginia employees this year as the result of the Trump administration cancelling 11 contracts totaling more than $28 million.

In April, a last-minute reprieve from the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency saved Mitre’s Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures program from shuttering.

Peters received his first Wash100 award, which recognizes top government contracting leaders, from Executive Mosaic in 2025. He has a doctorate from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University.

ADVICE FOR NEW COLLEGE GRADS: Stay curious and keep learning; your degree is just the beginning.