Peraton executive returns to SAIC as chief growth officer

Reston-based Fortune 500 federal contractor Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) announced Tuesday that it has tapped former Peraton executive Ravi Dankanikote to be chief growth officer, effective immediately.

Dankanikote, who left SAIC in August to become Peraton’s chief growth officer, will succeed Bob Ritchie, who is remaining at SAIC as its chief technology officer, a position he has held since 2022. In September, under former CEO Toni Townes-Whitley, Ritchie was named chief growth officer. Townes-Whitley departed in October, after having served two years as the contractor’s CEO, and in mid-November, SAIC reorganized and consolidated five business groups into three.

In his new role, Dankanikote will lead the company’s enterprise growth strategy. He has more than 30 years of growth leadership experience in the government contracting space. SAIC praised him for having a proven track record of building business development organizations that focus on customer needs, a deep understanding of mission requirements, the ability to align people to accomplish company goals and a commitment to promoting modern solutions.

“By fusing cutting-edge commercial innovation with trusted delivery customers, we have a powerful opportunity to drive mission outcomes, accelerate modernization and deliver sustainable growth for all stakeholders,” Dankanikote said in a statement.

Dankanikote previously served as SAIC’s senior vice president for business development from 2021 until August, when he joined Peraton. He also spent 27 years at CACI serving in multiple senior business development and growth roles.

As chief growth officer, Dankanikote will report to SAIC’s interim CEO, Jim Reagan.

“Ravi doesn’t just know SAIC, he knows the industry,” Reagan said in a statement. “He is deeply attuned to industry trends and the transformation that is occurring right now in the market in terms of what customers want and how they want to purchase it. He is the right choice to lead our business development and growth strategy as SAIC implements our simplified organizational structure and sharpens our focus on key opportunities to provide even greater value to our customers, increase growth for our shareholders, and create a stronger company.”

SAIC has about 24,000 employees and reported annual revenue of $7.48 billion for fiscal 2025.