Ireland Degges
Executive Mosaic is excited to recognize Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command, with a 2024 Wash100 Award for her tireless work to advance the nation’s logistics readiness and strengthen public-private partnerships.
Don’t forget to choose Van Ovost as your favorite 2024 winner in the annual Wash100 popular vote contest! Visit Wash100.com to cast your votes.
The esteemed Wash100 Award annually recognizes those with far-reaching influence in the government contracting field. Wash100 hand-picks its elite lineups of key GovCon executives using an intense selection process that looks at the past accomplishments and forward momentum of each leader. Van Ovost’s win represents her first induction into Wash100.
“To be on the same list as so many incredibly talented professionals and leaders is truly an honor. I’m so proud to represent U.S. Transportation Command where our men and women approach each day with a determined focus on finding innovative solutions to complex logistical challenges and fostering and maintaining vital relationships with commercial industry,” Van Ovost said.
Van Ovost began her military career in the U.S. Air Force over three decades ago and has since compiled over 4,200 flight hours and held numerous leadership positions across the Department of Defense. She assumed her current role in 2021.
“General Van Ovost has consistently demonstrated reliable leadership, a deep understanding of the threats our nation faces and keen military expertise in today’s era of contested logistics and growing global competition,” said Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic and founder of the Wash100 Award. “Her strategic guidance is helping to ensure our military’s readiness and ability to harness decision advantage in the face of emerging threats and an intensifying geopolitical landscape. General Van Ovost’s contributions to TRANSCOM are an indispensable asset to our nation, and we’re proud to include her in this year’s Wash100 roster.”
In 2023, Van Ovost continued her strong leadership by advocating for prioritization of contested logistics and calling for collaborative action to address related challenges.
During the Potomac Officers Club’s Preparing for the Contested Logistics Era Forum in September, Van Ovost listed her three priorities to boost TRANSCOM’s decision advantage: shaping global posture, emphasizing global mobility capacity and focusing on command and control integration.
She also highlighted the need to combat Chinese dominance in various international supply chains and transportation networks and said that U.S.-China competition is “here to stay.”
“We have to act like it. We have to exercise it. We have to develop systems and capabilities that are robust and resilient and survivable,” she said.
With Van Ovost’s assistance, the DOD has begun integrating logistics elements into various Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control exercises, specifically those related to joint data integration tools.
“As we do more and more exercises, I think what you’ll find is we’re no longer ‘fairy dusting’ logistics, or making it an add-on, but integrating it,” Van Ovost told Defense Daily.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, Van Ovost said, has illuminated the importance of a logistical advantage in today’s battlefield.
She underscored that mission success is dependent on a country’s ability to supply its forces during the 2023 McAleese Defense Programs Conference last spring.
“Contested logistics from the homeland to delivery is now a reality for every major operation. If the associated threats and the logistical demand is not sufficiently mitigated, almost every aspect of the mobility enterprise will incur increased risk to mission,” she said.
Van Ovost has zeroed in on collaboration to address contested logistics challenges. She referred to the U.S.’ worldwide partner network as the “fourth component command” and a “force multiplier for us in competition and conflict.”
People and partnerships, she said, are crucial to carrying out logistics missions.
In June, Van Ovost demonstrated her staunch commitment to global partnerships through TRANSCOM’s 2023 International Logistics Symposium, which brought together over 140 attendees from 43 nations to share their insights on logistics challenges and opportunities.
“As logisticians, we never shy away from tough problems,” Van Ovost said at the event. She also affirmed the “impressive” partnerships and teamwork demonstrated at the symposium.
With Van Ovost at the helm, TRANSCOM has also worked closely with other DOD components to unite their goals. In July, TRANSCOM staff met with the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command to discuss the integration of homeland defense and global power projection requirements, advocacy for infrastructure resourcing and patient movement activities within the continental U.S.
TRANSCOM has also been active in the contracting landscape, issuing multiple awards in 2023. In June, the command awarded 11 companies $178.5 million to extend their work under the Multimodal Transportation Program contract. This award has a two-year option period and a total potential value of $457.2 million.
More recently, TRANSCOM expanded its International Ocean Transportation and Intermodal Distribution Services program with the award of 11 contracts with values ranging from $7.8 million to $150.2 million.
Executive Mosaic congratulates Van Ovost on her first Wash100 win and looks forward to seeing where her leadership takes TRANSCOM next.
