Ireland Degges
Craig McIntire currently serves as vice president of the Department of Homeland Security Account within SAIC’s Civilian Business Group. In this role, he oversees the full spectrum of the company’s DHS portfolio, which includes a wide variety of information technology and engineering services.
His career began at Sperry corporation, where he designed and developed systems for both the Department of Defense and Depart of Justice. He then worked as vice president of engineering at a venture capital-funded startup, and later, he moved to Unisys, which was acquired by SAIC in March 2020. Throughout his career, he has compiled a wealth of experience in leading and growing DHS accounts.
In a recent Executive Spotlight interview with ExecutiveBiz, McIntire offered a look into SAIC’s strategy for staying on top of current government contracting industry trends and highlighted the technologies shaping the future of the field. Read the full interview below.
What factors or GovCon industry trends are influencing your growth strategy as you look toward SAIC’s future?
At SAIC, we’re on a mission to grow – not just in size, but in the way we support our client needs. We’ve charted a path forward with four strategic pivots that include expanding our portfolio of solutions and clients and enhancing our go-to-market strategy, brand and culture. This is about setting the stage for growth that’s not only robust but also thoughtful and enduring.
We recognize the increasing need to not only capture and manage vast data sets but also to apply innovative technologies to this data to enhance decision-making, facilitate cross-agency data sharing and use digital engineering to streamline efficiencies throughout the engineering lifecycle. In response, we continually assess our potential to broaden our solutions, innovate internally or forge strategic partnerships with other tech pioneers to satisfy the evolving needs of our clients.
In the near future, is SAIC looking to develop a deeper set of capabilities in your current fields or expand your offerings to include new capabilities in new fields?
It is a combination of both. We’re enhancing our differentiated solutions like secure multi-cloud, digital engineering and operational AI with a rich understanding of our clients’ missions, the unparalleled talent of our team and the legacy of trust we’ve built in the industry.
We’re looking across our defense and civilian portfolios to identify areas where integrated solutions can make a significant impact. For instance, Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems solutions are frequently linked with military applications, but there is strong demand from civilian agencies as well. From enhancing border security to upgrading protection at airports, we’re taking what we do best and applying it where it’s most needed.
What’s the most impactful trend you’re currently seeing in the GovCon market? How are you seeing GovCon organizations respond to that trend?
Artificial intelligence is at the forefront of discussion, not just as a concept but across a wide variety of use cases within mission domains. At SAIC, we are responding by developing AI capabilities and expertise to meet mission needs and explore the art of the possible in an effective and trustworthy way.
While we are driving delivery of these data and AI innovations, we’re equally committed to using AI responsibly. Our collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop AI guidelines and our partnership with George Washington University’s Trustworthy AI Initiative keep us connected with experts and at the bleeding edge of ethical AI practices. To further this mission internally, we’ve set up our own AI Council and risk management groups and brought on an AI ethicist, ensuring that our AI journey is both groundbreaking and grounded in ethics.
